Andoni Iraola. _(Image: Richard Crease)_
BOURNEMOUTH boss Andoni Iraola said his Cherries side 'adapted very well' to the threat of Spurs as they ran out 1-0 victors at the Vitality Stadium on Thursday.
The winning goal came from Dean Huijsen, after a deep corner from Marcus Tavernier found the young Spaniard in the box, and he headed home.
Iraola had lots of praise for his [Cherries](http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/sport/cherries/clubnews/) side, maintaining they did well to adapt to Spurs’ style of play.
In his post-match press conference, he said: “I think Spurs, at the beginning of the first half or second half, are always very dangerous.
“It’s a team that presses super high, it’s super aggressive, and when they have fresh legs, they don’t give you time on the ball.”
Spurs kicked off the action with several attempts on goal, with Dejan Kulusevski making their first shot on target after picking up the ball from a James Maddison cross.
This was followed by a shot from Dominic Solanke, attempting to put one past his former club.
The Cherries regained possession for much of the rest of the first half and they scored their opener after 17 minutes – followed by a series of shots from Antoine Semenyo and Tavernier which looked threatening for the visitors.
Iraola continued: “We probably had to be more practical than other games. We’ve gone quite direct because we know that their pass is very dangerous.”
Referring to the second half, he said: “When we had the wind against, it was very difficult to play the long balls to our forwards.
“We’ve struggled a bit more in this first phase, but I think we’ve done the things we have to today.”
The last 45 minutes saw both sides make a series of shots, as the Cherries sought to extend their lead and Spurs aimed to draw level.
A string of substitutions for the visitors provided a fresh perspective, making them threatening on the break, but Iraola’s side kept possession in their attacking half and made a number of attempts at the Spurs goal.
The result was a win and three points for the Cherries, seeing them move up to ninth in the table – their opponents one point behind in tenth.