AMID the public plaudits and backslapping hides the biggest compliment Cherries could wish for – nonchalance.

Overjoyed, vocal and full of Christmas cheer, the pocket of hardy souls in the away enclosure at Bloomfield Road were served up yet another away-day treat in this, the most ground-breaking of seasons.

But while Cherries supporters greeted each goal with familiar gusto, the gasps and open-mouthed expressions were nowhere to be seen.

Six goals and passing master-class on a cabbage-patch surface – albeit against the division’s down-and-outs – would normally have fans pinching themselves all the way back down the M6.

Not anymore.

A result that should have sent shockwaves through the Championship scarcely raised an eyebrow as the never-ending joyride goes on.

The craft, skill and guile of right-sided duo Matt Ritchie and Simon Francis is now being emulated by Marc Pugh’s blossoming partnership with Charlie Daniels.

And with Andrew Surman quietly exerting control in the middle and Harry Arter oozing confidence, results like this are becoming the norm as Cherries steadily work towards becoming the complete package.

Unsurprisingly, boss Eddie Howe reverted to the team which had started victories at Wolves and against Cardiff but Cherries found it hard to set a brisk tempo early on.

However, with the promise of an end product looking likelier with every probe, Ritchie gratefully accepted a gift-wrapped breakthrough from Blackpool keeper Joe Lewis.

Having taken Brett Pitman’s pass in space, Ritchie effortlessly sauntered inside David Perkins and took aim at the near post with Lewis allowing the powerful-but-routine effort to squirm through his grasp.

Merry Christmas.

Lewis went some way to atoning for the mishap when he pushed away Pugh’s effort after good work by Daniels and Surman as Cherries maintained a stranglehold on possession.

Cries of ‘Ole’ rang out from the away end as Cherries caressed the ball like a team with a five-goal cushion, while Ritchie’s drilled effort drew a full-stretch stop from Lewis.

Pitman blotted his copybook by trying to force home Callum Wilson’s downward header with his hand but as the irate crowd castigated the frontrunner, Cherries pounced for their second.

Daniels and Pugh played a crisp one-two with the former digging out a cross as Chris Eagles attempted to shepherd out the ball. The centre flew past the flailing Lewis for Wilson to crash home.

At half-time, Blackpool boss Lee Clark shook things up with the introduction of Jacob Murphy and Nathan Delfouneso adding much-needed impetus.

Indeed, this victory was as much a testament to Cherries withstanding the nervy 15 minutes that followed as it was to their attacking prowess with centre-halves Tommy Elphick and Steve Cook earning their corn.

Blackpool had a scrambled effort ruled out for offside on 52 minutes with Steven Davies then drawing a last-ditch tackle from Cook and driving hopelessly wide having done all the hard work down the right.

But Cherries soon quelled the stirring response with a goal rich in quality – even if it did have the home crowd crying foul once more.

Blackpool defender Nyron Nosworthy hit the deck having conceded a throw-in which was quickly taken by Pitman. With the hosts all over the place amid half-hearted appeals, Wilson and Pugh passed their opponents into another muddle.

Wilson was clearly pushed to the ground by Kevin Foley but as referee Andy Madley waved away calls for a penalty, Surman found Ritchie to curl home a delightful effort which flew past Lewis’s despairing dive.

Ritchie unwittingly had a hand in a goal at the wrong end, getting caught in possession by Jamie O’Hara whose initial cross saw Tony McMahon draw a fine low stop from Artur Boruc but O’Hara instantly drilled back in for Delfouneso to net from close range.

The third goal apart, Blackpool looked dangerous but like they had seven days previously against Cardiff, Cherries struck a hammer blow at just the right time with Ritchie again at the hub.

His perfectly-weighted ball from deep set Wilson down the right with substitute defender Darren O’Dea, booked within a minute of his arrival for a cynical shove on the same player, guilty of pushing Cherries’ top scorer in the box.

Pitman stepped up to plant the spot kick in the top corner, only for it to be ruled out for encroachment. Undeterred, he went low but to the same side to net number four.

The flurry of activity brought back memories of the 8-0 drubbing of Birmingham and Cherries clearly scented blood with substitute Yann Kermorgant forcing a fingertip save from Lewis before the fifth duly arrived.

Surman, enjoying a more advanced role as battered Blackpool retreated, glided a pass out to Ritchie whose centre was glanced on by Cook for Pugh to expertly read the flight of the ball and bundle home his seventh of the campaign.

Pugh then played Dan Gosling down the left who cut back for Arter to step inside and lash number six across Lewis, netting the goal his bubbly performance had richly deserved.

Kermorgant and Francis chanced their arm from distance in the latter stages as the relentless visitors forced the hosts to collapse but that was it for the scoring.

Cherries followers are growing accustomed to living the dream and who can blame them as the plot thickens in this enchanting tale...

STAR MAN – MARC PUGH

So many to choose from after another dazzling display but Pugh just outshone jewel in the crown Matt Ritchie.

Not to be outdone by the most feared right-sided duo outside the Premier League, Pugh and full-back Charlie Daniels have showed ample attacking ability in recent weeks. 

The combination worked a treat once more, their burgeoning partnership providing double trouble in what was always set to be a daunting task for Blackpool.

Pugh loaded Cherries with a bunty of ammunition, drew out defenders for Daniels to exploit the gaps, played a part in three goals and netted with a far-post header that any seasoned striker would have been proud of.

His work may not always catch the eye as much as Ritchie’s but Pugh’s contribution is proving just as valuable.

MATCH FACTS AND MERIT MARKS

Blackpool: Lewis, Foley, Nosworthy (O’Dea, 60), Clarke, Kennedy, O’Hara, McMahon, Perkins, O’Keefe (Murphy, h-t), Eagles (Delfouneso, h-t), Davies. 

Unused subs: Waddington, Orlandi, Miller, Parish (g/k).

Booked: O’Dea, Davies.

Cherries: Boruc 7.5, Francis 8, Elphick 8, Cook 8, Daniels 8.5, PUGH 9* (Smith, 78), Surman 8.5, Arter 8, Ritchie 9, Wilson 8.5 (Gosling, 74), Pitman 8 (Kermorgant, 70).

Unused subs: Cargill, O’Kane, Fraser, Camp (g/k).

Booked: Pitman.

Referee: Andy Madley (West Yorkshire).

Attendance: 10,014.