CHERRIES turned on the style to dismantle 10-man Middlesbrough and record a 4-0 win that saw them jump four places to 12th in tonight's Premier League table.

Joshua King needed only 96 seconds to score his 10th goal in 11 Premier League outings, with Benik Afobe casually rolling home on 16 minutes to join his strike partner on the scoresheet.

And Cherries, already firmly in the ascendancy, were given a further leg-up when, on 20 minutes, Boro attacker Gaston Ramirez was dismissed for his second bookable offence.

Marc Pugh struck Cherries third on 65 minutes and, five minutes later, Charlie Daniels applied the coup de grace with a blistering low drive.

It was King who applied the sweet finish that gave Cherries their early advantage – but the credit for the hosts' breakthrough should be shared with the supporting cast responsible for the sumptuous football that preceded the Norwegian firing home.

Dan Gosling's attempt to complete a one-two with Daniels went slightly awry, the ball ratting off a defensive body and back into the midfielder's feet.

He promptly drilled a pass into Pugh, hogging the left touchline and swiftly trying his own give-and-go with left-back Daniels. This exchange worked like a dream, freeing Pugh in the box to send in a precise delivery for King.

Eddie Howe declared recently that whenever his gun striker is in front of goal he expects to score. The manager's words proved rather prescient here. King didn't hesitate, sweeping first time past the helpless Brad Guzan.

In that moment, Steve Agnew would have seen a week's work on the training ground, meticulously preparing his newly installed back-three, flash before his eyes.

Far, far worse was to come for the Boro boss.

Indeed, the stupidity of Ramirez forced Agnew to rip up his carefully crafted gameplan with less than a quarter of the game gone.

The Argentine had already been booked for his eccentric fall in the box as he tried to nip in front of Simon Francis, when he needlessly lunged into a tackle on Pugh, deep on Cherries' left.

Referee Graham Scott had no choice but to caution Ramirez for a second time. Antonio Barragan soon followed his team-mate down the tunnel, sacrificed for Adam Forshaw, as Agnew reverted to a back-four.

Furthermore, by the time Ramirez was taking his premature leave, Cherries had doubled their advantage.

In fact, they might have done so before Afobe struck, had George Friend not stretched every sinew to stop the unattended Ryan Fraser latching onto Steve Cook's through ball.

The visitors probably thought they'd wriggled off the hook again when Ben Gibson swiped away Daniels' low cross from the left.

Not so. A succession of passes only succeeded in shuffling the ball as far as Adam Clayton, dallying fatally on the edge of his own box.

Harry Arter, in characteristically combative mode, snapped into his midfield counterpart, the ball careering forward for Afobe.

Like his fellow striker before him, Afobe needed only one touch to complete his mission. He accepted the ball into his stride and nonchalantly stroked his finish beyond onrushing Boro number one Guzan.

Alvaro Negredo instantly tried to hit back at the other end but the Spaniard's Exocet of a strike was directed straight down Artur Boruc's throat.

King was narrowly off target with a left-footed blast after being released by Pugh's delicious backheel, before Boruc produced a wonderful piece of goalkeeping to maintain his side's two-goal advantage.

Marten de Roon tamed a bobbling ball 30 yards from Cherries' goal and unleashed a pot shot that was destined for the top corner, until the Pole flung himself to his left to apply the faintest of touches and turn the ball around his post.

Dutchman De Roon soon became the third member of the visitors' starting 11 to vacate the scene, the midfielder forced to surrender to an ankle injury he had sustained in a collision with King.

Cherries were in no mood to give a sucker an even break.

King's pace embarrassed England squad man Gibson, although the defender recovered to concede a corner, before Guzan saved comfortably from Arter's 20-yard effort.

Arter then slipped into creative mode, lifting a terrific pass in behind Calum Chambers – now operating at right-back – and into the marauding Daniels.

His cut back found King, who attempted to repeat what he had done nearly 45 minutes earlier. This time, though, the forward's first-time strike was miscued into Guzan's gloves.

Cherries, then, went in for their half-time cuppa two to the good – but not before Gosling – a doubt prior to the game and back after a three-match absence – became the latest player to retire early.

Daniel Ayala headed Stewart Downing's corner over the top shortly after the restart, with Fraser then steering a drive wildly off target.

The Scot was wide again after being set up by the prone Afobe – before the two players switched roles. Fraser galloped down the right to send in a cross that begged Afobe to head at goal.

He did just that, only to be denied by Guzan's terrific reaction stop low to his right.

Guzan wasn't quite so extended when he got behind Lewis Cook's rising drive – the midfielder on in Gosling's stead and playing with the confidence of a seasoned Premier League performer, rather than the novice he is.

Boro defender Friend soon found himself walking a disciplinary tightrope. The left-back was rightly booked for a crude 58th-minute challenge on Fraser, and lucky to escape similar punishment for upending the same player two minutes later.

Boro were now camped in their own half. Guzan saved excellently from Fraser's long-range hit but Cherries' third goal was only ever going to be a matter of time in coming.

This is how it happened: King robbed the statuesque Chambers, who had abandoned his full-back spot, leaving Pugh to occupy that space.

Lewis Cook was alert to what was going on and swiftly took over to rattle the ball into the winger.

Pugh did the rest beautifully, bending the ball beyond Guzan and into the far corner.

And three soon became four. Forshaw impeded Adam Smith on the right. Fraser slipped the free-kick short for Daniels and he was allowed the freedom to stride forward and lash a low shot inside Guzan's near post.

Four then nearly became five. Substitute Junior Stanislas picked out the ubiquitous Pugh but his fizzing cross evaded onrushing pair King and Afobe.

Lys Mousset, on for King, smashed a last-minute volley high of goal after Ayala's weak defensive header fell at his feet.

It didn't matter a jot. Cherries, smarting after losing by the same scoreline at Tottenham last week, had responded in the best possible manner.

Cherries (4-4-2): Boruc, A Smith, Francis, S Cook, Daniels, Fraser (Stanislas, 72), Gosling (L Cook, 44), Arter, Pugh, King (Mousset, 84), Afobe.

Unused subs: Gradel, Mings, Cargill, Allsop (g/k).

Middlesbrough (3-4-2-1): Guzan, Chambers, Ayala, Gibson, Barragan (Forshaw, 23), De Roon (Fabio, 38), Clayton, Friend, Ramirez, Downing, Negredo (Gestede, 80).

Unused subs: Espinosa, Stuani, Traore, Konstantopoulos (g/k).

Booked: Ramirez, Friend, Ayala.

Sent off: Ramirez.

Referee: Graham Scott (Oxfordshire).