Last week they went to Exeter and spoiled the Grecians' promotion party with a superb display in a 2-2 draw.

This time around they somehow managed to spoil their own party with a woeful show and ended their best-ever Football League season in the worst possible manner.

What was supposed to be a day of celebration ended in frustration with Sammy McIlroy so furious with this side's display that he didn't speak to the press after the game.

It started badly, when Joel Ward scored his first-ever goal with a simple close-range header from Danny Holland's corner after seven minutes, and it didn't really get much better.

The only bright spark seemed to be when Mark Duffy and Diarmuid O'Carroll – in what was his final game for the Shrimps – were able to run at the Cherries' defence but it was the visitor's clinical finishing which proved the difference.

As McIlroy looks at his options for the next season he will have noted that, not for the first time this season, his side played some neat football until the final third.
From there, however, things seemed to break down when a quality final ball or strike on goal was needed.

Unfortunately for the Shrimps, when they did break through, their former loan keeper Shwan Jalal, who had a bit of a nightmare at Christie Park, was on top form making two great saves from O'Carroll and a late block from Wayne Curtis, who also went close with a first-half chip.

Bournemouth had no such problems and they played with a freedom that came with finally securing their League 2 safety recently after their big points deduction hit their season.

In Brett Pitman they had a striker that McIlroy will be looking to match next season as he took his tally to 18 for the campaign with two poacher's goals.

After pacey winger Liam Feeney had made it 2-0 on 35 minutes by firing the ball across Barry Roche into the far corner, Pitman opened his account with a superb turn in the box before curling a delightful effort into the corner to give the Cherries a 3-0 lead at the break.

It should really have been 4-0 but Josh Goulding missed a sitter after Roche had saved superbly from Pitman.

There was no way back for the Shrimps who were left chasing the ball for much of the second period.

Josh McQuoid volleyed just over and Goulding curled an effort inches wide.

The always-dangerous Pitman brought the best out of Roche again with a shot from the edge of the area before the striker added to the Shrimps' woes with a fourth goal 20 minutes from time when he ghosted in behind Danny Adams to convert Rhoys Wiggins's cross.

It was a sad end to the season for the Shrimps and left skipper Jim Bentley in apologetic mood afterwards.

He said: "We wanted to finish the season in style for the fans. They turned out in good numbers to celebrate an excellent season with us but we let them down.

"We were flat for much of the game and it was a really disappointing end to a good season overall.

"It was a performance that simply wasn't good enough and it is such a shame to end the season in that way when we were all hoping for so much more."