GOALS from Yann Kermorgant and Simon Francis handed Cherries a 2-0 victory as they outclassed Wigan in the Championship this afternoon.

Kermorgant nodded in a Matt Ritchie cross in the first period before the outstanding Francis side-footed home the second after the break, the duo ending Cherries’ run of six league games without a win.

It was a thoroughly-deserved victory against a Wigan side yet to win away this season and it could quite conceivably have been more, such was the hosts’ dominanace.

Boss Eddie Howe made one change from the side that drew 1-1 at Watford in Cherries’ previous Championship outing.

Kermorgant was restored to the starting line-up at the expense of Eunan O’Kane, while centre-back Steve Cook came through a late fitness test on a groin problem.

Cherries created their first chance within the opening 90 seconds. Striker Callum Wilson won a corner which Ian Harte floated to the edge of the area and Francis took a touch before hooking over.

Wilson directed wide of the target moments later and the home side came close again in the 16th minute.

After Harry Arter’s superb cross-field pass found Wilson, the ball went to Kermorgant and then Ritchie, who brought a block out of keeper Scott Carson on the angle.

A subsequent Ritchie shot was held by Carson at the second attempt before Wigan midfielder Emyr Huws ballooned an optimistic effort well over from range.

Cherries’ wing-centric tactics were causing problems and they nearly took the lead through this avenue midway through the half.

Harte’s deep cross was collected by Wilson and he found Francis, whose inside ball went to Ritchie and the wide man drilled a fraction wide of the right post.

A Francis centre eventually arrived at the feet of Kermorgant via Junior Stanislas but the Frenchman's curling side-footer was brilliantly palmed to safety by the unsighted Carson.

Back-pedalling centre-half Ivan Ramis nodded over a corner from Don Cowie before Cherries skipper Tommy Elphick and Arter were booked in quick succession.

Wigan improved but the hosts still looked a threat going forward and Stanislas tried his luck from range after being fed by Harte, but the winger pulled wide of the left post.

The pressure finally paid off eight minutes before the break, when Ritchie did superbly to dig out a deep cross from the dead-ball line and Kermorgant outmuscled Robert Kiernan before nodding past Carson.

Waghorn thumped a free-kick over the bar in the final minute of regulation time, before Cowie caught Kermorgant on the spin with a misjudged challenge.

Cherries began the second period how they had ended the first and following good work by Stanislas, Arter needed no second invitation to shoot from the left corner of the box, but lifted into the stand.

Stopper Artur Boruc had had little to do on his home debut but the Polish international wiped out both Waghorn and Elphick when he punched clear a dangerous delivery from the right flank.

On a rare Latics counter-attack, Marc-Antoine Fortune attempted to sweep in a teasing cross but Arter was perfectly-positioned to cut out and clear.

The midfielder then began a counter-attack of Cherries’ own and moments later Carson flapped at Wilson’s cross-cum-shot, before Emmerson Boyce forced the ball to safety.

Fortune and Kermorgant both failed to find the back of the net with headers at opposite ends of the pitch and then Wigan boss Uwe Rosler threw on Oriel Riera and Leon Barnett in a bid to turn the tide.

A whipped free-kick from the right by Stanislas gave Carson a temporary concern but Cherries then had to deal with a scare of their own, when Boruc was swiftly out to snatch a through ball away from Fortune.

Finally, Cherries got the second goal they desperately needed. A neat passing move resulted in Francis ghosting into space in the box and the full-back capped a fine display by slotting past Carson at the near post.

Wilson came within a whisker of flicking in Harte’s near-post corner as the home side continued to dominate in the closing stages.

The only worry for the Dean Court faithful came when Huws prepared to pull the trigger on the counter-attack - only for Andrew Surman to intervene - while Boruc made a smart stop late on.

MATCH FACTS

Cherries: Boruc; Francis, Elphick, Cook, Harte; Ritchie, Arter (Gosling, 89), Surman, Stanislas (Pugh, 84); Wilson, Kermorgant (O'Kane, 75).

Unused subs: Smith, Daniels, Pitman, Camp (g/k).

Booked: Elphick, Arter

Latics: Carson; Perch, Boyce, Ramis (Delort, 75), Kiernan (Barnett, 66), Taylor; Huws, Cowie, Forshaw; Fortune, Waghorn (Riera, 66).

Unused subs: Taverner, Kvist, Maloney, Al Habsi (g/k).

Booked: Cowie

Referee: Gary Sutton (Lincolnshire).

Attendance: 8,754 (422 away supporters)