CHERRIES ended their four-game losing run in the Premier League after holding on to beat Huddersfield Town 2-1 in an open encounter at Vitality Stadium.

The hosts surged into a two-goal lead after Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser applied deadly finishes in the opening quarter.

Terence Kongolo pulled one back before half-time and Cherries survived nervy moments in the second period before the final whistle confirmed they had risen to sixth in the Premier League.

Cherries boss Eddie Howe made two changes to the side which had lost at Manchester City.

Midfielder Jefferson Lerma returned from suspension and David Brooks was restored to the starting XI, with Andrew Surman and Tyrone Mings dropping to the bench.

For Huddersfield, striker Laurent Depoitre replaced the suspended Steve Mounie.

Cherries had an early scare when Aaron Mooy’s deep corner came to the unmarked Florent Hadergjonaj but the Swiss made a hash of his two attempts.

The hosts punished their opponents immediately. Joshua King was felled by Erik Durm on the corner of the box and from Fraser’s near-post free-kick, Wilson beat the offside trap and headed home his eighth league goal of the season.

Huddersfield were on the ropes and keeper Jonas Lossl came to the rescue to deny King and Wilson in quick succession.

Although they briefly rallied, the Terriers found themselves 2-0 down in the 22nd minute. Philip Billing surrendered possession and King and Wilson broke at speed, working the ball across to the unmarked Fraser, who squeezed under Lossl.

Huddersfield redoubled their efforts and keeper Asmir Begovic came to Cherries’ rescue with three crucial saves in four minutes.

First, the Bosnian blocked smartly from Alex Pritchard, before beating away Depoitre’s powerful header and tipping to safety a top corner-bound free-kick from Mooy.

And Huddersfield were rewarded for their improvement seven minutes before the break. Mooy’s floated cross was looped up in the air by Christopher Schindler and then Mathias Jorgensen, before Kongolo nodded into the left corner.

Cherries were clinging on and Pritchard spurned a decent chance to level on the stroke of half-time, lashing well wide of the upright.

Seven minutes after the restart, a gilt-edged chance went begging for the hosts. Wilson patiently waited for the late-arriving King but the Norway international’s shot was skewed well off target.

Begovic denied the increasingly-influential Mooy and Simon Francis stroked a free-kick over the top at the other end.

The Terriers were still enjoying plenty of the ball without creating much that was clear cut and the match became a bitty affair.

Cherries had a sizeable scare with nine minutes left when Begovic had to be alert to prevent Nathan Ake’s header from drifting past him.

Ake survived handball appeals in the closing stages and Hadergjonaj sent a meek volley into Begovic’s grateful arms moments later.

MATCH STATS

Cherries: Begovic, Francis, S Cook, Ake, Daniels, Brooks (Stanislas, 62), L Cook, Lerma, Fraser (Mousset, 87), King (Mings, 90+3), Wilson.

Unused subs: Rico, Surman, Defoe, Boruc (g/k).

Booked: Daniels, Francis, Mousset.

Huddersfield: Lossl, Schindler, Zanka, Kongolo (Mbenza, 75), Durm, Mooy, Billing (Sabiri, 75, Sobhi, 79), Hogg, Hadergjonaj, Pritchard, Depoitre.

Unused subs: Smith, Kachunga, Williams, Hamer (g/k).

Booked: Mooy, Billing.

Referee: Roger East (Wiltshire).

Attendance: 9,980.