Nathan Broadhead’s first Premier League goal has given Town a 1-0 half-time lead over AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
Town boss Kieran McKenna made six changes, some enforced, with Axel Tuanzebe, Cameron Burgess, Ben Johnson, Sam Morsy, Broadhead and Conor Townsend returning to the XI.
Tuanzebe was back on the right of the defence following his hamstring injury and hand operation with Dara O’Shea moving into the middle and Luke Woolfenden dropping to the bench.
Burgess replaced Jacob Greaves at left centre-half with the former Hull City man among the subs.
Townsend was handed his second Premier League start for the Blues at left-back with Leif Davis absent from the squad.
Skipper Morsy was back in midfield with Kalvin Phillips on the bench, despite requiring more than 20 stitches to a foot injury following the Nottingham Forest match 17 days ago.
Ben Johnson was wide on the right with Julio Enciso, making his 50th Premier League appearance, on the left and Broadhead in the middle. Omari Hutchinson missed out on a place in the squad due to a knock, while Jaden Philogene was a sub.
Liam Delap was the out-and-out striker with Conor Chaplin back on the bench for the first time this year following his knee injury.
Bournemouth were without top scorer Justin Kluivert with Alex Scott one of five players coming into the team which lost 2-1 at home to Manchester City in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Defenders Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez returned from suspension, while skipper Adam Smith was also back in the team. Lewis Cook was in midfield, while Dango Ouattara started for David Brooks, who joined Marcos Senesi, Tyler Adams and Julior Soler on the bench.
The home side saw most of the ball in the early stages but without being able to threaten Alex Palmer’s goal. On 11, a corner on the right was played short to Ryan Christie but his cross failed to find a teammate.
Two minutes later, after Johnson had been harshly adjudged to have committed a foul by the corner flag on the left, Smith sent over a free-kick which O’Shea flicked behind for a corner.
From the flag-kick, the ball fell to Ouattara on the right of the box from where he sought to cut back towards Scott but O’Shea reacted quickly to get in the way and turn behind.
On 20, Johnson’s cross from the right deflected through into Cherries keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga’s arms too far in front of Delap.
Three minutes later, with the home side having continued to see most of the ball, Ouattara curled a left-footed effort from the right wide of the far post.
In the 24th minute, Burgess flicked on a ball from the right to Ensico on the edge of the box. The Paraguayan seemed hesitant as it arrived and when it came his shot hit Smith. In the aftermath, the ball bounced onto Scott’s arm just outside the area but referee Robert Jones missed it, much to the frustration of the Town players and manager McKenna on the touchline.
On 28, with the Blues beginning to get a foothold in the game, Enciso sent an effort from distance over the bar.
Four minutes later, Antoine Semenyo unleashed a low effort through to Palmer, which the keeper claimed comfortably.
However, the Blues immediately played themselves into trouble, Palmer and Morsy gifting the ball to Christie, who quickly moved it inside to Scott in the box but O’Shea was on hand to block on the line with the keeper beaten.
It was a fortunate escape for Town but within a minute they went in front. Enciso, who was becoming increasingly influential, brought the ball across from the left past a number of defenders before feeding Broadhead on the right of the box. The Wales international sent Huijsen to the shops with a clever feint, then confidently put the ball between Kepa’s legs and into the net for his first Premier League goal.
A VAR check looked at whether Broadhead had been offside but the goal was confirmed and once the game restarted Enciso continued to look Town’s main threat.
On 37, the on-loan Brighton attacker wafted a cross from the left towards Johnson at the far post and only just failed to find the ex-West Ham man.
Four minutes later, Cook shot wide from the edge of the box, then, in the 42nd minute, Broadhead played into the path of Jens Cajuste breaking into the area but the Swedish international’s shot from a promising position flew well over.
After one uneventful additional minute, it was the Town supporters who cheered the half-time whistle.
The home side had begun the game the stronger but without particularly threatening in the opening 25 minutes.
The Blues began to come more into it as the half-hour approached with Enciso, in a narrow right-sided role, more involved in the game, running at the Cherries midfield and backline.
And - after Bournemouth had spurned their best chance of the half from a Town mistake - the Paraguayan created Town’s excellent goal, Broadhead finishing with more confidence than you’d imagine for someone who last scored a year and a day ago in the famous 3-2 win against Southampton at Portman Road.
A long way to go, but a positive half lifting the mood among Blues supporters.
Bournemouth: Arrizabalaga, Huijsen, Kerkez, Cook, Scott, Evanilson, Christie, Ouattara, Smith (c), Semenyo, Zabarnyi. Subs: Dennis, Senesi, Brooks, Adams, Soler, Jebbison, Hill, Silcott-Duberry, Winterburn.
Town: Palmer, Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Burgess, Townsend, Morsy (c), Cajuste, Johnson, Enciso, Broadhead, Delap. Subs: Walton, Woolfenden, Greaves, Phillips, Taylor, Chaplin, Philogene, Clarke, Hirst. Referee: Robert Jones (Merseyside). VAR: Graham Scott.