A WONDER goal from Cherries cast-off Fawzi Saadi inspired Bournemouth Poppies to a confidence-boosting opening day triumph over Downton.

Despite twice falling behind to the Wiltshire outfit, a battling and bubbly Poppies fought back with two goals from Saadi and a winner from skipper Paul Cuglietta.

But boss Shaun Brooks admitted his lads needed a few gentle half-time words to send them on their way to victory.

He said: "In pre-season, we've been sitting back and hitting teams on the break but Downton came to do that to us and we became stuck between two stools.

"We told them they needed to raise the tempo and start to put them under pressure and once players like Cuglietta started to grab a hold of the game, we ran out worthy winners.

"We will come up against better sides than Downton this season but you have to earn the right to win games and we worked our socks off and the bits of individual magic from Fawzi won us the game."

Poppies fell behind after just four minutes when a slack pass out of defence served up a gift-wrapped opener for Matty Guy.

Saadi then stamped his influence on proceedings when, from a Downton corner, Poppies goalkeeper Dan Burton bowled the ball out to the midfielder who advanced a full 60 yards before unleashing a fine finish from the edge of the box.

But the hosts were behind again before half-time after Guy took advantage of more bad defending to make it 2-1.

More Saadi trickery won Brooks' side a penalty 10 minutes into the second half, which was duly dispatched by the inspirational playmaker for the second equaliser.

And Lamin Dibba played provider for Cuglietta's clincher, holding the ball up and playing in his captain who gleefully rammed it home.

So it left Poppies celebrating a winning start to their Wessex League campaign.

Poppies: Burton, Moore, Merritt, Wilkes, Toy, Allen (Roberts 60), Cuglietta, Jones, C Dibba, L Dibba, Saadi. Unused subs: Scrimshaw, Roberjot.