IT won’t be much of a consolation, but Cherries are unlikely to be the only victims of a Vicarage Road Italian Job this season.

“Welcome to the Championship, #AFCB”, the Tweeters crowed. Watford’s yellow army simply chorused “We sign who want. From Udinese, we sign who we want”.

While football doesn’t always follow the formbook, when the fixtures were released to great excitement back in June, this trip was always likely to one of the toughest tests faced by Eddie Howe’s second tier rookies. Watford were Championship play-off finalists last season, after all.

Full of Italian flair thanks largely to owners the Pozzos, it was ironically a 25-year-old from Solihull and a 24-year-old from Long Eaton in Derbyshire who ruthlessly, and without remorse, dismantled Howe’s men during a fearsome 20-minute spell in the second half. Udinese reserves? Perhaps not.

Troy Deeney is best known for his conviction for kicking another man in the head and his stunning goal against Leicester during a dramatic end to last season’s play-off semi-final second leg. Deeney’s hat-trick here simply kicked Howe’s men firmly where it hurts most.

If the second half was a tale of dominance from Gianfranco Zola’s men, the first period hinted not a jot at what was to come. Cherries were superb after initially struggling to settle and allowing Watford to go a goal in front through Gabriele Angella on 13 minutes.

It looked like the hosts might increase that lead, but midway through the half, Howe’s men found some consistency. They kept the ball better than they had for the opening 15 minutes and frustrated Watford. The home crowd became restless.

Then, Lewis Grabban pounced on the half-hour, prodding home Ryan Fraser’s cross having edged in front of his marker. Howe punched the air. He would have been right in allowing himself to consider the possibility of all three points.

But Cherries barely had time to even think about the best way to continue their first-half momentum.

Angella leapt above Steve Cook on 53 minutes to head home Almen Abdi’s free-kick from the left to make it 2-1. Cherries were clearly rocked.

Three minutes later, Fernando Forestieri split Howe’s back four with a through ball to Deeney who, despite Cook’s last-ditch attempt to rescue the situation, fired his shot past Allsop. 3-1.

The barrage of attacks continued and, for the neutral, Zola’s men were a joy to watch.

The impressive Lewis McGugan was next on the scoresheet, the power and speed of Watford’s break up field simply too much for Howe’s men.

McGugan had a clear run through the right channel and, once inside the box, finished with ease past Allsop into the far corner.

With the points safe, Zola’s side kept the ball beautifully, although there were signs Howe’s men could yet find another breakthrough.

They stuck to their passing principles and created opportunities.

Andrew Surman looked almost certain to score the second 10 minutes from time, but his effort, destined for the net, found the leg of a defender and ballooned out for a corner. The game was up.

Eight minutes later, Deeney bagged his second. Ikechi Anya, superb throughout, dinked a ball into the danger area and Elliott Ward failed to adequately clear the danger.

Deeney picked up the loose ball on the edge of the box with his back to goal, ghosted across the front of the penalty area leaving Surman for dead and curled a sublime effort past Allsop. It was stunning.

As the game entered stoppage time, Cook was judged to have brought down Diego Fabbrini just inside the box. Deeney sent Allsop the wrong way with the penalty. Thankfully, referee James Addock blew for full-time moments later.

The pre-match stats showed Howe’s side had not conceded an away goal for more than six hours. Allsop had not been beaten on the road since signing for the club. This was Howe’s heaviest defeat as a manager.

For those numbers to be shattered in such a brutal manner will take some getting over before Wigan arrive on Saturday.

But talk of this being a Championship baptism of fire is folly. Howe has experience of the second tier and won’t have seen many concise demolition jobs like the one Watford produced.

This was potentially a one-off, although clearly indicates some peaks and troughs await Howe’s men. Runs like the epic that set the tone for League One promotion last season following Howe’s return to Dean Court are unlikely. A spell of three or four games without defeat would seem to be a more realistic aim in this toughest of all divisions.

Cherries’ 20 minutes of dominance during the first half should and will be Howe’s focus this week. Just as they grew into this game, they will look to grow into the division. And small successes like bossing Watford on their own patch – albeit briefly – will only hasten that growth.

STAR MAN - RYAN FRASER

The little Scot was a rare shining light on a tough afternoon for Eddie Howe's men. He consistently tried to reach the byline and his cross for Lewis Grabban to level the scores was pinpoint. Elsewhere, Grabban himself worked himself into the ground, while Harry Arter made several direct runs at the Hornets defence. In goal, Ryan Allsop could do nothing about any of Watford's six goals.

MATCH FACTS

Cherries: Allsop 5, Francis 5, Ward 5, Cook 5, Daniels 5.5 (Harte, 55), Fraser 7*, MacDonald 5 (Pitman, 61), Arter 6.5, Surman 5.5, Pugh 5 (O'Kane, 68), Grabban 6.5.

Unused subs: Thomas, Hughes, Stockley, Flahavan (g/k).

Hornets: Almunia, Doyley, Angella, Cassetti, Faraoni (Pudil, 65), Abdi, Iriney, McGugan (Battocchio, 75), Anya, Deeney, Forestieri (Fabbrini, 68). Unused subs: Ekstrand, Acuna, Smith, Bond (g/k).

Booked: Faraoni, Cassetti.

Referee: James Adcock (Long Eaton).

Attendance: 16,295 (including 1,605 away supporters).