CLINICAL goals from Liverpool duo Victor Moses and Daniel Sturridge put paid to Cherries’ hopes of a famous giant-killing at Dean Court today. Eddie Howe’s men enjoyed the lion’s share of possession during the first half but trailed at the break to Moses’s well-taken 26th-minute strike.

And the Premier League high-fliers left Cherries with a mountain to climb when Sturridge doubled their lead on the hour with another fine finish.

Cherries made an encouraging start with Andrew Surman heading narrowly over the crossbar from Charlie Daniels’s third-minute cross.

And Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Jones helped a free-kick from Simon Francis over the top as Cherries forced a flurry of early corners.

Marc Pugh nodded into the side netting after meeting Matt Ritchie’s deep cross before Tommy Elphick’s brave block thwarted Sturridge.

Steven Gerrard saw his curling 25-yard free-kick just clear the crossbar after Harry Arter had scythed down Suarez.

Liverpool made the breakthrough midway through the first half when Moses fired low past Cherries goalkeeper Lee Camp from 20 yards.

Camp was powerless to prevent the winger opening the scoring after he had been picked out by Suarez’s inch-perfect crossfield pass.

As Cherries went in search of a quick response, Lewis Grabban’s tame strike failed to trouble Jones, while Arter’s rasping effort flashed past the upright.

Grabban saw another shot blocked following a neat one-two with Arter before Cherries fashioned a couple of presentable chances to equalise.

Firstly, Surman, teed up by Daniels’s low cross, saw his effort deflect off covering defender Kolo Toure and loop over the crossbar for a corner.

And from the flag-kick, taken by Surman, Elphick nipped in front of his marker, only to plant his header over the crossbar.

Jordan Henderson wasted a glorious chance to double Liverpool’s lead when he skied a shot high into the Steve Fletcher Stand.

And as the first half drew to a close, Arter fired a right-foot shot straight down Jones’s throat from the edge of the box.

Sturridge made it 2-0 when he beat Camp with a finely-taken finish after latching on to a defence-splitting pass from Suarez on the hour.

Surman and Grabban both sent efforts wide before Sturridge’s audacious lob landed on top of the crossbar following Gerrard’s sweeping pass.

Suarez lobbed a good chance over the bar after racing through 14 minutes from time before Jones beat away a ferocious drive from Grabban.

And in stoppage-time, Camp pulled off a top-drawer save at his near post to keep out Suarez’s thumping strike.

Cherries: Camp, Francis, Ward, Elphick, Daniels, O’Kane, Ritchie (Fraser, 73), Arter (Pitman, 77), Surman, Pugh (Rantie, 73), Grabban.

Unused subs: Cook, Harte, MacDonald, Allsop (g/k).

Liverpool: Jones, Kelly (Flanaghan, 73), Toure, Skrtel, Cissokho, Moses (Sterling, 84), Gerrard, Henderson, Coutinho (Alberto, 84), Suarez, Sturridge.

Unused subs: Aspas, Ibe, Sama, Mignolet (g/k) Booked: Gerrard.

Attendance: 11,475 (including 2,277 away supporters).

Referee: Lee Probert (Shanklin, Isle of Wight).