TWO-goal hero Wes Thomas kept Cherries out of the relegation zone and then insisted the Dorset outfit were better than their lowly League One status suggested.

The striker bagged a second-half double to earn Cherries an impressive 2-2 draw at high-flying MK Dons on Saturday.

On loan from Crawley Town prior to his permanent move in January, Thomas continued his impressive form by making it four goals – all of which have come away from home – in seven starts for Cherries.

Having trailed to Angelo Balanta’s 43rd-minute opener, Thomas headed an equaliser before capitalising on Gary MacKenzie’s stray pass to powerfully fire home.

But Clinton Morrison levelled 10 minutes from time to seal a point and leave Cherries in 20th position, with only goal difference keeping them above the bottom four.

Thomas said: “I think we are not where we should be and we are a better team than the league table shows. Hopefully, in the next couple of games, we can start picking up victories.

“We have got a lot of positives. We have only lost once in seven games and that is a good record to have. I think we have just got to keep doing what we are doing.

“A lot of teams who have played us would say we are better than where we are in the league.”

Thomas was again asked to lead the attack on his own as boss Lee Bradbury opted to start with one striker before introducing Michael Symes at the interval.

Thomas said: “Against a team like MK Dons, who just keep passing the ball around, it is quite difficult.

“But we changed it in the second half and put Symesey up front and that just gave me more support. It changed the game.

“The first goal came from a good free-kick from Warren Cummings. He put in a good ball and I just had to get it on target.

“The second was a mistake from one of their centre-backs. He passed it across goal and I knocked it past the defender and hit it into the bottom corner.

“I am one of those strikers who looks for little mistakes or balls that might be going into certain areas. Sometimes, it pays off and, sometimes, it doesn’t. On Saturday, it did.”

Thomas was denied the chance to go for a hat-trick when Bradbury opted for a more defensive system as Cherries attempted to protect their 2-1 lead.

He added: “I was a bit disappointed to come off but it is the manager’s call.

“He was trying to do something for the team, rather than just one player. It was something I understood.”