New Norwich City manager Alex Neil credited his players’ character in playing the last 26 minutes with 10 men to beat Championship leaders Bournemouth 2-1.

The Canaries boss praised his players for “how hard they dug in and you need that,” saying “the work ethic got that result because the quality has always been there.”

Bournemouth led through Matt Ritchie’s seventh goal this season, but Norwich controversially equalised when a Nathan Redmond corner was handled by Michael Turner and finished by Gary Hooper.

Cherries boss Eddie Howe said this was “a key decision and clearly wrong — the muted Norwich celebrations gave it away.”

Neil conceded it “did touch a hand on its way through.”

The Canaries remained resolute after a sending off for Jonny Howson due to a tackle on Yann Kermorgant that Neil described as “really harsh. Jonny got the ball clean with his right foot.”

Meanwhile Howe was left frustrated by his side’s display: “We didn’t see our usual fluency, and once they have 10 men you’d expect us to bombard their goal and for whatever reason that didn’t really happen.”

He said Bournemouth were under no pressure to sell players, contrary to previous seasons, but admitted that in January “keeping what we have got will be our biggest battle — Matt Ritchie committing to us is great.”

Ritchie celebrated a new contract with a precise left-footed strike from Marc Pugh’s cross, while Arthur Boruc prevented Jerome equalising.

However Jerome completed the comeback with a superb 20-yard strike, his 13th of this season, sealing Bournemouth’s first defeat in 14 league games.