LONDON • Bournemouth's 4-3 win over West Ham United on Saturday, their first-ever English Premier League victory, will give the promoted side belief that they can compete with any team in the top flight, according to manager Eddie Howe.

Having played out encouraging 0-1 defeats against Aston Villa and Liverpool, the south coast side, led by Callum Wilson's hat-trick, were irresistible at times at West Ham.

Howe's men, who arrived at Upton Park in the relegation zone and without a point or goal to their name, attacked with a refreshing enthusiasm and effervescence and looked capable of scoring at will.

"(Getting the first points) means everything," Howe told Sky Sport. "We really needed this today.

"Not in terms of the league table or any nonsense like that but just for our own belief that we can go anywhere and compete.

"We've done that in the two games we've had already and come up with nothing but it was important today we backed it up with the result. We were excellent in the first half and a real threat on the counter-attack.

"We were very dynamic, passed the ball well and created numerous opportunities.

"Callum was a menace today with his pace. All strikers need goals and it has been a really good afternoon for him. The pleasing thing from his perspective is he was clinical.

"At 2-2, it would have been easy to buckle but we came back again and I thought we thoroughly deserved the win."

While Bournemouth - a League Two club only five years ago - troubled the hosts every time they went forward, West Ham contributed to their own downfall.

Wilson's second goal came after he capitalised on poor control from Aaron Cresswell - who was also caught out of position in the build-up to the opener - while his hat-trick goal came from the penalty spot after Carl Jenkinson fouled Max Gradel.

The West Ham defender was also given a red card for pulling Gradel.

Having fought back to 2-2, however, West Ham manager Slaven Bilic said his side did not show enough desire to win despite appearing to have gained the momentum.

"It's not an alarming situation but we can't continue to play without more desire," the Croat told the BBC. "We simply need a better mentality. I'm still angry, we are all angry. The players care, of course they care, but we have to turn it around." REUTERS