RAMPANT Cherries continued their march at the Championship summit with a six-goal salvo against lacklustre backmarkers Blackpool.

Matt Ritchie (2), Callum Wilson, Brett Pitman, Marc Pugh and Harry Arter were the chief executioners as the Tangerines’ challenge was killed off with consummate ease.

Blackpool had a brief flurry at the start of the second half but Ritchie’s peach and Pitman’s penalty sandwiched substitute Nathan Delfouneso’s strike to prompt an avalanche at Bloomfield Road.

The emphatic result, Cherries’ third straight league victory in which they have netted 13 times, ensured Eddie Howe’s men would tuck into their Christmas turkey with a one-point lead at the top of the table.

Howe reverted to the same team that secured league successes at Wolves and against Cardiff having made six changes for the midweek League Cup quarter-final defeat to Liverpool.

Cherries made a steady start despite playing on a terrible surface and when Pitman played in a low corner, Matt Ritchie’s first-time hit forced home full-back Kevin Foley into a clearance in front of his own goal with eight minutes on the clock.

A smart passage of play saw Harry Arter roll Marc Pugh down the left moments later but Pitman's strike on the run bobbled wide of the near post.

The match continued in a low-key manner but Cherries found themselves in front after 18 minutes, albeit through a goal that home stopper Joe Lewis will want to forget.

Ritchie cut inside from the left and hit a low effort that squirmed through the Blackpool custodian’s grasp with most of the visiting supporters unaware for a moment that it had nestled in the back of the net.

Andrew Surman and Charlie Daniels combined to set Pugh scampering towards the penalty area on 25 minutes but the Lancashire lad’s crisp low shot was pushed away by Lewis.

Callum Wilson almost wriggled free down the right side of the penalty area with Nyron Nosworthy’s last-ditch tackle preventing a free shot at goal on the half hour.

Another terrific build-up involving Daniels, Arter, Pugh and a clever dummy by Pitman saw Ritchie drill through a crowd of players with Lewis at full stretch to save as Cherries upped the ante towards the end of the half.

Pitman was booked for deliberate handball while trying to latch onto Wilson’s downward header but Cherries’ decisive second was not far away.

Daniels and Pugh exchanged passes to again breach the Blackpool rearguard with the former digging out a cross from the byline.

Lewis had come out to close the angle and got hopelessly caught out with Wilson on hand to apply the simplest of finishes.

But despite their first-half dominance, Cherries were forced to withstand a spell of pressure early in the second half as Blackpool were rejuvenated by a double substitution.

Centre-halves Tommy Elphick and Steve Cook were kept on their toes as Delfouneso brought a freshness to the home side’s play and Steve Davies lashed wildly wide when well placed.

However, the gaps began to open up on the break for Cherries and despite Wilson seemingly being denied a clear penalty for a push by Foley, a subsequent clearance fell for Ritchie to curl a sublime effort beyond the reach of Lewis from the edge of the box.

Delfouneso scrambled home from close range to grab a goal back but Cherries quickly extinguished any hope of a comeback when Wilson was felled by O’Dea in the box. Pitman scored from the spot despite his first effort being chalked off for encroachment.

From there the game was up as Cherries ran riot with Kermorgant’s stinging effort tipped over by Lewis from close quarters.

But the reprieve was short-lived as Ritchie’s cross was flicked on in front of goal for Pugh to steal in at the far post for number five and three minutes later, Arter grabbed the sixth by stepping inside and drilling across goal from substitute Dan Gosling's cutback.

The match petered out with Kermorgant and Francis chancing their arm from distance in another blistering away performance from Cherries.

Blackpool: Lewis, Foley, Nosworthy (O’Dea, 60), Clarke, Kennedy, O'Hara, McMahon, Perkins, O'Keefe (Murphy, h-t), Eagles (Delfouneso, h-t), Davies. Subs: Waddington, Orlandi, Miller, Parish (g/k).

Booked: O’Dea, Davies.

Cherries: Boruc, Daniels, Elphick, Cook, Francis, Pugh (Smith, 78), Surman, Arter, Ritchie, Wilson (Gosling, 74), Pitman (Kermorgant, 70). Subs: Cargill, O’Kane, Fraser, Camp (g/k).

Booked: Pitman.

Referee: Andy Madley (West Yorkshire).

Attendance: 10,014.