THE players have kept their side of the bargain – now it’s up to those in and around the boardroom to secure Cherries’ future.

For far too long, a dark shadow has loomed over Dean Court, as off-field problems have continued to undermine the stellar work being done on the pitch by Eddie Howe and his men.

With the memories of that heroic victory over Grimsby still painting a vivid picture in the minds of supporters and the people of Bournemouth, it’s even more vital that a swift and successful conclusion is found to the club’s painful takeover saga.

Everyone connected with the club – not least its long-suffering fans – deserve something to be sorted out sooner rather than later.

It is inevitable that with no football matches to concentrate their minds over the next six weeks, the fans’ attentions will quickly turn to the club’s hierarchy and those seven interested parties forming a queue in the corridors of power.

But it is not just Cherries’ followers who are praying for a quick resolution to the protracted sale of the club.

Leader of the renaissance Howe, and his assistant Jason Tindall, need it to be signed, sealed and delivered if they are to stand a realistic chance of building a stronger team for next season.

“Hopefully we can move on together as a club and achieve success,” said Howe following Saturday’s superb victory at Morecambe.

“Hopefully we’ll find out a few more things in the coming weeks and we can prepare for next season and plan.

“It’s going to be imperative that we know what we’ve got to play with and how we can take the squad forward.”

What the intelligent young manager and his staff need is some stability and support.

They have produced something akin to a miracle in avoiding relegation from League Two, given the perilous position they found themselves in at the turn of the year.

All this, we should remember, came despite winding-up petitions and unpaid wages. Talk about triumph in the face of adversity.

Now what they need is a speedy takeover, with the right people coming in to provide a firm footing from which to maintain and enhance the current squad of players.

If potential purchasers needed any further evidence as to what a bargain buy the club could prove to be, it came in abundance at Morecambe.

Despite Howe’s decision to ring the changes by giving youngsters Joe Partington and Josh McQuoid rare starts and recalling Joel Ward and Jeff Goulding, Cherries produced a quite majestic performance.

Once Ward had opened the scoring on seven minutes, bar a few scares which required Shwan Jalal to deny Shrimps’ lively striker Diarmuid O’Carroll, Cherries played with control and flair.

Liam Feeney smashed home a sumptuous second before a double from top scorer Brett Pitman, the first an absolute peach of a finish, completed a marvellous afternoon’s work for the travelling team at Christie Park.

Now all it needs is for this type of display to be replicated in the boardroom because, with the right backing, Cherries’ current crop look to have all the makings of a top side.

Under the thoughtful leadership of Howe, the men from Dean Court have enjoyed a sparkling 2009, producing form more befitting of promotion hopefuls than relegation strugglers.

Howe would be the first to admit that his squad might need a little bit of strengthening, but if the likes of Ryan Garry and Jeff Goulding are snapped-up on new deals – and if loanees Ward and Rhoys Wiggins can also be retained – the team looks more than a match for the rest of the division.

The only problem is that Howe has little idea what resources he will have at his disposal, while he himself is still yet to be tied down to a long-term contract, which surely must rank as the number one priority.

Co-owner Paul Baker said only last week that seven parties had shown an interest in purchasing Cherries, which is no surprise given the way Howe’s side have finished the season.

So let’s hope that at least one person or group among that number has the necessary funding and/or nous to help the club move forward in a financially stable and successful manner.

Everyone involved with AFC Bournemouth has seen enough false dawns – they don’t deserve any more.

This season finished on such a euphoric wave of joy and optimism.

It would be a crime to let that momentum fade in the weeks to come.