BOSS Scott Parker praised the “passion, desire and commitment” of his Cherries squad as they recorded a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa to begin their Premier League return.

Jefferson Lerma’s opener gave the Dorset club a perfect platform and, having soaked up pressure in key moments, Kieffer Moore added a second with a header 10 minutes from time.

Assessing the display as a whole, Parker told the Daily Echo: “Firstly, the result was a good result for us. That wasn’t key for me. in terms of how I tried to go about with the team.

“The key thing was performance and us understanding what we need to bring to every game in this Premier League.

“My experiences tell me the fine margins of the league, they can hinge on critical moments.

“What was most important to me was us taking our chance and showing a real passion, desire and a commitment, through whatever we may have faced.

“I thought we did that. I was very proud of the team in that sense. A long, hard road to get to this point, not let that slip away and try to assert ourselves on the game.

“Eleven men we were up against. Ultimately, while there are players and teams that have got huge quality, they are human beings and we need to take that fight constantly and the spirit we showed – and certainly the quality as well – is what we need to bring.”