CHERRIES star Andrew Surman plans to keep ignoring his social media critics – insisting boss Eddie Howe is the only person he needs to answer to.

Surman played a starring role as Cherries finally opened their Premier League points account thanks to a stirring 2-1 victory over Brighton on Friday.

The midfielder capped an impressive individual display by netting his first goal for more than two-and-a-half years to cancel out Solly March’s opener.

And Jermain Defoe’s finely-taken winner at Vitality Stadium ensured Cherries would stop the rot following four successive top-flight defeats.

Surman, who started Cherries’ first three league games before dropping to the bench at Arsenal, came in for some heavy criticism during the poor start to the season.

A number of Howe’s players received stick as supporters and followers took to various forums to vent their fury and voice their opinions.

Surman, asked by the Daily Echo whether he had sensed any disquiet, said: “There are a lot of outside influences and people have opinions. When you are not winning, everyone writes you off. We have kept it in-house.

“When you are on the pitch, you can sense when people are getting frustrated. Brighton’s game plan was to get everyone behind the ball and make it difficult for us. They wanted to hit us on the break and, sometimes, that can be frustrating, especially on the back of a bad run.

“It was a case of not listening to the crowd too much and being patient with the ball. We couldn’t go forward all the time, we had to keep the ball and keep moving it. We kept probing and it paid dividends in the end.”

Asked whether he had been affected by the social media criticism, Surman replied: “I’m not on it. It is something I don’t really need in my life.

“I know it can be quite reactive. People are upset or happy after games and it is a quick reaction.

“I know when I have played well and when I haven’t. I know what the manager wants me to do, the job he wants me to do and, as long as he is happy, that is all that matters to me.

“There is nothing wrong with social media but it is a dangerous one. If you are on it, you have to be big enough to takes the highs and the lows.

“You can take all the plaudits but, if you aren’t playing well, you need to be able to take the criticism as well. I am big enough to do that but I probably don’t need to read it on social media.”

Surman, who last goal in the Premier League had come for Norwich in April 2012, fired Cherries level after being picked out by Jordon Ibe’s clever back-heel.

He added: “I am not used to being that far up the pitch. I usually sit a little deeper and try to supply the attacking players.

“But after going 1-0 down, we had to have a go. I found myself in the box, it was a great touch by Jordon and, thankfully, I managed to put it in the bottom corner.”