CHERRIES’ Philip Billing says “it’s hard not to” keep playing with a smile when you get results and performances like Scott Parker’s side have.

The squad are buoyant off of finding themselves top of the table and unbeaten after eight games, something that means little else at this stage other than the confidence boost that you can reach the summit.

The prize for Championship success is the greatest in football, with the promise of lucrative Premier League action, and Cherries came heart-wrenchingly close last season with play-off defeat to eventually-promoted Brentford.

With a new head coach, Parker, and a somewhat new-look side the Dorset outfit have gone from strength to strength and are putting smiles on their own faces as well as supporters.

Speaking to the club website, 25-year-old Billing said: “I think when you keep winning it’s hard not to (keep smiling).

“It would be nice if we won every game but it is the Championship, there is going to be a lot of tough games.

“But as long as we keep everyone happy, the team happy, everyone smiling, keep helping each other and being positive, I can’t see why we don’t win most games this season.

“It’s unbelievable for confidence, you know for yourself, for everybody, a clean sheet away at Cardiff, the defence on top looking rock solid, looking dangerous going forward, the young boys that have just come in are enjoying themselves, we just have to keep this going.”

Billing adds that not every performance will be perfect, but insists: “Like I said, of course we are going to have games where we don’t play at this intensity throughout the season.

“But as long as we keep that to a minimum we have a phenomenal chance this season.”