Stanislas in seventh heaven in Potteries

Stanislas struck the only goal after 79 minutes having fastened on to a majestic pass from deep from Lewis Cook.

It settled a tight contest in favour of the visitors with the three points hoisting Jason Tindall’s team into third place in the Championship.

An entertaining first half saw both teams create chances with the Cherries laying claim to the two best goalscoring opportunities.

Sam Surridge hooked Diego Rico’s cross past the post in the sixth minute before Dominic Solanke hit the crossbar having gone clear midway through the opening period.

The game continued to ebb and flow in the second half before Stanislas came up trumps for the Cherries, netting his seventh goal of the season.

Diego Rico and Sam Surridge were restored to the Cherries starting line-up as boss Jason Tindall made two changes following the midweek defeat at Brentford.

And the pair combined to fashion the first shooting chance with Surridge peeling away from his marker before turning Rico’s low cross past the upright after six minutes.

As play switched to the opposite end, Jordan Thompson blazed high over the crossbar after a cross from Nathan Collins had fallen for him on the edge of the box.

Steven Fletcher also fired way off target, the Scotsman having flicked a huge clearance from goalkeeper Joe Bursik to Nick Powell who returned the compliment.

Cherries goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, facing one of his former clubs, spread himself well to save Joe Allen’s effort from close range after Fletcher had teed up his team-mate.

Thompson tried his luck from a free-kick, his left-foot strike finding the side netting as Begovic scurried across his line to see it safely go past the post.

Despite Stoke’s early flurry of chances, the clearest opportunity of the opening skirmishes fell to Dominic Solanke midway through the first half.

Picked out by Lewis Cook’s sublime pass from deep, Solanke only had Bursik to beat but lofted his effort a whisker too high and was disappointed to see it clip the top of the crossbar.

A debatable foul awarded against Rico resulted in Powell glancing Thompson’s 29^th-minute free-kick from near the touchline past the post.

Junior Stanislas took aim from a free-kick from 25 yards, Bursik diving full length to his left to turn it around the post after the winger had curled it around the wall.

Solanke showed great skill to control a high ball with his chest and set up a chance for Surridge but his final pass was a tad heavy, allowing Bursik to intervene.

At the start of the second half, Bursik cut out a dangerous cross from Rico which had looked destined to reach an unmarked Stanislas at the far post.

And after the loose ball had been cleared for a corner, Rico’s delivery found Solanke whose shot on the turn was blocked by a covering defender.

Substitute Jacob Brown, who replaced the injured Fletcher after 25 minutes, saw his long-range effort comfortably pouched by Begovic before Adam Smith fired over at the other end.

Thompson received the first booking of the contest for a foul on Solanke before James Chester quickly followed suit for stopping the Cherries taking a throw-in.

Sam Clucas replaced Thompson in the 69^th minute and David Brooks came on for Surridge 60 seconds later, the Cherries substitute feeling the full force of a late tackle from James McClean which earned the defender a yellow card.

The breakthrough finally came 11 minutes from time when Lewis Cook found Stanislas with another superb raking pass.

And after Bursik had raced off his line in an attempt to narrow the angle, Stanislas calmly slid the ball under the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

Stanislas went close to doubling the Cherries' lead, only for his rasping effort to strike Josh Tymon following great work by Solanke to create the chance.

AFC Bournemouth: Begovic, A Smith (King, 85), S Cook, Simpson, Kelly, Rico, Stanislas, L Cook, Lerma, Surridge (Brooks, 70), Solanke. Unused subs: Zemura, Ofoborh, Kilkenny, Gosling, Riquelme, Anthony, Travers (g/k).

Booked: Lerma.

Stoke City: Bursik, T Smith (Vokes, 83), Chester, Souttar, Collins, McClean (Tymon, 83), Allen, Obi Mikel, Powell, Thompson (Clucas, 69), Fletcher (Brown, 25). Unused subs: Batth, Vokes, Shawcross, Oakley-Booth, Cousins, Tymon, Nna Noukeu (g/k).

Booked: Thompson, Chester, McClean.

Referee: John Brooks.