IN TIMES of success, the emphasis is always on keeping feet on the ground.

Perhaps, after eight of the most memorable days in Cherries’ history, it’s time to take a sober look at things.

Eddie Howe’s men lie second in the Championship, their highest berth since mid-August and a position which is the culmination of a run of six wins in seven league games.

The history books were rewritten against both Birmingham and West Brom and the flying run was continued thanks to victory over Brighton in front of the Sky Sports cameras yesterday.

However, while the most solid foundations are in place, it is only the start of November. Cherries have played 15 games of a 46-match league programme.

The Dorset side might be two points away from hitting the summit of the division but they are also two points away from dropping out of the top six altogether.

Below that, congestion is rife. Cherries’ rise from 15th to second in just five games illustrates just how quickly matters can change.

It helps, of course, to have generous opponents and Cherries found Brighton to be rather obliging when it came to the crunch under the Dean Court floodlights.

Scotland international Gordon Greer presented the hosts with their opener when he headed Simon Francis’s cross into his own net, and late on, fellow centre-half Lewis Dunk ill-advisedly dived in on Callum Wilson in the box.

For all Brighton’s positive play, it was one mistake too many. Finally handed the chance to take a spot kick this season, Yann Kermorgant made them pay.

Howe reverted to the side that trounced Birmingham 8-0 as he made 10 changes from the League Cup victory over West Brom. Ex-Brighton defender Tommy Elphick was the only survivor, while keeper Artur Boruc was passed fit following a knee injury.

Elphick was required to make an early intervention when he turned behind Gary Gardner’s low free-kick, before the Seagulls made an enforced change in the 13th minute.

Full-back Aaron Hughes was stretchered away following an aerial duel with Marc Pugh and substitute Íñigo Calderón was brought on in his place.

Soon after, Matt Ritchie fashioned Cherries’ first opening when he charged through traffic and fired towards the near post, only to be denied by the on-loan debutant stopper Ali Al-Habsi.

Elphick again came to the rescue when he dispossessed Adrián Colunga with the Spaniard poised to strike and at the other end, a drive from right-back Francis was headed behind by Gardner.

Midway through the half, Cherries took the lead in fortuitous circumstances. After being picked out by centre-half Steve Cook, Francis whipped in a cross that was nodded into his own net by Greer, despite little pressure.

The lead was to last only three minutes. Liverpool loanee João Teixeira nipped into space and sliced open the Cherries defence with the outside of his right boot, allowing Colunga to expertly round Boruc and tuck away the first goal by a Brighton striker since August.

Cook nodded off-target against his former club and with the break approaching, Pugh restored the home advantage with his fourth goal in two games.

Francis’s cross looped up off a Brighton defender, over a crowd of players and bounced before reaching the wide man, whose superb scissors kick deflected off Dunk and beat Al-Habsi at his near post.

A couple of free-kicks from Jake Forster-Caskey caused Cherries problems either side of the break, the first being nodded onto the roof of the net by Greer and the second seeing Boruc save one-handed from Dunk’s header.

Andrew Surman’s loss of possession in midfield nearly proved costly but after Danny Holla released Teixeira, Cook scampered back to make a crucial challenge.

On the hour mark, Brighton levelled for a second time and in straightforward fashion. Al-Habsi’s clearance was flicked on by Greer and after Baldock was set free, the former Bristol City man lashed home his first goal for Albion.

Pugh screwed wide of goal from range before Cherries bagged the decisive effort with 14 minutes left. Harry Arter took four players out of the game with a wonderful pass to Wilson and as the striker tried to get away from Dunk in the box, the centre-half lunged in.

Bournemouth-born referee Keith Stroud immediately pointed to the spot and Kermorgant blasted emphatically into the left corner as Al-Habsi went the wrong way.

There was still time for a late scare in the third minute of injury-time when Pugh’s poor clearance went straight to Calderón but the full-back’s pass was directed wide by fellow substitute Craig Mackail-Smith.

Star man - Simon Francis

On a night when top-class individual displays were hard to come by, Simon Francis was again the model of consistency in defence and attack.

First the right-back’s searching cross caused Gordon Greer to nod into his own net, before another delivery resulted in Marc Pugh spectacularly sending home a second.

Francis proved once more how important his calm, capable approach to the Championship is to Cherries with another assured performance.

The club’s decision to rebuff bids from Derby over the summer seems wiser by the day.

Match facts

Cherries: Boruc 6.5, Francis 7.5, Cook 6.5, Elphick 6.5, Daniels 6.5, Ritchie 6 (Fraser, 63), Arter 7.5, Surman 6, Pugh 7, Pitman 6 (Kermorgant, 63), Wilson 6.5 (Gosling, 90).

Unused subs: Harte, Smith, Rantie, Camp (g/k).

Booked: Cook, Daniels, Kermorgant.

Seagulls: Al-Habsi, Hughes (Calderón, 13), Greer, Dunk, Bennett, Gardner, Teixeira, Holla, Forster-Caskey, Baldock (Mackail-Smith, 73), Colunga (LuaLua, 63).

Unused subs: Ince, McCourt, Chicksen, Walton (g/k).

Booked: Bennett, Forster-Caskey, Teixeira, Calderón, LuaLua.

Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire).

Attendance: 10,166 (inc 1,235 away supporters).