Cherries stars Danny Hollands and Ryan Garry joined boss Eddie Howe in issuing unreserved apologies to the club’s travelling fans following Saturday’s shock Morecambe mauling.

The League Two promotion-chasers were thoroughly outplayed en route to a 5-0 hammering at the hands of the in-form Shrimps at Christie Park.

Exceptional first-half goals from Stewart Drummond, Craig Stanley and Laurence Wilson put the hosts in the driving seat before further strikes from Phil Jevons, with a penalty, and Mark Duffy rounded off a forgettable afternoon for Cherries.

To complete Cherries’ misery, midfielder Marvin Bartley saw red for a lunge on Drummond just before the break.

Captain Hollands, defender Garry and manager Howe all admitted that Cherries had fallen way short of their usual standards. And the trio were quick to say sorry to the loyal legion of supporters who made the lengthy 600-mile round trip to the north – less than two weeks before Christmas – for little reward.

“We’d like to apologise to the fans because we know we were massively below par,” Cherries skipper Hollands told the Echo.

“I think every one of us agrees we weren’t good enough and we will admit that.”

Despite revealing his team’s huge disappointment at the result, Hollands quickly turned his attention to ensuring a positive response to the setback.

Speaking shortly after the clash, the 24-year-old added: “Now it’s a test of our character and we’ve got to make sure we get back to winning ways, get ourselves together and come back stronger and better on the 21st.

“All of us feel very down now. We’ve got to make a long journey back which is going to be not very nice – there will be a lot of silence because we don’t like losing, the same as the fans don’t like travelling up here and seeing that.

“However they are feeling, we’re feeling 10 times worse. The only way we’re going to put that right is by making sure we have a good week’s training and go again when we play Notts County at home.”

Central defender Garry was particularly frank in his appraisal, pulling no punches as he described the performance as “not acceptable”.

“People talk about this team having character and this is when we’ve got to show it,” he said.

“The game is done now, we lost and we’ve got to accept that, which we will.

“We’re ever so sorry to the fans because it was not acceptable.

“They made a long journey to support us and we didn’t even got off the bus.”

Howe, who said loan goalkeeper Marek Stech was the only Cherries player to emerge with credit, added: “We’re sorry that all the fans’ effort and commitment has gone to waste.

“We’re sorry for that and hopefully we can put it right in the coming games.”