SCOTT Parker revealed his players had just quarter of an hour to learn how to play in their new formation ahead of facing Coventry City.

Having operated a back four to start all their previous matches this campaign, Parker switched to a back three for the clash with the Sky Blues, matching up their 3-4-2-1 system.

All of Cherries' regular starters in the back four in recent months - Adam Smith, Gary Cahill, Lloyd Kelly and Jordan Zemura - were unavailable due to injury.

That meant a first league start of the season for Steve Cook, while midfielder Jefferson Lerma dropped into the heart of the defence alongside the captain and Chris Mepham.

Jack Stacey and Jaidon Anthony operated as wing-backs, with Leif Davis and Zeno Ibsen Rossi the defensive options available from the bench.

And Parker revealed his players only had a brief spell during Friday's training session to learn how to play in the new formation.

He said: "Fifteen minutes those players had yesterday in training. Fifteen minutes to go through a new game plan, a new style of play, a new way of playing and they executed every bit of it for 70 minutes and full credit to them.

"Because with 15 minutes work and them understanding it, they took everything on board and once we got to grips with little bits, we were superb. I’m just gutted for the players in that sense really."

Asked why he opted to switch away from his usual system, Parker explained: "We didn’t have a lot of bodies to do anything else. Gaz Cahill, late yesterday has obviously got a problem.

"We’re down to the bare numbers. We’ve got a room full of injured players in that treatment room that are big players for us and have done brilliant for us for large parts of what we’ve done.

"At this present moment in time we’re having to adapt and having to think of different ways.

"We were that close today in terms of executing something and really taking a massive part of big credit to the players really.

"We’ve just not managed to hold on."