Bournemouth's Eddie Howe: 'I never lost faith in Lewis Grabban'

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has insisted that he never lost faith in Lewis Grabban following his side's 2-1 victory over Charlton Athletic.

The newly-promoted Cherries marked a 23-year absence from England's second tier with a win on the opening day of the Championship season courtesy of a double from the 25-year-old.

The former Crystal Palace youth player had failed to find the net in his previous 14 league matches, but, speaking to BBC Sport, Howe said that he never doubted the forward's ability.

"People can get bogged down with statistics, but we've always believed in Lewis," he said.

"His confidence may have dipped last season, but hopefully this is the start of a good season for him."

Bournemouth welcome Portsmouth to the Goldsands Stadium in the Capitol One Cup on Tuesday, before resuming their league campaign with a visit to Watford next Saturday.