CHERRIES booked safe passage into the fourth round of the EFL Cup with a 2-0 win over Championship Stoke City.

Goals at the start of the second period from Dominic Solanke and Joe Rothwell quickly made a dull first half a distant memory.

With the cup tie sandwiched between league games, boss Andoni Iraola rang the changes, making a total of eight.

Only Lewis Cook, Milos Kerkez, and Illia Zabarnyi survived from the team defeated 3-1 at Brighton on Sunday.

Summer signing Tyler Adams was included in a matchday squad for the first time since his switch from Leeds, the American’s return from a hamstring injury advanced enough for a spot on the bench.

For Stoke, there was the return of Ben Pearson to Vitality Stadium, following his move to the Potteries in the summer, whilst loanee Mark Travers was ineligible against his parent club.

The first half boasted minimal goalmouth action.

Milos Kerkez produced the first save of the encounter, his powerful drive held by Jack Bonham in the Stoke goal.

It was not until much later in the half that either goalkeeper would be troubled again, Bonham called into further action to deflect Dango Ouattara’s blasted effort after the Burkinabe showed great skill to spin his marker with a deft touch inside the box.

Sensing that game needed a lift, Iraola turned to his bench.

Solanke and Ryan Christie’s evening of rest was cut short, the pair replacing Antoine Semenyo and Hamed Traore respectively.

It would be a near instant impact from Solanke, although it took him two bites at the cherry to convert.

A free kick was delivered into the area, eventually leading to flexible Solanke squeezing a volley past Bonham.

Buoyed by the opener, Cherries started surging forward in further numbers and in stronger confidence.

Kerkez won a free kick on the left-hand flank of the box, producing a crossing opportunity at a set piece.

But Rothwell had other ideas, steering an effort through a sea of bodies and into the back of the net to double Cherries’ lead inside nine second-half minutes.

In command of the scoreline, Cherries exercised their control of a much more open game following the goals, without producing much of note.

There were playful cheers when ex-Cherry Pearson picked up the first booking of the evening, the combative midfielder fouling Marcus Tavernier out wide.

Shortly after there were further cheers from the crowd as Adams made his Cherries debut, replacing Cook off the bench.

In the final stages Stoke enjoyed a sustained spell of pressure on the Cherries' goal, which was resolutely defended by the hosts.

Cherries: Radu, Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Cook (Adams, 69), Rothwell, Traore (Christie, h-t); Ouattara, Brooks (Tavernier, 62), Semenyo (Solanke, h-t (Moore, 85)).

Unused subs: Neto (g/k), Aarons, Kilkenny, Kluivert.

Stoke: Bonham (g/k), Gooch, Wilmot, Hoever, Rose, Pearson (Laurent, 70), Johnson (Lowe, 77), Thompson, Wesley (Gayle, 77), Junho (Haksabanovic, 70), Leris (Sidibe, 83).

Unused subs: Fielding (g/k), Vidigal, Jojic, McNally.

Booked: Pearson, Wilmot.

Referee: Graham Scott.