Stoke beat Bournemouth to end winless start

Jonathan Walters' first-half goal put the Potters ahead in front of a Premier League record 27,742 crowd at the Britannia Stadium before Bournemouth midfielder Dan Gosling equalised 14 minutes from time.

But Diouf, Stoke's leading scorer last term, popped up with the winner on 83 minutes as Mark Hughes' men snapped a six-match winless run to climb out of the relegation zone.

Perhaps of more concern to Bournemouth, though, was the injury sustained by leading scorer Callum Wilson early on in the first half.

Wilson, the Cherries' top scorer with five goals this season, was stretchered off with suspected knee ligament damage which could seriously undermine the promoted's side bid to retain their top-flight status.

Stoke started the more promisingly of the two sides in the bottom half as Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc was forced into action with Bojan Krkic and Glenn Whelan both trying their luck from distance, while Matt Ritchie drilled a free-kick straight at Stoke's Jack Butland.

Stoke eventually took the lead on 32 minutes after Marko Arnautovic controlled Xherdan Shaqiri's cross-field ball before picking out Walters to tuck home.

Bournemouth squandered a terrific chance to draw level just before the interval as Lee Tomlin passed up a shot on goal to tee up Ritchie but the Scotland international was denied by a fine block from left-back Erik Pieters.

Arnautovic flashed an effort just wide of the post as Stoke nearly doubled their lead but the Potters were pegged back on 76 minutes as Bournemouth grabbed a deserved leveller.

Gosling followed up a blocked strike from Marc Pugh with Butland unable to keep the ball out as it squeezed into the bottom corner.

Gosling tested the Stoke 'keeper again moments later but this time Butland held on well to keep the home side level, and that would prove crucial as Diouf rounded off a superb counter-attack by heading home a Glen Johnson cross seven minutes from the end.

Bournemouth almost snatched a point late on through Glenn Murray but Butland clawed away the forward's effort to preserve the Stoke victory.