EDDIE Howe praised his Cherries players for producing the goods against Blackpool despite key absences in personnel.

Cherries were without Harry Arter and Yann Kermorgant for Saturday’s 1-0 Championship win, the injured pair having supplied all five of Cherries’ goals against Doncaster nine days ago.

Sidelined defenders Elliott Ward and Charlie Daniels also played no part, making Howe all the more delighted that his team had returned home to Dorset with three points.

He said: “The pleasing thing is we’ve come through losing two very influential players for us to win.

“That goes to show that without four players (including Ward and Daniels) who have been excellent for us this year, we still managed to produce a performance.

“We lost Yann from the Doncaster game and he felt his heel on Monday morning when he came in.

“It was out of the blue, we don’t know where it’s come from, so hopefully it goes away as quick as it came.

“Harry just felt a tight calf so we took him out as a precaution.”

Against the Tangerines, Howe elected to continue with the same 4-4-2 formation that served Cherries so well in the thumping 5-0 win over Donny.

The manager has often favoured a 4-1-4-1 shape away from home but felt that two banks of four was the right choice.

He said: “We’ve got very good players tactically and I think we’re able to change systems very quickly.

“We work in different ways as well so we’re not stereotypical and don’t have one way of playing.

“The players understand what we want them to do.”