Last updated at 10:04, Saturday, 17 March 2012

Bournemouth boss Lee Bradbury reckons the big-spending Cherries must beat Carlisle United today to salvage their faltering season.

Lee Bradbury

The Seward Stadium manager, who this week received a vote of confidence from controversial chairman Eddie Mitchell, needs to end the slide against Greg Abbott's men.

Carlisle's hosts have lost five on the spin and must today cope without record signing Matt T'bbs, who is out with a groin injury.

The Cherries were recently in the play-off hunt but their form crash now sees them 12th, 12 points adrift of the top six.

Bradbury said: “Carlisle have had a really good season, and we need to be beating teams who are in their position because we want to finish as high as we can.

“All the lads want to go out and prove that they can play well for 90 minutes and get what we deserve.”

Tubbs, a £750,000 signing from Crawley, misses out today along with defender Adam Barrett, but star winger Marc Pugh is fit to return. And former Carlisle loanee Harry Arter is expected to play after overcoming a back injury.

Bournemouth's promotion push has nosedived despite the south coast club lavishing an estimated £1.6million on new players in January.

First published at 08:57, Saturday, 17 March 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk