CHERRIES slipped to their second defeat of pre-season after a 1-0 loss against Championship outfit Bristol City at Vitality Stadium.

Chris Martin’s second-half penalty proved the difference between the sides after Chris Mepham brought down Andreas Weimann in the box.

The contest was the penultimate warm-up game for Scott Parker’s side, ahead of their Premier League campaign beginning against Aston Villa on August 6.

Cherries went into the friendly without skipper Lloyd Kelly and summer signing Ryan Fredericks.

Dominic Solanke, who had scored in both of the club’s training matches in Portugal, led the line for the hosts from the start.

The fixture was Bristol City’s final pre-season outing, having sealed wins over Cheltenham, Plymouth and Forest Green Rovers and drawn against Portsmouth and Exeter.

And it was the Robins who tried to conjure the first chance of the contest on 12 minutes. Mark Sykes’s cross found the outstretched leg of Alex Scott.

The 18-year-old midfielder’s effort was brilliantly parried away by Cherries keeper Mark Travers.

Parker set his side up with three centre-halves – Jefferson Lerma, the skipper in the absence of Kelly, playing in the middle of Mepham and James Hill.

Cherries’ first foray into the City half almost caused alarm for the visitors four minutes later. After exchanging passes with Lewis Cook, Ryan Christie’s devilish cross narrowly evaded Solanke.

The Cherries striker then stung the palms of Daniel Bentley with a deflected effort from range moments later.

The Dorset club then began to look lively.

Christie played through Solanke, who cut the ball back to the Scotland international to arrow a shot to the far post. His effort was blocked on the line by Sykes before Bentley palmed away to safety.

City still posed a threat, however. Scott cut in from the right and sent a low, fizzing strike past the left-hand post.

It was the Robins who scored the opener four minutes into the second half. A burst into the box from former Aston Villa man Weimann saw him brought down by Mepham.

Frontman Martin kept his cool to blast past Travers from the penalty spot.

Cherries looked to respond. Philip Billing’s fierce free-kick cannoned against the wall after a handball on the edge of the box.

Parker then switched Lewis Cook and Mepham in place of Jaidon Anthony and Kieffer Moore – the former moving to right wing-back with Adam Smith switching to centre-back.

Moore, as he did at the end of last season, almost had a big impact.

Running on to a pass from Joe Rothwell, the Wales international worked Bentley in the away goal with a stinging drive at the near post.

Still sticking to the same shape, Cherries almost found a leveller with 10 minutes left.

After linking with Solanke, who had dropped deeper, Moore slid the ball to Stanislas at the back post – but the winger’s effort was scrambled away to safety by the visitors.

Stanislas’s free-kick then allowed Solanke to flick goalwards with his head five minutes from time, but the effort was comfortably gathered by Bentley.

Cherries: Travers, Smith, Mepham (Moore, 62), Hill, Zemura, Lerma, Cook (Anthony, 62), Rothwell (Stacey), Billing, Christie (Stanislas, 73), Solanke.

Unused subs: Greenwood, Marcondes, Lowe, Pearson, Dembele, Genesini, Dennis (g/k).