ANOTHER record falls and barely anyone bats an eyelid. It’s been that kind of season for Cherries.

Saturday’s 2-0 win at Rotherham was their eighth league victory away from Dean Court this term, beating last season’s seven, then a club record in the second flight.

But now it is consigned to history, cast aside by a team that continues to amaze and beguile in equal measure.

Many would have you believe that Eddie Howe’s men are the Championship’s overachievers. The thing with overachievers is that eventually, they fall away.

Cherries show little sign of doing that. Since being sunk by Nottingham Forest and Blackburn in August, the Dorset outfit have not lost back-to-back league games.

Their ability to react positively to defeat has been a crucial factor in their charge to the top of the table.

Undoubtedly, many would argue that a trip to strugglers Rotherham was a decent game for a side looking to recover from an ill-fated outing against Norwich the previous weekend.

It could also be pointed out that Cherries – with a number of fringe players – had crushed the Millers in the FA Cup two weeks previously.

But winning games of football is rarely easy.

Boss Howe made one change to the side that had slipped up against the Canaries, recalling keeper Lee Camp in place of neck injury victim Artur Boruc.

Rotherham boss Steve Evans handed full debuts to newly-recruited duo Conor Sammon and Zeki Fryers and gave home debuts to fellow loanees Danny Ward, Adam Hammill and Jack Barmby.

The latter, son of former England international Nicky Barmby, had the first sight of goal but smashed an optimistic effort over from range.

Fryers was left mightily relieved when referee Stephen Martin ruled out a strike by Callum Wilson following a foul on the left-back, that coming moments after Fryers had reacted ponderously to a high ball.

A hearty blast from Harry Arter hit traffic before Paul Green wasted a great chance from a Barmby cross, the unmarked midfielder rising well but heading clear of the bar.

Rain began to slicken the playing surface and Matt Ritchie exchanged passes with Arter before pulling his left-footed shot just wide of the upright.

The winger, who penned a long-term deal just over a week ago, floated in a delicious cross but Marc Pugh nodded just off-target, with Wilson unable to reach the ball at the far post.

Pugh then combined beautifully with Wilson in a rapid counter-attack but the former Coventry man had his side-footed effort repelled by keeper Adam Collin.

As rain turned to snow, Lee Camp blocked a thumper of a drive from Hammill and then Barmby broke forward at pace, only to see his low strike whistle past the post with Camp beaten.

At least one minute of added time was indicated and seconds before this was up, Cherries were awarded a free-kick in midfield.

Full-back Charlie Daniels looped in a measured delivery and captain Tommy Elphick, who had taken a whack on the head minutes earlier, shrugged off the attentions of Kari Arnason to nod in off the right post – his first goal since April.

The award of the free-kick and the timing of the goal incensed Evans, who marched onto the pitch to confront referee Martin after the half-time whistle. However, Brett Pitman, Pugh and Daniels swiftly defused the situation, leading the Millers boss to the safety of the tunnel.

Martin once more took centre stage at the start of the second period when he waved away calls for a penalty after Wilson had nicked the ball past Collin and gone to ground under the keeper’s challenge.

Evans tried to inject impetus with the introduction of Conor Newton and Rob Milsom, and the latter crashed a shot straight into team-mate Green with his first touch.

But in the 62nd minute, Cherries doubled their lead. Pitman and Arnason went for Daniels’ low cross and after an almighty scramble, Pitman smuggled the ball to Wilson, who lashed home his 14th goal of the campaign via the bar.

Rotherham threw caution to the wind in the final 25 minutes and centre-half Steve Cook made a timely block to stop Green’s piledriver from testing Camp.

Sammon headed across goal when he might have taken a more selfish approach, while Newton drilled high on the half-volley.

Cook put in another brave block, this time from Hammill, as the home side were again frustrated in their efforts to gain a foothold.

The situation could have worsened when Yann Kermorgant was set free by fellow substitute Dan Gosling late on but the Frenchman fired into Collin’s body with the goal gaping.

MATCH FACTS

Millers: Collin; Richardson, Arnason, Morgan, Fryers (Milsom, 57); Smallwood; Ward (Bowery, 75), Barmby (Newton, 56), Green, Hammill; Sammon.

Unused subs: Broadfoot, Pringle, Derbyshire, Thompson (g/k).

Booked: Arnason, Smallwood, Milsom, Hammill.

Cherries: Camp 6.5; Francis 7, Elphick 8, Cook 7.5, Daniels 8; Ritchie 7 (Kermorgant, 90), Surman 7, Arter 7, Pugh 7.5 (Smith, 90); Pitman 7.5, Wilson 7.5 (Gosling, 79).

Unused subs: O’Kane, Fraser, Stanislas, Flahavan (g/k).

Booked: Surman, Daniels.

Referee: Stephen Martin (Staffordshire).

Attendance: 9,157 (including 624 away supporters).

STAR MAN - CHARLIE DANIELS

CHARLIE Daniels admitted recently that the role of full-back had been changed forever by the likes of Cafu and Roberto Carlos.

And on the basis of Saturday’s performance, the ex-Leyton Orient defender has learned lessons from the Brazilian legends.

Never afraid to get forward, Daniels picked out skipper Tommy Elphick with a free-kick for the opening goal and sent in the initial cross for the second.

He kept the Millers quiet in wide areas and contributed to a clean sheet that was well-earned.