DAVID Brooks produced a sensational display to fire Cherries back to winning ways with a resounding success over Birmingham City.
Wales international Brooks, who arrived at St Andrew’s having not scored this season, struck in each half with Arnaut Danjuma also on target for the visitors.
Scott Hogan pulled one back for the Blues, but Cherries ran out comfortable 3-1 winners to go into the international break on a high.
It means Cherries are still yet to lose at St Andrew’s, with this their 12th visit, a run which has included an 8-0 triumph over Birmingham back in 2014 and 3-1 win over Coventry just last month.
Jason Tindall made four changes from the side which lost at Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday evening, Cherries' first Championship defeat of the season.
One was enforced with Steve Cook serving a one-match suspension having been sent off in that defeat at Hillsborough. That saw Tindall switch to a back four with Lewis Cook, Junior Stanislas, Jack Stacey and Dominic Solanke all coming in. Dan Gosling, Adam Smith and Joshua King dropped to the bench.
Philip Billing and Cameron Carter-Vickers again missed out on the matchday squad, while Asmir Begovic took the captain’s armband.
Birmingham also rang the changes with four in all following their midweek defeat to Wycombe.
Cherries have been slow out the blocks in recent weeks, but looked much brighter early on at a ground which has provided so many happy memories in the past.
Birmingham’s Riley McGree had the first effort of the contest, but Cherries quickly responded with Danjuma’s low cross brilliantly cut out in the six-yard box by Mikel San Jose.
The reprieve did not last long as the lively Danjuma found a way through in the ninth minute. After an excellent passing move involving Brooks, Stacey, Solanke and Jefferson Lerma, Stanislas collected possession. He slipped an expertly weighted ball through for Danjuma and the Dutchman made no mistake, slotting into the far corner for his fourth goal of the campaign.
Brooks was continuing to cause havoc down the right, helping the ball on to Solanke, who found half a yard of space on the edge of the box but fired straight at goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.
The right flank again proved to be the most dangerous outlet for Cherries with Lerma breaking into the box and crossing low for Solanke, but Etheridge did enough at the near post.
The visitors were dealt a blow 10 minutes before the break, with Lewis Cook forced off with what appeared to be an ankle injury after a collision with Gary Gardner. Gosling came on to replace him.
And Cherries quickly got back into their stride, doubling their tally before half-time. The brilliant Brooks took the credit, aiming low from around 25 yards, but it required a huge slice of luck with the shot deflecting in off Roberts, leaving a scrambling Etheridge wrong-footed.
It marked just a third time this season Cherries had netted more than one goal in a game, the other two being the opening-day win over Blackburn and the victory over Coventry in the club’s last trip to St Andrew’s.
Cherries did not relent after the restart, adding a third goal within five minutes of kick-off.
With players still up from a corner, Chris Mepham threaded a ball through for Solanke, whose low shot came back off the inside of the post. But Brooks was on hand to slam the rebound high into the net, with his effort nestling in off the underside of the crossbar.
However, the three-goal cushion did not last long. Jeremie Bela, who had only just come on as a substitute, delivered a free-kick into the box for striker Hogan, who glanced his header inside the far post, to notch his first goal in 16 outings.
Cherries did well to regain their composure, and saw a strong penalty shout turned down when Roberts appeared to block a Stanislas block with his arm.
Substitute Gosling then went close, breaking into the box only to be denied by a brilliant Roberts challenge.
Lerma then had a go, but Etheridge flew through the air to tip his strike over the crossbar.
In reply Lukas Jutkiewicz flashed a long-range effort wide, but it did not challenge Begovic as Cherries saw out the win to move onto 20 points from their 11 matches.
Cherries: Begovic; Stacey, Mepham, Kelly, Rico; Lerma, L Cook (Gosling, 38), Stanislas; Brooks, Danjuma, Solanke.
Unused subs: Smith, Simpson, Riquelme, King, Surridge, Travers (g/k).
Booked: Stanislas.
Birmingham: Etheridge, Colin, Dean, Roberts, San Jose, Boyd-Munce, Kieftenbeld, Gardner, McGree (Bela, 53), Jutkiewicz, Hogan (Leko, 66).
Unused subs: Dacres-Cogley, Toral, Davis, Sanchez, Prieto (g/k).
Booked: San Jose, Jutkiewicz.
Referee: Jarred Gillett.
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