BRIAN'S THE BIG DADDY!

Stock belatedly wetted the baby's head and dedicated his stunning free-kick to his son Harley Joseph - who was born in August - and his fiancee Krystilee.

His effort helped Cherries to victory despite a late goal from Dean Court old boy Warren Feeney, whose wife Katy gave birth to a daughter on Tuesday.

Stock, a close pal of Feeney's, told the Daily Echo: "I know it's no James Hayter story where he scored a hat-trick after becoming a father, but I've been waiting for this moment ever since he was born. I think about him all the time and that goal was for him and Krystilee.

"I'm really pleased for Warren as well. I'm good friends with him and I'm glad he scored too. I don't think he really deserved the stick he got from the fans. It was a great finish, a good header and it gave us a few nerves at the end."

Stock opened the scoring with a delightful 22nd-minute free-kick before James Hayter bagged his ninth goal of the season just after the break. Feeney reduced the arrears five minutes from time.

"I think the goalkeeper gave me quite a lot of room to hit but I was still pleased to see it go in," said Stock who hit one of Cherries' goals at Shrewsbury in the LDV Vans defeat.

"Sean said it would be important who scored the first goal. He doesn't usually say that but tonight was one of the nights when it did settle us down because it was never going to be easy playing the team at the bottom of the league."

Victory saw Sean O'Driscoll's troops move to within touching distance of the League One play-off zone.

O'Driscoll said: "I thought we were very professional. Games you are expected to win are always very difficult and they came with a formation that we didn't expect with the three strikers.

"The first goal was always going to be important and once we got it I thought there was only going to be one winner.

"We've been saying all week that the first goal, whether we got it or they got it, would have a bearing on the game and I'm just glad we got it. We were probably one goal away from scoring four or five."

O'Driscoll added: "Brian's been exceptional. He's always had that ability and shown it in flashes and that was about the sixth game on the trot that he's played well.

"He took responsibility which is what we asked when we lost Carl Fletcher and he's really come to the fore. He's always likely to pop up with a goal.

"Him and John Spicer are the same age and they can bounce off each other. They work well together."

Feeney, who celebrated his goal in front of a North Stand which had goaded him throughout, said he would have "swapped his goal for a win", while County boss Sammy McIlroy said the turning point had been conceding a second goal so soon after half-time.

Stock opened the scoring with a delightful 22nd-minute free-kick before James Hayter bagged his ninth goal of the season just after the break. Fee-ney reduced the arrears five minutes from time.

"I think the goalkeeper gave me quite a lot of room to hit but I was still pleased to see it go in," said Stock who hit one of Cherries' goals at Shrewsbury in the LDV Vans defeat.

"Sean said it would be important who scored the first goal. He doesn't usually say that but tonight was one of the nights when it did settle us down because it was never going to be easy playing the team at the bottom of the league."

Victory saw Sean O'Driscoll's troops move to within touching distance of the League One play-off zone.

O'Driscoll said: "I thought we were very professional. Games you are expected to win are always very difficult and they came with a formation that we didn't expect with the three strikers.

"The first goal was always going to be important and once we got it I thought there was only going to be one winner.

"We've been saying all week that the first goal, whether we got it or they got it, would have a bearing on the game and I'm just glad we got it. We were probably one goal away from scoring four or five."

O'Driscoll added: "Brian's been exceptional. He's always had that ability and shown it in flashes and that was about the sixth game on the trot that he's played well.

"He took responsibility which is what we asked when we lost Carl Fletcher and he's really come to the fore. He's always likely to pop up with a goal. Him and John Spicer are the same age and they can bounce off each other. They work well together."

Feeney, who celebrated his goal in front of a North Stand which had goaded him throughout, said he would have "swapped his goal for a win", while County boss Sammy McIlroy said the turning point had been conceding a second goal so soon after half-time.