Eddie Howe praises "mental strength" of Bournemouth players

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has praised his players for having the "mental strength" to recover from a two-goal deficit against Birmingham City and seal a 2-0 victory in Monday's Championship clash at Dean Court.

Quickfire first-half goals by Clayton Donaldson and David Cotterill shocked the high-flying Cherries, but Steve Cook and Callum Wilson pulled their side back by the break.

Yann Kermorgant's penalty just after the restart then put the hosts ahead before Charlie Daniels made sure of all three points midway through the second half.

Howe told BBC Sport after the game: "Credit to Birmingham as they made it difficult for us.

"They're a tough team to beat, nothing we didn't expect but the key thing was that we stayed in the game, kept fighting and got those crucial goals before half time.

"The crowd stayed with us, and our mental strength was key. We know we can beat anyone when we're at full pelt, and hopefully we can learn from this experience."

Bournemouth's victory, their 22nd of the season, sees them rise to the top of the Championship standings with just five matches left to play.