Ferguson handed former Macclesfield striker Emile Sinclair his full debut and he responded with two first half goals that had his manager purring.
"Emile is a great lad who wants to be a top player," Ferguson said. "He turned down other Championship clubs, who would probably have been offering more money, to come here.
"We knew we were buying someone with a lot of pace and he showed that he can finish as well."
Looking at his team's performance, he added: "People think we are all about attacking so I feel it is only right to praise the back four and goalkeeper as well. They were outstanding and this is easily our best result of the season so far. We dug in and saw it out.
Eddie Howe saw goalkeeper Brian Jensen forced off with a groin injury early in the game and his team 2-0 down and he said after the game: "The majority of fans understand the situation from the summer and I can't thank them enough for their support.
"The ones who are critical, I don't blame them. I just ask them to stick with the team and give them encouragement because they need that vocal support. If they want to vent any frustrations at me, then I'm quite prepared to take it
"I know I am going to get criticism because I get judged on results and results are not very good at the moment. I'm old enough to take it. I'm accountable for the results. That's the nature of the business I am in and I'm not naïve enough to think any different. It's the job I am in and it doesn't faze me. I am prepared for it and I probably deserve it.
"That side of things is fine, as long as it doesn't affect the players and we can hopefully turn the corner by sticking together and coming through this spell. It's been a difficult summer for the club. We believe we are going to be okay and I believe in the players we've got.
"We have a talented squad and for whatever reason things are not falling for us at the minute, but I am sure they will if we are brave and keep fighting. Criticism while a game is going on is difficult to take, especially at home and we have three home games coming up, so we need the fans to back us as much as they can."
Howe continued: "I don't really think it's down to team selections. It's down to players doing their individual jobs and I thought for the majority of the game they did. There are such small margins in football between victory and defeat.
"Small things change games and again we gave ourselves a tough challenge by conceding too early and they were both poor goals, but apart from that I thought we were by far the better team. We created numerous chances and should have won the game, but again we are speaking after a defeat and it's hugely frustrating.
"I thought some of our movement and passing was excellent today and we looked like a really good, attacking side. I also thought we defended okay, but it was two lapses of concentration. That's just how it's going for us at the minute. We just have to stick together through this spell.
"On one hand I am pleased with the performance and on another it's a defeat and it hurts. The pleasing thing from my viewpoint is that the players had a go. They kept going right to the end and we kept chasing the game and doing all the right things.
"There are a lot of positives to take from the game, whereas last week there were very few, so from that side of things it was a better way to lose a game."