AT LAST there was no hard-luck story. Late drama has plagued Cherries' recent attempts to equal a new club record of four consecutive away league victories, set in 1948 (April 3).

But after goals from Steve Purches and Wade Elliott had put them in the ascendancy at Wrexham, they did not suffer an 11th-hour panic attack.

Not for the first time this season, Cherries set out on their travels bidding to turn three successive awaydays into four. Remember Hartlepool in November?

Having established a 2-1 half-time lead, Cherries conceded not one, but two late goals during an eventful conclusion to their 3-2 defeat.

Does the unlucky 13th of January 2001 ring any bells? The opposition - Wrexham. The venue - the Racecourse Ground.

Cherries travelled to North Wales and raced into a two-goal lead through Jermain Defoe and James Hayter.

But after Kevin Russell had reduced the arrears, Mark McGregor headed home an equaliser with seconds remaining.

Surely the fifth of May 2001 is etched in the memory of every Cherries supporter?

This startling characteristic of late denials reared its ugly head with dramatic consequences when Cherries headed to Reading looking for a win to secure a Division Two play-off berth.

Leading 3-1 at the interval, big Darren Caskey scored to make it 3-2 before nasty Nicky Forster put a dagger through the heart of every Cherries fan when he levelled two minutes from time.

Fitting then that Elliott and Purches, two veterans of the Madejski Stadium heartbreak, were on hand to finally right the wrongs on Saturday.

Purches, whose injury-time effort at Reading four years ago had elicited the most amazing of goalline clearances, put a season of injury misery behind him and opened the scoring with a coolly taken goal in the 58th minute.

And Elliott, whose memorable first-half brace in Berks had looked destined to take Cherries to the play-offs, delightfully clipped home the winner to seal the points nine minutes later. Victory, the club's 100th under Sean O'Driscoll, saw Cherries maintain their promotion push and was secured despite Chris Armstrong's 69th-minute reply.

Elliott said: "It's pleasing to be getting some good results on the road and if we can equal club records along the way then that's great as well.

"We've come close to winning four away games on the trot a few times while I've been here and I remember it happening when we just missed out on reaching the play-offs at Reading so hopefully it's a good omen that we've cracked it this season."

Pragmatist O'Driscoll has never been one for statistics or records so perhaps his answer to a question put by Radio Solent's Kris Temple was painstakingly predictable.

"Does it make you feel proud to be managing a team that has equalled a club record?" asked the region's favourite commentator.

"You know me, Kris, not really!" came the reply.

O'Driscoll's charges were forced to weather an early storm as Juan Ugarte's speculative seventh-minute snapshot flew past the post before Neil Moss kept out Chris Llewellyn's bullet header.

But as Cherries began to find their rhythm, the clearest chance of the first half was presented to Purches who was denied when Wrexham goalkeeper Ben Foster smothered at his feet.

"The 'keeper was really sharp off his line," said Purches. "And looking back, maybe I should have tried to dink it over him. But that's the way it goes and I got my chance to put it right."

Ugarte headed another teasing Carlos Edwards cross over the top, with Wrexham claiming - to no avail - that the Spaniard had been shoved in the back.

The Red Dragons had a more plausible penalty appeal turned down when Llewellyn went down under a challenge from Matthew Mills, but again, referee Ray Olivier was having none of it.

"They were both good penalty shouts," lamented Wrexham boss Denis Smith.

The hosts sought the conventional route to goal when Ugarte again let fly from distance, his viciously swerving effort palmed over the crossbar by an ever-alert Moss.

And the lively Basque striker again went close to breaking the deadlock when he poked the ball over the top after being picked out by Mark Jones.

Cherries momentarily relieved the pressure on their goal when Garreth O'Connor's thumping 25-yard drive was safely held by Foster.

The two sides then traded chances, with both goalkeepers being forced to parry stinging shots from Brian Stock and Edwards respectively.

As a Wrexham-dominated opening period drew to a close, Foster raced off his line to beat O'Connor to Hayter's pass over the top.

O'Driscoll admitted that his side had not been "at the races" in the first half, although six minutes into the second, Elliott's low cross trickled past the post after Hayter had been unable to apply a killer touch.

Moss clutched Edwards's deflected shot, the sting taken out by Eddie Howe's brave block, before Cherries mounted an attack that reaped goalscoring dividends.

Purches finished adroitly after being teed up by O'Connor's beautifully weighted pass, the utility man finding the target with a crisp right-foot shot.

Moss then dived full length to his right to turn Matt Crowell's rasping effort around the post before Wrexham contributed to their own downfall by conceding a sloppy second goal.

Edwards's wayward pass was intercepted by O'Connor who promptly found Elliott, the winger delicately lifting the ball over the advancing Foster from just inside the 18-yard box.

Armstrong gave Wrexham hope and set the alarm bells ringing when he outjumped the Cherries defence at the far post to guide an Edwards centre into the top corner.

Fletcher then skied a half volley into the stand before the visitors had a penalty claim waved away after Shaun Pejic had upended Hayter.

Wrexham substitute Dean Bennett went close to bagging an equaliser when his low fizzer was deflected past the post before Foster saved superbly from Spicer's fierce effort.

Mills made a crucial challenge to prevent Ugarte levelling 12 minutes from time, the loan star standing firm as the striker looked nailed-on to convert from close range.

In the dying seconds, Armstrong's weak effort through a crowd of players never looked likely to trouble Moss - although Cherries fans of a nervous disposition could have been excused for holding their breath and looking at their watches.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING: Chris Gould