NOT for the first time in recent history, fortune favoured Cherries’ brave and bold on Trafalgar Day.

The anniversary of victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 has often been a day to remember for Cherries followers.

And having secured a first away win of the season – and a vital one to boot – Eddie Howe’s troops rewarded the club’s army of travelling supporters who had journeyed to the Potteries.

Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson’s defeat of combined French and Spanish fleets defined the Age of Sail and confirmed British dominion of the seas for 100 years.

And while it remains to be seen how events at Stoke will shape the season for either club, the battle of the bet365 Stadium was arguably one which the visitors could ill afford to lose.

“If there is an omen or some sort of external power which is driving the team forward on this day then I hope we have a fixture next year!” quipped Howe, when informed October 21 had been a fruitful date for Cherries, with James Hayter’s four-goal blast at Bury coming on this day in 2000.

Like Lord Nelson, Howe is noted for his inspirational leadership and is someone who is able to sympathise with the needs of his men.

Using his superb grasp of strategy, Howe has plotted numerous decisive victories – including a 3-0 win over Reading on the same date in 2014 during Cherries’ Championship-winning campaign.

Howe has also been wounded and suffered several body blows in combat, especially since Cherries started locking horns with the powerful artilleries in the top flight.

With just four points gained from their first eight games – including dispiriting defeats against West Brom, Watford and Arsenal – Cherries had been in danger of being cast adrift with almost a quarter of the season gone. 

But although the prospect of defeat at Stoke had been almost unthinkable, it would have left Cherries in a far less perilous position than in October 2008 when, and in spite of a 2-1 home win over Dagenham & Redbridge on October 21, they were nine points adrift of safety in League Two.

Under Howe’s eventual command, Cherries went on to pull off the Greatest Escape, an experience which supporters would readily wish to avoid going through again, especially with so much at stake in the Premier League. 

Cherries’ preparations for such a key clash were anything but plain sailing as they were forced to face a fellow struggler on home turf without the services of Joshua King, last season’s leading marksman, and summer recruit Jermain Defoe.

King fell ill on the morning of the match, while Defoe was ruled out due to a minor hamstring complaint.

Their respective absences resulted in Howe making three changes, while striker Callum Wilson made a welcome return to the bench at a venue where all his injury problems had started on a fateful day in 2015.

Jordon Ibe, Benik Afobe and Lys Mousset were drafted in, bringing to a shade under 25 the average age in the starting line-up, possibly the club’s youngest team in the Premier League. 

Stoke, beaten 7-2 at Manchester City seven days previously, had a flimsy penalty appeal waved away in the 10th minute after Erik Pieters had gone to ground under a challenge from Ibe.

Cherries were rewarded for their early endeavours when Andrew Surman opened the scoring in the 16th minute, the midfielder finishing a superb team move with an arrow-like finish from around 20 yards.

Surman doubled his tally for the season after Ibe had set Adam Smith free down the right flank, with his cut-back to Junior Stanislas laid off perfectly to his team-mate.

Cherries quickly made it 2-0 from the penalty spot after Afobe had been upended by Potters skipper Ryan Shawcross just two minutes later. 

On a ground where the visitors had been denied a cast-iron spot-kick last season – after Shawcross had scythed Wilson – referee Lee Probert went some way to righting the wrong when he immediately indicated for a penalty.

And Stanislas stepped forward to take responsibility from 12 yards, the winger audaciously clipping the ball straight down the middle – and past the futile dive of Butland who had flung himself to his right. 

An important block by Charlie Daniels prevented Glenn Johnson from pulling the trigger, while Asmir Begovic’s instinctive one-handed stop kept out Mame Diouf’s effort as Stoke searched for a route back.

However, the visitors continued to fashion the best chances and Ibe was thwarted by Butland after he had tried his luck having been picked out by a slide-rule pass from Stanislas.

Towards the end of the opening period, a header from Maxim Choupo-Moting flashed past the upright before Stoke left the pitch to a chorus of boos.

A change of ends saw the tide turn in the second half and Cherries, now battling the elements, were fortunate to escape when Joe Allen side-footed wide with the goal gaping.

Stoke eventually halved the deficit when Diouf thighed the ball past Begovic from close range after Pieters’s hopeful punt had been helped across the face of the goalmouth by Choupo-Moting in the 63rd minute.

With Peter Crouch having been unleashed from the bench, Cherries were forced to withstand an aerial bombardment and showed their mettle to restrict Stoke to hopeful attempts on goal.

The Potters were convinced referee Probert should have pointed to the spot after Jese had taken a tumble under a Smith tackle, a decision described by Howe as a “close call”.

And there was a second let-off when Begovic inexplicably kicked out at Choupo-Moting after he had come to claim a cross in the closing stages.

Cherries: Begovic, A Smith, Francis, Ake, Daniels, Stanislas, L Cook (Arter, 76), Surman, Ibe (Pugh, 87), Mousset (S Cook, 62), Afobe.   

Unused subs: Gosling, Fraser, Wilson, Boruc (g/k).

Booked: L Cook.

Potters: Butland, Johnson (Crouch, 59), Shawcross, Zouma, Pieters, Diouf, Fletcher, Cameron, Choupo-Moting, Allen, Jese (Berahino, 81).

Unused subs: Wimmer, Afellay, Adam, Ramadan, Grant (g/k).

Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).

Attendance: 29,500 (including 1,226 visiting supporters).