CALLUM Wilson was stretchered off injured as Cherries suffered a 2-1 defeat at Stoke.

The five-goal frontman fell awkwardly following a challenge by Philipp Wollscheid early on and despite attempting to continue, was quickly forced off with a knee injury.

Jonathan Walters subsequently gave Stoke the lead and although after the break Dan Gosling levelled with his first league goal for Cherries, Potters substitute Mame Diouf headed a late winner for the hosts.

Cherries boss Eddie Howe named an unchanged starting XI as he kept faith with the side that had defeated Sunderland 2-0 at the Vitality Stadium.

Skipper Tommy Elphick and long-term absentee Harry Arter missed out due to injury while youngster Baily Cargill was handed a place on the bench.

Stoke’s Charlie Adam wasted an early free-kick before Wilson was withdrawn from the action, having appeared in agony following Wollscheid’s innocuous challenge.

The hosts fashioned the first chance of note in the 23rd minute when Walters burst down the right and fed Bojan, the Spaniard thwarted on the angle by keeper Artur Boruc.

Stoke had the wind in their sails and Glenn Whelan worried Boruc with a rasping low strike that the Polish international repelled.

Adam’s foul on substitute Glenn Murray afforded Ritchie a chance from a free-kick but the winger blasted straight at Jack Butland after Lee Tomlin’s lay-off.

Just as Cherries appeared to be sneaking back into the game, Stoke took the lead in the 32nd minute. Marko Arnautovic beat the offside trap on the left flank, ghosted past stand-in skipper Simon Francis and pulled back for Walters to tap home from close range.

Murray sent a looping header straight into Butland’s grateful arms in reply and minutes before the break, Cherries created a clear opening.

Following superb work by Marc Pugh, Murray flicked on to Lee Tomlin who located Ritchie at the back stick, the Scottish international’s instinctive effort being charged down by Pieters.

Deep into stoppage time, Stoke spurned a glorious chance to double their lead. From a Cherries corner, the Potters broke rapidly and Arnautovic played a one-two with Pieters, poking the return just past the right post.

Murray smashed over at the start of the second period but referee Lee Mason had already noticed an infringement by Steve Cook, while at the other end, Adam inexplicably failed to find a team-mate when well-placed to deliver a telling cross.

Cherries looked more of an attacking threat and Murray tried his luck from 20 yards, the frontman failing to connect as crisply as he would have liked.

Committing plenty of men forward, Cherries were vulnerable to the counter-attack but Sylvain Distin and Boruc swept up well when Diouf – a replacement for the injured Xherdan Shaqiri – was ready to pounce.

With 14 minutes to play, the visitors finally got the equaliser they had craved. Ritchie played the ball inside for Pugh and the former Hereford man’s shot pin-balled around the box before breaking nicely for Gosling, who squeezed into the corner.

It might have got even better for Howe’s men but with Pugh again involved, Gosling’s shot was beaten to safety by Butland.

And Cherries were made to pay with seven minutes left when Diouf stooped low to head in Glen Johnson’s cross from the right flank.

The Dorset side piled forward in the closing stages and Murray was denied by Butland from a tight angle, while Ritchie’s audacious effort dropped a fraction wide of the right post.

But Stoke hung on to deny Cherries a second away win in the Premier League.

Stoke: Butland, Johnson, Camerson, Wollscheid, Pieters, Whelan, Adam (van Ginkel, 75), Shaqiri (Afellay, 45), Bojan (Diouf, 62), Arnautovic, Walters.

Unused subs: Muniesa, Joselu, Crouch, Given (g/k).

Booked: Whelan.

Cherries: Boruc, Francis, Cook, Distin, Daniels, Ritchie, Gosling, Surman, Pugh (Smith, 87), Tomlin (King, 71), Wilson (Murray, 17).

Unused subs: Cargill, Bennett, MacDonald, Federici (g/k).

Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire).

Attendance: 27,742 (including 1,635 away supporters).