CHERRIES continued their pre-season preparations with a 3-1 success against Championship Brentford.

Goals from Jordon Ibe, Dominic Solanke and Sam Surridge - their first of pre-season – ensured Eddie Howe’s men came away from Griffin Park with a comfortable victory – despite Bees substitute Marcus Forss netting late on.

Success was Cherries first on English soil this pre-season, having drawn 0-0 with West Bromwich Albion less than 24 hours previously.

Cherries defender Chris Mepham lined up as part of a back three against his former club, having sealed a £12million move from Griffin Park to Vitality Stadium in January.

There was also a start for Cherries’ club record signing Jefferson Lerma, who made his first appearance in pre-season having returned from the Copa America later on in the summer.

Midfielders Dan Gosling and Andrew Surman had both been ruled out through injury.

Cherries started the contest on the front foot and could have taken the lead inside the opening two minutes.

After comfortably dealing with a Bees free-kick, the visitors sprung a vintage counter-attack through Solanke.

He released Ibe, whose deflected cross fell into the path of summer signing Jack Stacey. The former Luton man showed no hesitation in pulling the trigger – only for the effort to be blocked by Christian Norgaard inside the area.

Brentford’s Sergi Canos then worked Travers with a tame effort at the other end having charged at Cherries’ defence.

With 13 minutes on the clock, Thomas Frank’s side could have been ahead.

After Lerma had lost the ball in midfield, Canos slipped in marauding full-back Josh Clarke, who failed to hit the target from an acute angle and smashed the ball into the side netting.

Chances were shared during the opening exchanges however, and Cherries would have broken the deadlock but for some brave goalkeeping from home stopper David Raya.

The Spanish keeper, a new recruit for the Bees, raced off his line to thwart David Brooks, who had looked to chip the ball home after being slid in by Ibe.

It was winger Ibe who broke the deadlock as Cherries took the lead on 31 minutes.

After Norgaard had gifted away possession, the former Liverpool man twisted away from his defender and drove the ball past Raya from a tight angle.

Colombian Lerma then should have doubled the advantage with the final kick of the half. After Raya squandered possession – the midfielder pounced and saw his shot denied by a sharp reflex stop.

Both teams were involved in bizarre moments which could have led to goals in the early stages of the second half.

Brentford’s Jan Zamburek was almost gifted an equaliser after a mix-up at the back for Cherries.

At the other end, Solanke almost found the net having charged down Raya’s clearance – the ball went wide having cannoned off his face in the process.

But Solanke picked himself up to net Cherries second with 20 minutes remaining. He tapped home after Brooks had found the overlapping Stacey to deliver a low cross.

Ibe then turned provider himself as Cherries put the game to bed, his precise cross give substitute Surridge the opportunity to slot home with ease.

Brentford replacement Forss did ruin the visitors’ clean sheet however. He got in behind Cherries’ backline with three minutes remaining and slotted under Travers.

Cherries: Travers; Stacey, Mepham, Butcher (Cordner, 77), Ake, Rico; Lerma (Sherring, 86), Kilkenny (Anthony, 86); Brooks (Surridge, 71), Ibe, Solanke. Unused sub: Dennis (g/k).