CHERRIES' FA Cup campaign has come a cropper at the first hurdle after Eddie Howe's side were beaten 3-0 by League One Millwall.

Howe changed his entire starting 11 from that which took to the field for Tuesday's gripping draw with Arsenal.

And the game was 26 minutes old when Cherries' manager saw his team fall behind to Steve Morison's header – a goal that had been coming from the first whistle.

Howe introduced Callum Wilson at the break in an attempt to pep up his labouring side. But Wilson had been on the pitch four minutes when Shaun Cummings doubled Millwall's advantage.

Cherries tried, forlornly, to rally – but were put out of their misery by Shane Ferguson's stoppage time strike.

If Jordan Lee, making just his second Cherries appearance,was experiencing a few butterflies, then they manifested themselves in a dreadfully underhit fifth minute backpass.

Adam Federici just about reached the ball ahead of the fast pursuing Lee Gregory, but only succeeded in clearing straight to Morison.

The veteran forward, however, lacked the composure to capitalise. With Federici grounded and powerless to deal with anything sent back his way, Morison scuffed his shot wide of the keeper's right-hand post.

Indeed, it wasn't only Lee struggling to cope in the face of Millwall's whirlwind start.

Cherries' players, most of them light on any recent action of note, were each operating on their own individual wavelengths.

Their task for the day – to forge some sort of understanding on the hoof, difficult enough in the furnace of an FA Cup tie –was all the tougher for Millwall's ferocious pressing and harrying.

Emerson Hyndman, on his full Cherries' debut, was the recipient of one Ben Thompson tackle that could have been transported directly from the 1970s. Beautifully executed, with physicality to match, it had The Den purring.

So too did the skilful link up between Morison and Gregory that ultimately had former Halifax striker Gregory bearing down on goal, only to be cut off at the pass by the imposing Tyrone Mings.

Defender Mings, making his third Cherries start in his 18 months at the club, was soon allowing himself to become embroiled in a stand-up row with Morison after the pair had contested a ball in the penalty box.

The incident spoke volumes for a growing tetchiness sweeping through Cherries' ranks.

The visitors finally had a shot of some description with the game 23 minutes old, Brad Smith skying an effort from 25 yards.

It was a moment's respite for Cherries, who were soon inviting the 2004 finalists back onto them.

Andrew Surman and Federici indulged in a chancy game of keep ball in their own area, with the latter forced by the ubiquitous Gregory to hack clear from the goalline.

This was all headed in one direction, though.

Millwall claimed a penalty when they believed Hyndman had used a hand to block Gregory's close range shot, following Morison's knockdown from Shaun Williams' corner.

Referee Andrew Madley instead pointed for a corner on the opposite flank.

And when Williams clipped the dead ball in from the right-wing, Morison rose at the near-post and powered his header inside Federici's left upright to give the hosts the lead their early endeavours merited.

Despite the number of empty blue seats inside this rudimentary ground the noise that greeted the sight of ball hitting net was ear-splitting.

Eight minutes after the goal things could have become worse for Howe's side.

Jordon Ibe's attempt to dribble his way through Fred Onyedinma deep in Millwall territory failed miserably.

Emboldened by his good work, the young Lions midfielder embarked on a marauding run that took him beyond Hyndman, Lee and Surman, before he fed Gregory to the left of the box.

Cherries enjoyed a slice of fortune, however, when the forward snatched at his effort, sending it harmlessly across the face of goal.

When they were forced onto the back foot the home team's plan was rather simple; the idea being to allow Cherries possession in wide areas before swamping their Premier League opponents as soon as the ball arrived in the middle.

For the most part, it was working.

Hyndman drove into the side netting after being fed by left back Smith – by far his team's brightest attacker in the first half – while Lee saw a dangerous low delivery diverted behind by Shaun Hutchinson.

If anyone believed Howe was content to ditch his side's Cup ambitions they'd have been set straight by his half-time introduction of Wilson in place of Lee – Marc Pugh dropping to right back.

And it was from his auxiliary role that Pugh delivered a cross for Lys Mousset shortly after the interval.

Whether the striker saw the ball late, or if he was merely stunned to see it at all after a first 45 minutes spent starved of service, is a moot point.

He headed a gilt-edged chance wide of Jordan Archer's left-hand post.

That miss looked even more costly moments later.

Millwall right back Cummings continued his run into Cherries' box after shuffling play wide for Morison.

Consequently, when Morison's something and nothing delivery towards goal was shovelled back out by Federici, the ball hit the onrushing Cummings and landed in the back of the net.

Lewis Grabban – a former man of The Den and not popular in these parts by all accounts – fizzed over from range as Cherries sought an instant riposte.

Smith was equally wayward with a shot from inside the box, while Ibe's delivery from the left byline flashed across the six-yard box unmolested.

As the visitors committed more bodies forward, so they were ripe for picking off at the back.

One Millwall counter ended with substitute Ferguson, played in by Gregory's cute pass, firing beyond the far post.

Howe continued to throw everything at keeping alive Cherries' Cup campaign.

On came Dan Gosling and Steve Cook, as the visitors effectively operated with a four-strong front line, consisting of Grabban, Callum Wilson, Mousset and Ibe.

Still, each attack was fizzling out, either amid a cluster of blue and white shirts or as a result of a poor final ball.

When Ibe did supply an accurate cut-back for Callum Wilson, Cherries' top-scorer miskicked, sending his effort into the body of Byron Webster.

The sight of Gosling and Callum Wilson remonstrating with Mousset after the Frenchman drilled wildly over from distance in the game's dying moments – followed almost instantly by Marc Wilson hobbling off, leaving his side to see out the contest with 10-men – summed up perfectly an afternoon of intense frustration for Howe's men.

Cook did recover to prevent Morison from scoring his side's third following Williams' through ball.

But after Callum Wilson was flagged offside when he tapped home the rebound after Archer had saved save from Pugh's low shot, Ferguson brought the house down by streaking onto David Worrall's pass and drilling past Federici.

Cherries were never at the races here, And they paid for that with their involvement in this year's FA Cup.

Millwall (4-4-2) Archer; Cummings, Webster, Hutchinson, Craig; Onyedinma (Worrall, 75), Thompson, Williams, O'Brien (Ferguson, 53); Gregory (Butcher, 84), Morison.

Unused subs: Romeo, Abdou, Smith, King (g/k).

Booked: Thompson.

Cherries (4-4-1-1): Federici; Lee (C Wilson, h-t), M Wilson, Mings, B Smith (S Cook, 74); Ibe, Surman, Hyndman (Gosling, 56), Pugh; Grabban; Mousset.

Unused subs: Simpson, L Cook, O'Connell, Allsop (g/k).

Booked: Surman, C Wilson.

Referee: Andrew Madley (West Yorkshire).

Attendance: 9,471 (1,480 away fans).