SCOTT Parker admits he was relieved to see Cherries hold off Luton's second-half fightback, insisting: "What's key is that we come out with a result."

Cherries looked in command at half-time against the Hatters, leading 2-0 thanks to goals from Philip Billing and Dominic Solanke.

However, after Lloyd Kelly turned into his own net from a scuffed Reece Burke shot, Nathan Jones's men pressed hard for an equaliser.

Cherries held on to win 2-1, to return to the top of the Championship table.

Asked if he was relieved to get over the line, boss Parker said: "Yeah, there’s definitely an element of that. They made us fight in the second half.

"First half I thought we were fantastic, I thought we were really good. We weathered it a little bit early on, they came out the traps, which I think we knew.

"Difficult team to face and I think they’ve proven that this season in terms of the results they’ve got. They put you under pressure.

"Right up there in terms of goals scored and goals created. Two-nil in front at half-time and pretty comfortable, probably could’ve had another couple, I remember Jefferson Lerma maybe having one.

"Second half the game changes, the dynamics of the game at that moment, they’ve got not a lot to lose.

"They put the ball in the right areas and we have to show a different side to us. I think it’s fair to say we want to improve in those moments, certainly.

"We want to control the game a little bit better in terms of with the ball and try and assert ourselves back into the game and get some control in those moments.

"We didn’t manage to do that today. At that point, when you soon realise that, it’s about character, it’s about mentality, it’s about nous, it’s about defending your goal and doing the real basics at a world class level and I felt we did that.

"That’s why we got the result and that’s what’s key. What’s key is that we come out with a result."