EDDIE Howe is hoping Cherries’ first Premier League away win of the season will help continue to restore confidence levels in the camp.

Victory on the road at the fifth attempt saw Cherries triumph against Stoke at the bet365 Stadium for the second season in succession.

It also earned them their first points on their travels following defeats at West Brom, Arsenal, Everton and Tottenham.

Howe said: “You can see from our recent performances that we haven’t had the results we wanted but we have been very committed in some tight games.

"We weren’t just quite ourselves early in the season and I think that knocked confidence levels.

“Confidence is such a huge thing in sport and, if you don't have it at its highest levels then you are not going to perform as well.

“Hopefully, results like this will help return us to our very best.”

Howe added: “Nobody could have said we lacked confidence in the first half. I thought we looked supremely confident early on and I was very pleased with the players.

“I thought we showed the two sides to our game. The football we played in the first half was excellent.

“We were very good, moved the ball well and had total control.

"You knew at half-time the game would change with the weather and Peter Crouch coming on.

“The most pleasing thing was that, at 2-1 and with a large proportion of the game left, we looked very solid and didn't really give them any clear-cut chances.”