CHERRIES ended their preparations for the new campaign with a 2-0 win over FC Lorient.

The hosts found goals in the final minutes of both halves, David Brooks opening scores before Welsh international colleague Kieffer Moore made sure of the result late on.

Philip Billing returned to the side following a small knock, whilst Dango Ouattara was also restored to the starting XI against his former team.

Ryan Christie and Adam Smith both missed out of the matchday squad entirely, paving the way for Joe Rothwell and the aforementioned Ouattara, as Moore replaced Dominic Solanke in leading the Cherries line.

Finally Chris Mepham replaced Marcos Senesi in the backline.

Notably Romain Faivre, purchased by Cherries before being sent on loan to FC Lorient, started for the away side.

It was almost a flying start after Moore won the ball back inside Lorient’s box, his cutback to Billing resulting in Yvon Mvogo scooping the effort away from danger.

Mepham’s rash challenge on the halfway line went unpunished by a foul and Lorient, who were unable to convert a threatening counter as Illia Zabarnyi stepped in to shepherd the ball to goalkeeper Neto.

At the other end Billing caused Mvogo some bother with a curled effort, the goalie taking two attempts to get the ball under his control.

Bamba Dieng must have thought he had opened scores when he rolled the ball underneath Neto one-on-one, only for Lorient to be denied by the offside flag.

Five minutes before the break, Cherries would find the breakthrough.

A long ball up top was flicked on by Moore, allowing Ouattara to fling a cross to the back stick and the arriving Brooks.

He made no mistake stroking the ball past Mvogo to open scores.

That prompted a small spell of decent chances for the hosts just before the break.

Moore allowed a cross to run through to Billing inside the box, the shot blocked leading to chances for Jaidon Anthony on the edge of the area.

However, the first was also blocked, before Rothwell narrowly sent his effort the wrong side of the post.

In the opening stages of the second half, Mepham achieved the rare feat of being booked in a pre-season friendly.

Match official Andy Madley had no choice after Mepham’s attempt to tactically foul Dieng by pulling the striker’s shirt lasted an age.

Half-time substitute Hamed Traore almost caught out Mvogo with an unsighted effort that forced the goalkeeper down low quickly.

The Swiss international definitely would have been surprised by Milos Kerkez’s close range effort that blasted him in the face shortly after.

Both teams made sweeping changes from the hour-mark onwards, leading to the game feeling disjointed and producing few chances.

Ouattara’s cutback to Moore produced a fine save from Mvogo, deflecting the ball over the bar.

Lorient’s keeper would produce another top stop, getting a hand to push Traore’s curling effort past the far post in his best save of the evening.

But he was powerless to prevent Moore’s flicked header, the striker getting on the end of a looping cross from substitute Senesi.

There was almost a third, as fellow sub Justin Kluivert struck the inside of the far post moments after the second goal.

Cherries: Neto (Radu, 61); Anthony (Hill, 76), Mepham, Zabarnyi, Kerkez; Rothwell (Kilkenny, 61), Cook (Senesi, 76), Brooks (Kluivert, 61), Ouattara, Billing (Traore, h-t); Moore.

Unused subs: Greenwood, Solanke.

Booked: Mepham.

FC Lorient: Mvogo, Méité, Laporte, Talibi (Mendy, 75), Kalulu (Kroupi, 66), Abergel (Innocent, 66), Makengo, Le Goff (Yongwa, 75), Faivre (Ponceau, 83), Dieng (Kone, 66), Le Bris (Sylla, 66).

Unused subs: Mouyokolo, Mvuka, Mannone (g/k), Youfeigane (g/k).

Booked: F. Mendy.