CHERRIES lacked a “sense of urgency” in their first-half performance against Stoke City, according to head coach Andoni Iraola.

Strikes from Dominic Solanke and Joe Rothwell at the start of the second period secured a 2-0 win over the Championship outfit, setting up a fourth-round tie at Vitality Stadium against Liverpool.

There were only two efforts on target in the first half, leaving Iraola to bemoan Cherries’ slowness.

He said after the game: “Especially the Cup, I think the most important thing is to win the next round.

“But it's true that similar to Swansea, I think we were slow to start the game.

“I think we didn't have this sense of urgency that you need, especially when you play at home and you are the Premier League side.

“Almost anything didn’t happen in the first half.

“We were slow even, throw ins, taking the free kicks.”

At the break Solanke and Ryan Christie were introduced to change things up, and whilst the Basque boss credited part of the improved second period to the duo’s introduction, he felt his charges displayed a bettered attitude after the break.

“We needed a change of energy,” Iraola continued.

“And I think not only the subs especially - okay, it's been very important, Dom (Solanke) and Ryan (Christie), the ones that play up front, and the first one (goal) that gives us this energy - but the rest of the team, I think they had another attitude in the second half.

“Another willingness, another urgency, and then we could make the difference.

“It's true that we made a lot of changes in the starting 11.

“And sometimes it's difficult to know when the players have been without starting for some period and you make so many changes.

“Maybe a part is on me also, but I think we are better especially against Championship teams when we put a higher rhythm, higher intensity when things are happening during the games.

“And it's what we've done in the second half.”