IF the Football League made an award for manager of the week, Lee Bradbury would have walked off with it.

Of the seven men that led their teams to back-to-back wins, none could have had as much to contend with as the Cherries boss.

When he arrived for work a week ago today, Bradbury could have been forgiven for thinking the dreaded vote of confidence may have been in the offing.

A fifth successive league defeat and a sixth in seven games had seen a solitary point and one position separate Cherries from the foot of the table.

Bradbury must also have felt the fixture computer had conspired against him as his beleaguered troops faced consecutive away games in which to try to stop the rot.

While Bradbury’s future had been the subject of much debate among supporters, relieving him of his post must also have been on the minds of the board.

However, on-pitch issues had been quickly put in the shade by the shenanigans that had followed Cherries’ defeat by Chesterfield nine days ago.

The publicity surrounding chairman Eddie Mitchell’s rant at supporters and his impromptu address to the players can hardly have been ideal preparation for the team.

It would have been impossible for Bradbury to shield his men from the fallout as Mitchell’s antics ensured the club would be plastered all over the national media.

Bradbury, however, managed to keep the players focused on the task ahead – the small matter of the club claiming maximum points at Brisbane Road for the first time since 1948.

And it was as if a magic wand had been waved as Cherries overcame the early loss of midfielder Mark Molesley to record a famous and much-needed victory.

The siege mentality established under former boss Eddie Howe’s stewardship was again evident as Cherries triumphed in the face of adversity.

It remained to be seen whether Bradbury’s men could repeat the feat at St James’s Park where the cracks had started to appear in last season’s bid for automatic promotion in March.

The opening 20 minutes suggested Cherries would have their work cut out, particularly as defensive linchpin and captain Adam Barrett was forced off due to a groin injury.

And seeing Troy Archibald-Henville’s piledriver soar inches over the crossbar and then Rowan Vine miss an absolute sitter must have done little to inspire away win backers.

Barrett’s exit after just 10 minutes prompted something of a merry-go-round in the visitors’ ranks with several players asked to switch positions to compensate.

“We stayed in the game and our levels of professionalism were excellent,” said Bradbury, who saw Cherries weather the brief early storm. “We did what we had to do and put into place the plan we had.”

Exeter’s race was as good as run after the opening 20 minutes, with Cherries fashioning two presentable goalscoring chances in quick succession. However, neither Wes Thomas, picked out by Harry Arter’s sublime pass, nor Marc Pugh, who stretched at the far post to meet Scott Malone’s cross-shot, could find the target.

Thomas made the breakthrough with an emphatic finish after 38 minutes, his second goal in as many games owing much to a surging run and another incisive pass from ‘Hollywood’ Harry.

Arter seized possession after an Exeter corner had come to nothing and proceeded to gallop up field with several Grecians players in hot pursuit. After showing them a clean pair of heels, he fed Thomas on the right wing.

Although the striker’s route to goal was far from clear, his task was helped when defender Richard Duffy slipped as he prepared to close down Thomas. But having stepped inside and shown a blistering turn of pace, Thomas rifled home a left-foot shot from around 15 yards.

“It was a great finish but we always knew he was more than capable of that,” said Bradbury. “He was calm and kept his composure in front of goal.

“He’s got a good goalscoring record, albeit in League Two, and is proving a threat in League One. Sometimes, you see lads struggle after they have come up from the lower leagues but Wes has fitted in straight away.”

Bradbury was forced to make another change before the break when Nathan Byrne sustained an ankle injury. He was replaced by youth teamer Josh Carmichael who, at 16, showed maturity beyond his years to cope admirably with his memorable 48-minute appearance.

With Mathieu Baudry commanding at the heart of defence alongside a rejuvenated Shaun Cooper and Warren Cummings rolling back the years with a vintage display at left-back, Cherries all but coasted through a largely uneventful second period.

Exeter’s powder-puff strike-force, robbed of the suspended Daniel Nardiello, threatened only once when Richard Logan hit the post six minutes from time.

And their miserable day was summed up by a comic capers own goal from Duffy when a Danny Coles clearance from a Malone shot struck the defender on the head and rolled into the net in the final minute.

Cherries: Flahavan 8, Purches 8, Barrett (Cummings, 10, 8.5), Baudry 9, Malone 8, Gregory 8, Byrne (Carmichael, 42, 8), Cooper 8, Arter 8.5 (Doble, 67), Pugh 8, Thomas 8.

Unused subs: Fletcher, Jalal (g/k).

Grecians: Pidgeley, Tully, Coles, Duffy, Jones, Whichelow (Bauza, 52), Archibald-Henville, Noble, Dunne, Shephard (Keohane, 52), Vine (Logan, 62).

Unused subs: Golbourne, Krysiak (g/k).

Booked: Archibald-Henville, Jones.

Referee: Carl Boyeson (Hull).

Attendance: 4,593 (including 696 away supporters).