DETERMINED Jack Stacey described how “walking dead” Cherries kept getting up to keep a clean sheet against his old club Reading.

Scott Parker’s side sealed their 11th league win from an unbeaten 15-game start in the Championship with a 2-0 victory over the Royals at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

Goals from Dominic Solanke and Jamal Lowe either side of the interval kept Cherries five points clear at the top of the division.

With Jordan Zemura picking up a knock and Gary Cahill going down with discomfort during the opening period – Cherries battled on to increase their flawless start to the campaign.

Stacey, who is still yet to concede a goal while he has been on the pitch this season, said: “We had a few walking dead but we had people pushing through and the manager said after the game ‘in order to win Championships and get promotions there is going to be games like this’.

“I think he said this was his most pleasing performance, just because of the way we came through it and won the game.

“We’ve got players with knocks, with kicks and everyone is getting up and that just shows the spirit and determination to keep a clean sheet.”

Stacey and his team-mates exacted revenge over the Royals after falling to a 3-1 defeat at the same venue under Jason Tindall last season.

And despite having to politely decline some friends for match tickets for the game against his boyhood club, the 25-year-old was pleased to be on the right end of the scoreline this time round.

“I think I left about 15 tickets for the game and I had to turn people down as well,” he added. “I had people in the crowd and people I knew at the club as well, so it’s lovely to come back here and win.

“They came out really strong. It reminded me a little bit of the game last season but we managed to not concede and stay in the game which was really important.

“Their crowd had a little bit of momentum but I think we managed to ride the storm and get back into it.

“You can’t ask for much more, a little set-piece routine from the training ground. Dom finished it and we go in 1-0.

“We said at half-time we were probably lucky to be 1-0 up but we wanted to defend that lead and to another one straight after half-time.”

Parker's men have now gone more than 11 hours without conceding in the league away from home.