FORGET your 8-0s and your broken records, this result really laid down a marker.

The sparkling diamond at the top of the Championship displayed its rough edge as Cherries made the most of their lift from Lady Luck at Wigan.

For the second match in succession a contentious call provided a platform for victory but no one at the DW Stadium could question the validity of the outcome.

See our gallery from Cherries' victory at Wigan here

Stretched but resolute in the face of Wigan’s early bombardment, Cherries seized customary control and steadily ratcheted up the pressure as the first half developed.

Without question, Callum Wilson should have been flagged offside before he buried the opener but a failure to recognise the manner in which Cherries had flexed their muscles for the preceding 25 minutes would have been an equal injustice.

And what followed proved a point to the cynics waiting for Eddie Howe’s neat-and-tidy team to get bullied out of the promotion race.

Relentless harassment forced the error for Cherries’ crucial second just before the break and the visitors threatened to run riot as rookie Wilson produced another masterclass in centre-forward play.

It was all going so smoothly until Wigan’s Leon Clarke turned the tide with a goal on the hour.

But wily Cherries manned the barricades, stuck together and scrapped to the finish in a manner promotion rival Mick McCarthy would have been proud of.

It was a rocky start. Artur Boruc saved from Wigan skipper William Kvist, Clarke miscued from a promising position and James McClean’s angled free-kick thumped the top of the crossbar within the opening 10 minutes.

Cherries gathered themselves and were buoyed by their first meaningful attack, a sweeping move down the left involving Andrew Surman and Charlie Daniels which ended with Matt Ritchie’s drilled effort being deflected wide.

From the resulting corner, Simon Francis recycled a half-cleared ball to the far post for Yann Kermorgant to slide past marker Chris Herd, shrug off his attempted foul and draw a fine low stop from keeper Ali Al-Habsi.

Wigan posed a threat on the break with Herd breezing past Surman to tee up Clarke who again found his finish wanting.

Wilson’s lay-off was a little too strong for Ritchie who blazed over from 18 yards, while at the other end Kim Bo-Kyung’s audacious overhead kick flew over the top from Andrew Taylor’s low centre.

Ritchie whacked a stinging shot against the back of team-mate Wilson but Cherries did not have to turn the screw for much longer and profited from a moment of fortune.

Kermorgant’s flick from a lofted pass by Francis found Wilson in an offside position but the flag stayed down for the ex-Coventry hitman to scamper away and steer past Al-Habsi despite vehement protestations from the hosts.

And Cherries showed no mercy.

From a throw-in on the left, Harry Arter wrested possession from Kim with Chris McCann dithering on the loose ball.

Kermorgant needed no second invitation and pounced on McCann’s awful drag back to blast inside Al-Habsi’s near post to a chorus of boos at the DW.

Cherries suffered a ropy decision of their own within seconds of the restart as Wilson got the better of isolated defender Leon Barnett, only to be sent sprawling.

Howe afforded himself a wry smile but it was another bad call on a stinking day for the officials.

Undeterred, Wilson had the away end purring when he lifted a delightful ball from Daniels over the terrorised Liam Ridgewell but fired handsomely over having done all the hard work.

It mattered not. Kermorgant outmuscled Kvist and nodded on for Wilson to beat Ridgewell and wriggle past Barnett and Al-Habsi to tuck home number three.

Home and dry? Not quite.

McClean raced into space and delivered from the left despite the best efforts of Tommy Elphick with Clarke peeling into a pocket of space between Steve Cook and Daniels to score.

The galvanised hosts went for the jugular with 17-year-old Liverpool loanee Sheyi Ojo, thrown on a minute before Latics scored, at the hub of their raucous flurry.

Ojo slipped Don Cowie down the right with substitute striker Billy Mckay so close to nudging home a second.

Ridgewell’s close-range header was then pushed over the crossbar by Boruc before Cherries regained their composure and strangled the last bit of life from the contest.

The home side and a baying crowd cried foul at the perceived game-management tactics implemented by their visitors.

But Cherries had earned the right to be clever and toed the line without resorting to flagrant gamesmanship.

If they keep showing this level professionalism and poise, staying under the radar will no longer be an option.

MATCH FACTS AND MERIT MARKS

Cherries: Boruc 7.5, Francis 7, Cook 8, Elphick 8, Daniels 8, Ritchie 7.5 (Smith, 82), Arter 7.5, Surman 7, Pugh 7 (Pitman, 90), Wilson 8.5, Kermorgant 8 (MacDonald, 75).

Unused subs: Rantie, Fraser, Ward, Camp (g/k).

Booked: Ritchie, Pugh.

Wigan: Al-Habsi, Herd (Ojo, 59), Barnett, Ridgewell, Taylor, Cowie, Kim (Mckay, h-t), Kvist, McCann, Clarke, McClean.

Unused subs: Bong, Pearce, Fortune, Waghorn, Carson (g/k).

Booked: McCann, McClean.

Referee: Mark Haywood (West Yorkshire).

Attendance: 10,621 (including 545 away supporters).

STAR MAN – CALLUM WILSON

Wigan manager Malky Mackay pointed to Callum Wilson’s offside opener as a decisive factor in this result.

In truth, though, the difference between two fairly well-matched but contrasting styles was the way Wilson paired his physicality with unerring quality. 

Latics striker Leon Clarke gave Cherries plenty to think about, particularly early on, but was unconvincing in the 18-yard box until it was too late.

Wilson was majestic at times and on a tough surface showcased an ability to create his own chances. 

Defensive partners Tommy Elphick and Steve Cook excelled during Wigan’s sudden flurries. Charlie Daniels again grew in stature, Harry Arter impressed and Yann Kermorgant's contribution was telling.