GOALS from Nottingham Forest duo Tendayi Darikwa and Gil Dias meant Cherries suffered their first loss of pre-season.

The pair struck either side of the interval as the Championship outfit recorded a 2-0 victory over Eddie Howe’s men.

Darikwa was alert to stab home from close range and net the opener in the opening period, while Dias’s crisp finish after the break settled the game in Forest’s favour.

As expected, Cherries altered their entire starting XI from the line-up which drew 1-1 at Bristol City less than 24 hours previously.

Skipper Simon Francis came into the starting XI against the club who rejected him as a youngster.

Lewis Grabban, who made a £6million switch from the Dorset club to join Forest earlier this month, had to settle for a spot on the bench for Aitor Karanka’s men.

Despite a bright opening, Cherries failed to convert one of a number of good opportunities.

On 11 minutes, Charlie Daniels found space to release Ryan Fraser down the left.

His cutback found new signing David Brooks, whose strike cannoned off a defender and away to safety.

Three minutes later, Fraser’s corner to the back post eventually allowed Harry Arter to slide in Lys Mousset but the French striker - now wearing the number nine shirt - snatched at his effort, which fell wide of the target.

Scotland international Fraser continued to threaten. He saw his free-kick from an acute angle parried away by keeper Costel Pantilimon, who had earlier rushed off his line and fouled Callum Wilson.

The visitors then showed their prowess on the counter as attacking midfielder Brooks got the opportunity to stretch his legs and run at the Forest defence.

He played a perfectly-weighted through ball to Wilson, who forced former Manchester City stopper Pantilimon into making a sharp stop.

Despite Cherries seeing the majority of possession, the home side looked to threaten.

Ex-Benfica forward Diogo Goncalves, one of 10 summer signings for the Championship side, struck an effort which sailed over the top from 20 yards out.

It was Forest who took the lead after 36 minutes. Goncalves burst down the left and squared for full-back Darikwa to slide in ahead of his man and convert from close range.

Goncalves then almost doubled his side’s advantage three minutes later. He raced on to a long ball from Pantilimon and stung the palms of Artur Boruc in the away goal.

The Polish stopper was then called into action once again in the final moments of the opening period.

He fended off a low drive from Algerian Adlene Guedioura, as Cherries went in behind at the interval.

And just three minutes after half-time, the visitors were two goals down.

A diagonal ball found Forest winger Dias, who is on loan at the City Ground from Monaco.

He applied a neat finish into the far corner having picked himself up after tussling with Daniels out wide.

As Cherries went in search of a response, a sublime reverse pass from Brooks almost unlocked the home defence.

He looked to play in Wilson, but Forest’s Danny Fox was alert to snuff out the danger.

Brooks then attempted to go it alone with a curling left-foot strike from inside the area which fell marginally wide of the target.

Forest were not content with a two-goal lead however, and they almost added another five minutes past the hour mark.

After Cherries had struggled to clear their lines from a corner Ben Osborn sent a stinging shot at goal which Boruc managed to get his body behind.

One last throw of the dice from Fraser almost created an opportunity for substitute Emerson Hyndman, but the visitors were left to suffer a tame set-back in their fourth pre-season outing.

Cherries: Boruc, Francis, Ake, Simpson, Daniels, Brooks (Mahoney, 77), Arter, Gosling, Fraser, Mousset, Wilson (Hyndman, 70).

Subs not used: Hobson, Worthington, Ofoborh, Dobre, Surridge, Travers (g/k).

Referee: Steve Martin

Attendance: 14,108