Partington back in action

Bournemouth midfielder Joe Partington has taken a significant step in his comeback from injury with a run-out for the reserves.

Partington, who has been plagued by injury for much of the season, returned to action during the Cherries' 1-1 draw with Forest Green Rovers on Tuesday. He came off the bench after 61 minutes at New Milton's Fawcett's Fields and turned in an assured display. The 21-year-old set up the Cherries' goal with only his second touch, Jayden Stockley heading home his inch-perfect cross just three minutes after Partington's introduction. Bournemouth skipper Adam Barrett was also handed a 45-minute run-out after recovering from a hamstring problem, while Shaun Cooper and Stephane Zubar featured too. "It was good to see Joe get 30 minutes at the end. He has been out for a long time so you have to be mindful of that and that is why he played the last half-an-hour instead of starting. We wanted to get him on once things had calmed down," reserve-team boss Ryan Garry told the club's official website. "He is itching to get back and we are glad he is fit because he is a good player who has, unfortunately, had more or less a year out due to injury through no fault of his own. His injuries have been major and he has needed operations. That is just bad luck. He is busting a gut to get back and show us what he can do."