Kevin Schade scored a hat-trick as Brentford thrashed a lacklustre Bournemouth side who were unable to arrest their dismal recent run of form in the Premier League.

The victory lifted the Bees up to eighth in the English top flight, while the Cherries are 15th as their winless run extended to nine matches - a sequence stretching over two months.

Schade's seventh-minute opener set the tone for the hosts.

The Germany forward outmuscled visiting defender Bafode Diakite before angling a low effort past onrushing Bournemouth goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.

Keith Andrews' side spurned several opportunities to extend their lead before adding a farcical second. Striker Igor Thiago's shot was partially blocked by Marcos Senesi and Petrovic, before Diakite's attempted clearance cannoned off his own goalkeeper and into the net.

Bournemouth, who offered little in attack aside from a first-minute effort from Antoine Semenyo, improved after the introduction of Evanilson, David Brooks and Justin Kluivert at the interval.

However, Schade registered his fifth goal of the campaign when he turned home Yehor Yarmoliuk's cross at the end of an incisive counter attack.

And while Semenyo's back-heeled finish delivered a late consolation, it proved too little too late against opponents who still had time to add another courtesy of Schade's close-range header.

Brentford have now defeated the Cherries in the past five occasions in all competitions.

Moments before Schade's opening goal, Thiago twice overpowered visiting defenders to provide an early indicator of a profitable afternoon for Brentford's attack.

And the Bees, who had not struck four goals in a Premier League game since 4 May against Manchester United, duly took advantage of a lifeless first-half performance from Bournemouth to lay the platform for a handsome win.

In truth, Andrews' team could and should have been out of sight before the break.

Kristoffer Ajer and Schade both went close to providing a more emphatic advantage at the interval.

Yarmoliuk, Keane Lewis-Potter and Mathias Jensen exploited every opportunity to run off their opponents, with Schade the main beneficiary.

And Brentford's final goal - with intelligent movement between substitutes Jordan Henderson and Mikkel Damsgaard - was just a continuation of a theme that worked so well for them all afternoon.

Prior to kick-off, only struggling Burnley (24) had conceded more Premier League goals on their travels this term than the Cherries (then 23).

But this performance only served to underline why Andoni Iraola's side are so porous on the road and have been dragged towards a battle at the wrong end of the table, having been a lofty second in October.

Central defenders Senesi and Diakite endured a torrid opening 45 minutes in which they appeared panicked not only by the pace but physicality of both Schade and Thiago.

That was also not helped by Alex Scott appearing ill at ease with the defensive aspects of a role that did not suit his attacking instincts.

Yet until the Spaniard rolled the dice with a triple change at half-time, there was little that anyone could offer in his team's defence.

Had Kluivert's effort found the net instead of the woodwork, it may have provided them with a route back into the contest sooner.

While Iraola could at least take pride from the fact that 18 of their 20 efforts on goal arrived during a transformed second 45 minutes, their defensive frailties meant that the scoreline could easily have also been even more damaging.

Brentford are next in action on 1 January when they host Tottenham in the Premier League at 20:00 GMT. Bournemouth travel to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 30 December (19:30 GMT).