LEWIS Cook's second-half piledriver earned Cherries a 4-3 win over Levante as Eddie Howe's team registered their first victory of pre-season.

Cook's ferocious late decider was the only real highlight of a fairly uneventful 45 minutes – which was in stark contrast to a breathless opening period at La Manga.

Cherries and their Valencia-based opponents shared no fewer than six goals during a pulsating first half which saw both teams surrender the lead.

Finely-taken goals from Emerson Hyndman and Jermain Defoe saw Cherries forge 2-0 ahead after just 12 minutes.

But the La Liga outfit, who inflicted champions Barcelona's only league defeat last season, came roaring back to level by netting twice inside five minutes.

And after Levante had edged ahead thanks to Marti's cool finish in the 35th minute, Jack Simpson equalised with a powerful header four minutes before the interval.

Ghanaian Emmanuel Boateng, who had plundered a hat-trick in the win against Barcelona in May, limped off just minutes after scoring their second goal.

There was no sign in the Levante squad of reported Cherries target Jefferson Lerma, the midfielder having been given extra time off following his exploits in the World Cup with Colombia.

Levante went close to drawing first blood when Boateng’s stinging volley from close range was turned around the post by Artur Boruc after just three minutes.

But it was Cherries who would break the deadlock with Hyndman’s composed finish into the bottom corner rounding off a superb team move in the ninth minute.

Started from just inside the Levante half, a series of passes from one side of the pitch to the other ended with Hyndman converting Simon Francis’s cut-back.

Defoe doubled Cherries’ lead with an audacious flick past Levante goalkeeper Oier Olazábal just three minutes later.

The striker nipped in front of his marker and applied a clever finish to Ryan Fraser’s inch-perfect cross.

As Levante looked for a quick response, Roger saw his piledriver tipped to safety by Boruc, although the Pole was powerless to prevent the Spanish team halving the deficit after 18 minutes.

Roger’s stunning strike from the edge of the box gave Boruc no chance as it nestled in the far corner.

Steve Cook headed a Fraser corner over the crossbar before an acrobatic stop from Boruc prevented Jason making it 2-2.

However, Boateng, who looked at least a yard offside, levelled for Levante after 23 minutes when he fired past Boruc as the Cherries defence looked at the referee’s assistant.

Levante took the lead for the first time through Roger 10 minutes before the break, the striker escaping the clutches of Simpson and guiding home his second after being picked out by Ruben Rochina’s excellent pass.

However, Simpson had the final say of the first half when he outjumped the Levante defence to meet Connor Mahoney’s inswinging corner with a towering header to make it 3-3.

Both managers made wholesale changes at the break and the second half was always going to struggle to live up to the first.

Marc Pugh drew a fingertip save from Dani Cardenas 10 minutes from time, although the Levante stopper was left clutching at Murcia air as Cook's thunderous drive whistled past him in the closing stages.

Cherries first half: Boruc, Francis, S Cook, Simpson, Daniels, Mahoney, Arter, Hyndman, Fraser, Mousset, Defoe.

Cherries second half: Begovic, A Smith, Gosling, Ake, B Smith, Ibe, L Cook, Surman, Brooks, Pugh, King.