CHERRIES boss Scott Parker was pleased with his side's second-half improvement as he began his competitive reign at the club with a thumping 5-0 win over Milton Keynes Dons.

Parker's charges cruised into the second round of the Carabao Cup thanks to a David Brooks brace as well as goals from Dominic Solanke, Philip Billing and Christian Saydee.

The League One opposition kept the contest tight during the first 45 minutes, coming in only 1-0 behind with a brilliant Brooks volley breaking the deadlock.

But Solanke quickly made it 2-0 after the break, before three goals in the final 18 minutes completed the rout.

Discussing his side's performance, Parker told the Daily Echo: "I’m really pleased overall. Elements of the game that I didn’t like, elements that we need to improve and get better at and then elements which I really liked and enjoyed us.

"I came into this game today probably knowing that’s how I was going to see things a little bit.

"A 5-0 win, clean sheet, five goals. But I think overall, still a lot of elements we need to improve and get better at, certainly.

"That’s part and parcel of the process. I sit here a different voice to these players, a different manager and there are elements I’m going to demand out of them.

"So there’s elements we need to improve, but as quick as I say that, there was some very good stuff today as well."

Three of Cherries' goals in the second half came from them winning the ball back high up the pitch.

And it is such a characteristic which Parker is keen to continue instilling into his side.

"The intensity of our game, second half, was where it needed to be," said Parker.

"I thought first half at times it wasn’t the case. I thought we lacked a little bit of intensity about us, playing against a possession-based team that really want to dominate the ball. You want to sit off and give a yard, it can become a long night.

"Like I will do for the majority of this season, I wanted us to take the game to the team, assert pressure on them through the intensity of our game.

"At half-time I needed to address that really.

"We came out in the second half and scored within a couple of minutes of that and then was really front foot and pushed on from there, so that was good."