RAMPANT Cherries recorded their seventh consecutive Championship victory in style with a 4-1 win at Millwall.

Cherries were a joy to watch during the first half at The Den, going three goals up thanks to strikes from Philip Billing, Arnaut Danjuma and David Brooks.

Jed Wallace pulled one back for the hosts soon after the restart, but Dominic Solanke quashed any hopes of an unlikely fightback.

The win lifts Cherries up to third in the Championship table, eight points behind Watford with three games to play.

Jonathan Woodgate made just one change following Saturday’s impressive victory at promoted Norwich City with full-back Jack Stacey replacing Adam Smith, who dropped to the bench. It was Stacey’s first start in more than a month.

There were a handful of former Cherries among the Millwall squad, with Alex Pearce and Scott Malone starting, while Connor Mahoney was named among their substitutes.

Unsurprisingly given their recent form, Cherries looked a confident side from the off in south east London.

They had the ball in the net with just 10 minutes on the clock after a brilliant move involving Jefferson Lerma, Solanke and Brooks, with the latter slipping the ball through for Danjuma. The Dutchman slotted home, but was denied by an offside flag.

However, Cherries did not have much longer to wait to break the deadlock. A slip at the back from George Evans allowed Solanke in, to pick out the onrushing Billing. The in-form midfielder made no mistake one-on-one, clipping past goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski for his eighth goal of the campaign.

Cherries very nearly added a second. A Danjuma free-kick was met by the head of Steve Cook, but Bialkowski got down brilliantly to save, leaving the defender still seeking his first goal this term.

The visitors looked rampant with Kelly soon releasing Danjuma, who saw a shot deflected over the crossbar, before Solanke was then denied with his near post effort from the resulting corner.

It was all one-way traffic so it came as no surprise to see the advantage doubled midway through the half, although perhaps the nature of the goal did come as a bit of a shock. Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic showed quick thinking to fire a kick over the Millwall defence for Danjuma, who raced through and found the bottom corner, despite Bialkowski getting a touch.

Cherries were dealt a big blow five minutes before the break. Lloyd Kelly went down after an innocuous looking incident and was forced off with the injury, replaced by Diego Rico.

However, there was still time for the visitors to add a third goal. Solanke played a big role, sending Brooks away down the right. The Welshman drifted infield and picked his moment before slotting past Bialkowski to seemingly all-but end the game as a contest.

Gary Rowett made a switch in both personnel and formation at half-time with one former Cherry replacing another as Mahoney came on for Pearce, with the Lions moving to a back four.

And it instantly paid dividends as Millwall pulled a goal back, as Wallace pounced in the box to lash home.

But it should have been 4-1 a matter of moments later. Rico fired a wicked low ball across goal for Solanke, who inexplicably turned over the crossbar from just two yards out.

However, the striker did get in on the act midway through the half. It was more brilliant play around the box from Cherries, culminating in Billing turning the ball through for Solanke to tuck into the bottom corner.

That proved to be his final touch of the contest, replaced by Sam Surridge, with Junior Stanislas also introduced in place of Danjuma.

Millwall looked for an instant reply with a corner causing problems, but Cherries managed to twice hack the ball off the line.

But it was Cherries who ended the contest strongly. Brooks came agonisingly close to his second goal of the evening, driving forwards before seeing his shot come back off the post. Substitute Stanislas then also dragged an effort wide, as Cherries settled for four.

Cherries: Begovic; Stacey, Carter-Vickers, Cook, Kelly (Rico, 40); Pearson (Wilshere, 85), Lerma; Brooks (Smith, 85), Billing, Danjuma (Stanislas, 68); Solanke (Surridge, 69).

Subs: Mepham, Riquelme, Anthony, Travers (g/k).

Booked: Billing.

Millwall: Bialkowski; Evans, Pearce (Mahoney, h-t), Cooper; McNamara, Kieftenbeld, Woods (Williams, 78), Mitchell, Malone; Wallace (Burey, 78), Zohore (Bradshaw, 78).

Subs: Romeo, Muller, Bennett, Bodvarsson, Fielding (g/k).

Booked: Malone, Cooper, McNamara.

Referee: Keith Stroud.