Bournemouth picks up first away points
Stoke City's 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth was a fourth in its past five Premier League games, leaving manager Mark Hughes under pressure.
Bournemouth scored twice in two first-half minutes to claim its first away Premier League points of the season with a 2-1 victory over struggling Stoke City.
Eddie Howe's side had lost all four of its previous games on the road, scoring just once in the process, but Andrew Surman put the Cherries ahead after 16 minutes with a cool finish from outside the penalty area.
Junior Stanislas doubled the lead from the penalty spot two minutes later and Stoke, which was without Xherdan Shaqiri as a result of an ankle sprain, lacked a cutting edge until the final half hour.
Mark Hughes's men were desperate to bounce back from the 7-2 thrashing by Manchester City a week earlier and, while Mame Biram Diouf gave them hope of a reprise with a goal from close range in the 63rd minute, their performance was typified by loose balls and a lack of composure.
Howe will hope Bournemouth is finally over its struggle for goals this season, after seeing his side triple its tally of away strikes without injured striker Jermain Defoe.
Stoke had the better of a scrappy start to the game and Erik Pieters had a claim for a penalty waved away after 10 minutes when he chased a loose ball into the box and collided with Jordon Ibe.
Bournemouth took the lead with its first real attack when Adam Smith surged into the box and cut the ball back to Stanislas, whose simple pass allowed Surman to calmly stroke the ball into the bottom-left corner of the net.
Almost immediately, Ryan Shawcross clumsily felled Benik Afobe in the box and Stanislas doubled Bournemouth's lead with a cheeky penalty straight down the middle of the goal.
Stoke's first-half industry came predominantly from Jese Rodriguez, who dribbled to the edge of the box before playing in Diouf for a powerful shot that was well saved by former Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic at his near post.
Jack Butland kept Stoke in the contest at the other end when he saved well from Stanislas at close range before Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting glanced a header wide of the post from Pieters's cross five minutes before half-time.
Stoke pushed forward after the interval and Jese looped a cross into the Bournemouth box that evaded everyone before drifting narrowly wide of the post four minutes into the second half.
Glen Johnson set Joe Allen up for a chance 12 yards from goal a minute later but the Welshman dragged his shot wide before Hughes elected to send on Peter Crouch for the last half an hour.
Crouch's introduction galvanised Stoke, which scored two minutes later when Diouf bundled in his third goal in three games, turning Choupo-Moting's flick into the net with his thigh.
Jese's burst of pace in the 71st minute took him beyond Smith, who appeared to bring the Spaniard down with an outstretched leg, but referee Lee Probert ignored the penalty claim.
Stoke was on top in the final 15 minutes but Bournemouth's well disciplined backline held firm, and the home side's frustration showed when an angry Allen had to be hauled away from Smith after being penalised for a sloppy challenge.
