BOSS Scott Parker revealed he asked Cherries to go “back to basics” in a bid to stay defensively resolute at Sheffield United.

The Cherries boss was speaking after his team recorded a 0-0 draw at Bramall Lane, despite surviving some key moments.

After Mark Travers had already denied Morgan Gibbs-White in the opening period, he raced off his line to thwart the attacker once more when Lloyd Kelly failed to clear and Nat Phillips slipped.

Phillips also escaped unpunished by referee Dean Whitestone after appearing to clatter into Gibbs-White in the box late on.

Asked whether it was a tough afternoon for Liverpool loanee Phillips, Parker replied: “Not really. There was certainly an element of both centre-halves trying to get that ball and Nat slipped - but there were some big headers.

“The longer the game went on, the dynamics of Sheffield’s team, they can cause you problems from obviously going back to front a little bit earlier.

“At that moment the game becomes a 50-50 game but I think for large parts we defended very well.

“I asked the team – let’s go back to basics. We’ve done that, got a clean sheet on Saturday.

“We went back to that, gave ourselves a foundation. That isn’t just the back four or the keeper, who was superb.”