Nosedive in form signals a turbulent time ahead

On the evidence of this inept performance, Kevin Bond's side could be in for a very bumpy ride over the final nine games of the run-in.

And unless they can quickly turn the tide, they could be left facing a mission impossible as opposed to celebrating a mission accomplished.

In their past two games, Cherries have taken an alarming turn for the worse in suffering demoralising defeats at the hands of Blackpool and Northampton.

They have reverted to the bad old days and relegation form has replaced the impressive sequence of results which was more in keeping with play-off contenders.

An uncanny run since the turn of the year has seen them win two and then lose two. It is a case of two steps forward and then two giant strides back.

Following the euphoria of victory over big-spending Doncaster little more than a week ago, relegation seemed nothing more than a remote possibility.

But now, and after two dismal away-day reverses, it is again a serious threat.

Against a Northampton side of modest talents, Cherries were quite simply outmanoeuvred and outmuscled. They were both beaten and beaten up.

Apart from a purple patch at the start of the second half, Bond's beleaguered troops were second best for long periods. They lacked both creativity and confidence.

The half-time introduction of targetman Steve Fletcher and debutant loan signing Josh Walker appeared to have given Cherries the kiss of life.

But the visitors then proceeded to commit hara-kiri, with some uncharacteristically poor defending wholly responsible for their dispiriting downfall.

The Cobblers were well worth their interval lead, Cherries' defensive wall crumbling for the first time after 17 minutes when Jordan Robertson scored.

But a half-time reshuffle saw the tables turned as Cherries dominated immediately after the break, with Marc Wilson's 55th-minute effort restoring parity.

However, Kenny Deuchar hammered the first nail in their coffin with a 76th-minute header before Andy Kirk administered the last rites eight minutes later.

With Robertson and Deuchar offering mobility and muscle up front, Cherries failed dismally to compete, with too many players sharing the same off day.

It could have been a very different story had Danny Hollands drawn first blood for Cherries with a difficult chance after just eight minutes.

But after James Hayter had nodded Warren Cummings's hanging cross into his path, the midfielder blasted his effort over the crossbar from around 10 yards.

Hollands again tried his luck after Brad Johnson's 10th-minute strike had been ruled out for offside, his lofted effort from 25 yards sailing narrowly over the top.

But that was about as good as it got for the army of travelling fans during the first half, with Robertson silencing them in the 17th minute.

Having taken delivery of a Sam Aiston cross at the near post, Robertson shrugged off Wilson and finished neatly into the top corner with a delicate volley.

Deuchar's looping header drifted past the post before Aiston ballooned an opportunity high over the crossbar as Town continue to probe.

In response, David McGoldrick adopted a shoot-on-sight policy from around 45 yards, his speculative efforts never troubling Town goalkeeper Mark Bunn.

Cherries' clearest chance of the first half came in stoppage time when Hayter fired into the side netting after being teed up by Steve Purches.

Shaun Cooper and Purches both made way at the interval and Cherries were enlivened by the arrival of Fletcher and Walker.

"We changed it slightly in the second half because we needed to get back into the game," said Bond. "We needed to be a little bit more adventurous."

Fletcher's aerial presence created an opening for Hayter, but his header was pushed on to the post by Bunn seven minutes after the restart.

And although Town managed to scramble away McGoldrick's near post drive just seconds later, they were eventually undone from the resultant corner.

Cummings's delivery found Hayter on the far post and although his effort was blocked on the line by Jason Crowe, Wilson was on hand to control and then ram the loose ball into the roof of the net from six yards.

And with Cherries in the ascendancy, another Hayter drive struck defender Mark Hughes and rolled wide following good work down the right by Wilson and Walker.

Discussing Walker's contribution, Bond said: "He did very well and made a difference to us. He tried to make us play, which is something we've been missing recently.

"Our better players on the ball have not been available and, with the greatest respect to the players we had out there, we were a little bit ordinary on the ball, too ordinary for my liking. I thought he made us better and helped us get back on level terms."

Moss clawed a Deuchar header from behind him as Town hit back but the Cherries goalkeeper was left hopelessly exposed as the hosts regained the lead 14 minutes from time.

Although Scotsman Deuchar may be Town's answer to Duncan Ferguson, Sarah Ferguson could have netted this one after the Cherries defence had given the Gretna loan man a free header to convert Andy Holt's cross from eight yards.

And after Hayter had been denied by Chris Doig's block, Kirk completed the scoring when he turned the ball past Moss at the near post after Ian Taylor had flicked on Johnson's cross.