HEAD coach Scott Parker insisted his side’s dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Stoke City was not luck and added: “My belief will never, ever wane.”

The Dorset club were trailing 1-0 thanks to Tommy Smith’s 20th-minute opener at Vitality Stadium.

Morgan Fox was then shown red for the Potters on 32 minutes, after a challenge on Philip Billing was deemed reckless.

With Cherries throwing men forward late on, they snatched victory for the second time in as many games thanks to goals from Dominic Solanke and Jamal Lowe.

The Dorset club also pulled a 2-1 victory out of the fire at Blackpool two weeks ago.

Asked whether his belief was starting to wane against Stoke, Parker replied: “Mine wasn’t. My belief will never, ever wane really, in terms of whatever team or whatever I’m about.

“I realise through my experiences in football that a football match can change very, very quickly.

“I stand in front of the group of players on a daily basis since I’ve walked in here, talking about character, belief, a constant belief no matter what.

“It’s not until what’s happened over the past two results – probably those words are stronger.

“The big thing for me is the players now can really start believing and seeing that.

“That’s not luck – that comes from a culture, that comes from a togetherness and a constant belief.

“It was always going to be difficult, like a lot of the games are we are going to play here. We are going to come up against teams that show us huge respect and try to stay in the game.

“We need to work things, work opportunities. Sometimes the game might not look exactly how we want it but that’s due to the way other teams set up against us.

“We need to stick to what we are about. We’ve won enough games proving that’s the way we go, so I was pleased with that.”

The result kept Cherries second in the league table, two points ahead of Huddersfield with four games in hand.