BOSS Lee Bradbury watched Cherries emphatically bring to an end their six-match winless league run and then praised his players for their togetherness.

Goals from Wes Thomas, Scott Malone and Marc Pugh saw Cherries come from behind to see off much-fancied Preston North End on Saturday.

Cherries battled back to make it six games unbeaten on the road and stunned the Deepdale faithful after striker Juvhel Tsoumonu had given the hosts a 29th-minute lead.

Bradbury said: “We did a professional job and the lads worked really hard for one another. We were a little bit off it in the first half but gave it a really good go after half-time. The lads have got to start believing in themselves a bit more.

“I want them to be on the front foot more and put into practice what we work on. The lads had a good go in the second half and they got what they deserved. I thought they were phenomenal. We need to take this and grow in confidence for our home form.

“I want them to be positive and to play with freedom, like they did in the second half. I want them to go at teams because, when we do that and win the ball high up the pitch, we have got a lot of pace in the team.”

Bradbury also had words of praise for new loan signing Steve Cook and striker Thomas, who plundered his sixth goal in as many away games to spark Cherries’ second-half comeback.

“It was a fantastic debut from Steve and he did very well,” said Bradbury. “He looked solid and organised. He looked like he had been playing there all season and worked really well with Adam Barrett.

“Wes always puts in a great shift for the team. He was impossible to mark in the second half. Clarke Carlisle has played in Premier League and the Championship and he couldn’t handle Wes.

“That is Wes’s standard now and that is where he has got to be week in, week out. When he does that, there are not many centre-halves that can deal with him.”

• Boss Bradbury said he knew nothing about reports that Cherries had apparently tried to recall defender Gary Bowles from his loan spell at Dorchester.

Bowles was not included in the Magpies squad for their Conference South clash with Tonbridge Angels on Saturday – with acting Dorchester manager Phil Simkin claiming the player’s head “may not have been right” after the FA had foiled Cherries’ attempts to bring him back to the Seward Stadium.

However, Bradbury, speaking to the media following Cherries’ 3-1 win at Preston, said: “I don’t know anything about it”.

Bowles joined Cherries for £4,000 from Dorchester in August and was immediately loaned back to the club.