MATT Ritchie netted twice as Cherries came from behind to further enhance their promotion claims with a deserved victory over Notts County today.

Ritchie struck with a fierce left-foot drive after 17 minutes to cancel out Jeff Hughes’s headed opener for the Magpies.

And after Brett Pitman had scored for the sixth game in succession to make it 2-1 midway through the first half, Ritchie put the finishing touches to a sixth win on the trot five minutes from time.

Victory saw Cherries open a five-point gap in second place with promotion rivals Brentford and Sheffield United both held to draws.

Cherries made a disastrous start when some ponderous defending allowed County to take the lead after just 96 seconds.

Howe’s men were caught cold when Jeff Hughes rose to meet a cross from Joss Labadie, his header finding the back of the net despite the best efforts of Ryan Allsop.

As Cherries went in search of a quick response, a Simon Francis effort was scooped up by County goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski before Brett Pitman fired a left-foot shot just past the post.

Bialkowski also had to be on his toes to tip Ritchie’s stinging volley over the crossbar, although the Pole was powerless to prevent the former Swindon man levelling on 17 minutes.

Ritchie’s arrow-like finish from just inside the 18-yard box came after Charlie Daniels’s cross from the left had found him in space, with Marc Pugh instrumental during the build-up.

Pitman fired Cherries ahead with a rasping drive after 26 minutes, the striker netting for the sixth game in succession following an assist from Tubbs.

Although County were convinced Tubbs had handled in the lead up to the goal, referee David Phillips was having none of it and Pitman’s 16th goal of the season stood.

Pitman went close to adding his second and Cherries’ third when his 20-yard effort rolled past the upright following another surging run from Francis.

The Magpies were reduced to 10 men on the stroke of half-time when Andre Boucaud, booked earlier for a foul, received a second yellow card for persistent misconduct.

Alan Sheehan struck a free-kick straight at the defensive wall before Allsop pulled off a top-drawer save to parry a second free-kick from Labadie.

A patient build up ended with Bialkowski pushing wide Arter’s snapshot before Cherries’ appeals for a penalty fell on deaf ears after Tubbs had gone to ground under a Jamal Campbell-Ryce challenge.

Cherries were finally rewarded for their attacking exploits when Ritchie made it 3-1 with five minutes remaining. The winger finished low into the bottom corner after Lewis Grabban had teed him up.

Cherries: Allsop, Francis, Cook, Elphick, Daniels, Ritchie, O’Kane (MacDonald, 76), Arter, Pugh (Fogden, 87), Tubbs (Grabban, 70), Pitman. Unused subs: McQuoid, Seaborne, R Hughes, Jalal (g/k).

Booked: Francis.

Magpies: Bialkowski, Kelly (Arquin, 85), Leacock, Liddle, Sheehan, Campbell-Ryce, Boucaud, Labadie (Tempest, 67), Bishop, J Hughes, Showunmi (Waite, 74).

Unused subs: Smith, Zoko, Thompson, Spiess (g/k).

Booked: Labadie, Boucaud, Liddle.

Sent-off: Boucaud.

Attendance: 7,551 (including 293 visiting supporters).

Referee: David Phillips (West Sussex).