CHERRIES recorded another famous victory over Liverpool at the Vitality Stadium to breathe life into their survival bid.

The Premier League's bottom side took a first-half lead through Philip Billing and proceeded to hang on to achieve a vital three points.

Gary O’Neil made three changes to the side beaten 3-2 late on at Arsenal last time out, Lloyd Kelly and Jefferson Lerma restored to the team on their returns from injury.

Alongside Jaidon Anthony, they replaced Chris Mepham, Antoine Semenyo and Jordan Zemura, the Zimbabwean left-back left out of the game for non-injury related reasons.

On the bench there was the surprise inclusion of David Brooks, who returned to a matchday squad for the first time in 525 days following his battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Both sides enjoyed clear cut chances in the opening 10 minutes. Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk must have thought he opened scores when he was allowed free roam at a corner, nodding the ball past Neto.

However, Lerma was on hand to clear off the line and deny the away side an opener.

Cherries themselves saw a golden chance spurned on the break. Dominic Solanke managed to slip in Dango Ouattara, who burst past the straggling defenders to find himself one-on-one with Alisson in the Liverpool goal.

The Burkinabe attempted to round the keeper, his touch too heavy and forcing his resultant effort into the side netting.

A defence-splitting ball from van Dijk allowed birthday boy Andrew Robertson a decent chance inside the box, Neto getting down low quick enough to deny the Scot.

Shortly after the Reds would have the ball in the back of the net, Cody Gakpo tapping home Darwin Nunez’s header, but the goal was quickly ruled out for offside.

Ouattara would waste another counter attack shortly after, before making amends by setting up Billing for the opener.

Former Lorient man Ouattara raced through to the byline down the right, cutting the ball back to the awaiting Billing in the penalty box to tap home shortly before the hour mark.

Neto was drawn into another decent save early on in the second period, the goalie palming away half-time substitute Diogo Jota’s effort from range.

Entering the fixture, neither side had been awarded a penalty in the Premier League this campaign, the only two sides without a spot-kick attempt.

That would change when Jota’s header was deemed to have been blocked by the outstretched arm of Adam Smith.

A VAR check would convince John Brooks to point to the spot, allowing Mo Salah the chance to equalise.

However, the Egyptian sent the penalty wide and into the south stand, leaving Cherries’ slender lead intact.

Sub Ryan Christie forced Alison into an awkward save late, pirouetting past his marker before testing the goalkeeper at the near post.

Minutes after coming on, Antoine Semenyo had a decent chance to seal the game.

The Ghanaian international was slipped in at too tight an angle to truly test Alisson, the striker’s effort bouncing past the far post.

At the time of writing, the result puts Cherries at 16th in the Premier League table, ahead of the 3.00pm kick-offs.

Cherries: Neto, Smith (Fredericks, 80), Stephens, Senesi, Kelly; Lerma (Cook, 80), Billing (Christie, 70), Rothwell; Anthony (Vina, 88), Solanke (Semenyo, 88), Ouattara.

Unused subs: Travers (g/k), Mepham, Brooks, Moore.

Booked: Billing, Anthony.

Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold (Milner, 65), Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho (Henderson, 65), Bajcetic (Carvalho, 88), Elliott (Jota, h-t); Salah, Nunez (Firmino, 65), Gakpo.

Unused subs: Adrian (g/k), Tsimikas, Carvalho, Arthur, Matip.

Booked: Konate.

Referee: John Brooks.