GARY O’Neil believes his side were the “better team” at Elland Road on Saturday night, despite Cherries losing 4-3 to Leeds United.

The hosts led from the third minute via a Rodrigo penalty, before Cherries quickly turned the game on its head through Marcus Tavernier and Phil Billing.

Cherries then stretched their lead further in the second half with Dominic Solanke rounding off a perfect counter, before Leeds came roaring back, Sam Greenwood’s effort from outside the box starting a comeback completed by Liam Cooper’s header and Crysencio Summerville’s counter-attack.

Substitute Greenwood was given plenty of time and space to pick out the far corner with a curling left-footed finish, with no Cherries players attempting to close down and block the shot.

Asked if he was disappointed with the defending for Greenwood’s strike, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “I'm disappointed with all three goals, in the second half.

“To be fair, I'm disappointed with the first goal as well, to be honest. But I'm disappointed with all three of them.

“If we talk factually, without emotion, I think we were the better team and to come away to Leeds and be that is tough.

“And to suffer a setback in the first, second minute, whatever it was, and to put in a display like the boys did was impressive.

“But you can't walk away from it with no points, having played like that, it's unacceptable.”

Defeat marks the second game in a row Cherries have let a two-goal lead slip to a losing position, with a 3-2 defeat to Spurs preceding the capitulation at Elland Road.

Just as they did in the loss to Tottenham, Cherries slowly grew more and more defensive as the game progressed, sitting deeper, with O’Neil stressing that was natural for sides chasing a lead to pin their opponents back.

He restarted: “The shape was the same.

“Because Leeds are two goals behind and they're going for it.

“So the boys have to respond, of course. So there was no change of shape at all.”