RETURNING Cherries fans were treated to the club’s biggest win of the season as Dominic Solanke, David Brooks, Junior Stanislas and Sam Surridge all netted to sweep aside Huddersfield Town.

Around 1,200 supporters were back in at Vitality Stadium, the first time they had been permitted in 287 days since a Premier League draw with Chelsea on February 29.

But with some coronavirus restrictions now lifted, the lucky few allowed in were treated to a 5-0 rout.

The first three goals came inside the opening 21 minutes through Solanke’s clinical brace and a strike from the recently crowned Championship player of the month Brooks.

And two quick-fire goals in the second half, from Stanislas and Surridge, sealed the resounding triumph.

Jason Tindall made two changes from the midweek draw with Swansea. Both were enforced as Chris Mepham missed out due to a knock and Diego Rico was serving a one-match ban after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season at Liberty Stadum. They were replaced by Jack Simpson, making his first league start since Boxing Day last year, and Jefferson Lerma as Cherries altered formation.

Meanwhile Carlos Corberan made six changes from their midweek win over Sheffield Wednesday with Alex Pritchard and Danny Ward among those to come in.

And the returning fans did not have long to wait to celebrate inside the stadium again. In just the eighth minute Lerma won the ball on the halfway and laid it off to Brooks, who threaded through for Solanke. The striker made no mistake, dinking past goalkeeper Ben Hamer left-footed to a huge roar from the fans.

Huddersfield responded well with Simpson blocking a low Aaron Rowe effort before Asmir Begovic brilliantly dived to tip away a deflected Juninho Bacuna effort.

A minute later, the ball was in Huddersfield’s net. A sloppy pass from Naby Sarr was cut out by Lerma, who picked out Solanke to slam in his eighth goal of the season.

Begovic again had to be alert at the other end to thwart Ward’s low strike before Lewis O’Brien arrowed one wide.

But the dream start continued for the hosts as they raced into a 3-0 lead inside 21 minutes. Lerma was again involved, crossing for Solanke to tee up Brooks just outside the box and the Welshman slammed into the top corner.

O’Brien, Pritchard and Rowe all went close to pulling one back but Cherries ended the half strongly with Brooks curling wide before Stanislas’s free-kick was parried away by Hamer.

That proved to be the final action for Hamer, who was replaced at the break by Ryan Schofield.

Huddersfield started the brighter of the sides after the restart with Jaden Brown’s shot stopped low by Begovic.

The visitors continued to threaten with captain Harry Toffolo breaking into the box, but Lloyd Kelly was alert to make the block.

At the other end Solanke sought his hat-trick goal, flashing a left-footed effort wide of the post, before Tindall turned to his bench for the first time just past the hour mark.

Surridge and Dan Gosling were introduced in place of Brooks and former Huddersfield man Philip Billing.

A few minutes later, it was 4-0. Stanislas picked the ball up near the dugout and drove at goal, beating three men including Toffolo in the box before poking it past Schofield.

Within the blink of an eye there was a fifth. Solanke was at the heart of the move, picking out Gosling on the left, who found fellow substitute Surridge to finish first time.

Cherries were rampant and almost added a sixth through Stanislas, only for a last-ditch Rarmani Edmonds-Green slide to deny him.

Substitute Rodrigo Riquelme then looked to get in on the act, receiving the ball from Adam Smith in the box, but his powerful effort was stopped by Schofield.

The goalkeeper had to be alert again to stop Gosling’s 20-yard strike.

Tindall then opted to give the opportunity to two youngsters in the final five minutes. Burchall, born in November 2004, came on for his senior debut while Jordan Zemura was introduced for his first game in the Championship as Cherries saw out the win.

Cherries: Begovic; Smith (Zemura, 87), S Cook, Simpson, Kelly; Lerma, L Cook, Billing (Gosling, 64); Brooks (Surridge, 64), Stanislas (Burchall, 87), Solanke (Riquelme, 71).

Unused subs: Ofoborh, Kilkenny, Anthony, Travers (g/k).

Booked: Brooks.

Huddersfield: Hamer (Schofield, h-t); Rowe, Edmonds-Green, Sarr, Brown (Diarra, 53); Bacuna, O’Brien (Vallejo, 72), Toffolo (Crichlow, 72); Diakhaby, Pritchard, Ward (Mbenza, 56).

Unused subs: Pipa, Eiting, Daly, Campbell.

Booked: Toffolo.

Referee: Oliver Langford.