Much-changed Cherries pick off Hartlepool
Bournemouth exhibited their Barclays Premier League class with a comprehensive 4-0 hammering of Sky Bet League Two Hartlepool in the Capital One Cup second round.
Two-and-a-half years after their last trip to Victoria Park for a League One clash, the Cherries headed into this fixture on the back of the first top-flight win in their history.
And a much-changed XI quickly picked up the baton following Saturday's 4-3 success at West Ham, with Christian Atsu hitting the crossbar inside three minutes.
That preceded a dominant opening half as Eddie Howe's side entered the break 3-0 ahead thanks to strikes from Yann Kermorgant, Dan Gosling and Junior Stanislas.
That latter effort proved the first of two goals for Stanislas, the winger drawing applause from the home fans when he stroked home a second in the 64th minute.
Rakish Bingham went close three times as Pools chased a consolation in vain, with Bournemouth's fine night's work capped by a clean sheet.
Howe shuffled his pack from the momentous weekend triumph, with hat-trick hero Callum Wilson out of the squad amid 10 alterations to the starting line-up.
Pools reached this stage via a cup upset when overcoming League One Fleetwood, but were given a powerful warning of Bournemouth's extra quality inside three minutes.
Atsu, on loan from Chelsea, cut inside from the right wing and unleashed a fierce strike that rattled the underside of the crossbar.
Veteran centre-back Sylvain Distin and B#8million club-record signing Tyrone Mings were handed Cherries debuts, yet the pair looked shaky when a mix-up almost let Bingham in.
Any hopes Ronnie Moore's men harboured of that impacting the visitors were quickly extinguished as Bournemouth settled into a dangerous rhythm.
Their patience brought reward, too, when Stanislas jinked his way past Jake Carroll and slid across for Kermorgant to hammer home.
A second came just four minutes later as Gosling, afforded far too much space on the edge of the box, drove a powerful effort beyond Bartlett.
Stanislas was next to threaten when stinging the gloves of the goalkeeper from 20 yards, although Bartlett could do little to stop his next effort.
The 25-year-old unleashed a stunning 25-yard free-kick on the stroke of half-time that the shot-stopper palmed into the top corner.
There was little sign of a Hartlepool recovery in the second period, with Bartlett's busy night continuing when he denied Lee Tomlin and Stanislas from close range.
The superb Stanislas would not be denied in the 64th minute, however, rounding Bartlett and slotting into an empty net.
There were finally moments to excite the home fans thereafter, substitute Brad Walker seeing a fine free-kick tipped over by Adam Federici before Bingham hammered wide from 12 yards.
Hartlepool finished the game strongly but, despite Bingham and Smith almost finding the net, they could not break through.
Source: PA
