27 April 2015
AFCB 3 v 0 Bolton Wanderers
Attendance: 10,070
THE REDS ARE GOING UP! WE ARE PREMIER LEAGUE!
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| Joyous scenes at Dean Court as AFCB reach the Premier League! |
Eddie just had the one enforced change with Adam Smith replacing the suspended Simon Francis at right back. While the trophies and season's awards were being handed out to Callum Wilson and Harry Arter before the game we waited to see who would be the star of the night on the field.
More pictures are now up on Match Day Gallery.
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| The crowd's ready. |
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| The teams are ready. |
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| Final team photo. |
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| The captain's in the middle. Emile Heskey and Tommy Elphick. |
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| A tribute to the lives lost in the Bradford fire tragedy. |
As early as the second minute Callum Wilson was played in by a long ball from Charlie Daniels up the left and Wilson muscled his way past Tim Ream who he left on the floor and Bogden had to make an early save with his legs! Yann Kermorgant as usual got an early injury as the ball flew up into his face I think from Barry Bannan but it was accidental, although the Frenchman was probably seeing stars for a few seconds. The game was very open and AFCB were really going for the early goal, while Bolton too were looking to use Emile Heskey's height to win the ball in dangerous areas. Dorian Dervite had Bolton's first headed chance that he put wide but he was offside on 11 minutes.
AFCB almost scored when Matt Ritchie then had his shot saved off the line by a defender as the crowd and AFCB ramped up the volume. the tide almost turned though in the 14th minute when Dervite headed on to Adam Le Fondre but he misjudged his headed flick which didn't have the power or direction to beat Artur Boruc at close range. The Cherries picked up the pace again and Yann Kermorgant went close with a header after 22 minutes and then again with a lofted chip five minutes later.
Matt Ritchie was also more in the game now and when he had the ball pulled back to him there was a great save on the line bu one of Bolton's defenders from what looked like a certain goal. A fabulous save was then made by Adam Bodgen from a Yann Kermorgant blast with one hand turning it over the bar!
The tension was growing but Bolton could not hold out forever. it was attack after attack and the red and black shirts got their reward when Matt Ritchie put in a deep cross that Marc Pugh brought down before pivoting and then turning the ball from one foot to the other before powering his shot into the far, top left corner with Bogden only able to get a touch as it rifled into the net with the help of the post. It was 1-0 to the Cherries and the AFCB fans went totally bonkers!
More was to come though as Callum Wilson stretched the white shirted defence again on the left and had acres of room in which to find Kermorgant on the other side of the box and his sharp layoff to Ritchie was so inviting that Matt just bent his head down and steered the ball past Bogden and into the bottom left corner to make it 2-0 before half time. Yes, the Cherries were going up and they were doing it in style.
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| The players come off to the tune of Match of the Day. |
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| Harry Redknapp in the Sky Sport's TV platform with the Championship Trophy. |
Second Half
The second half started pretty much as the first had ended with AFCB doing most of the entertaining. When Bolton did have a chance that fell to Barry Bannan he could only shoot wide.
The Cherries first good chance of the second half would fall to Steve Cook. The centre back had run into the box and had tried to get on to a low sweeping cross from Callum Wilson but he went for it with his right foot when his left might have done better to go with his stronger left foot as he slid in.
Liam Feeney had worked hard all night but was subbed by Bolton for Threlkeld on 63 minutes, while Davies also went off so that Gudjohnsen could come on. It didn't really slow the Cherries down. Yann Kermorgant was even cheeky enough to try his luck from just over half way with a dipping lob of 35 yards that had Bogden back pedalling and just tipping over his bar in time. It didn't impress Callum Wilson though who was remonstrating with Yann for the next couple of minutes saying that he should have passed to him instead. There was a scramble in Bolton's six yard area with Steve Cook making a nuisance of himself and forcing a save from Bodgen while Wilson tried to snap up the leftovers but missed out on this occasion.
The game could have turned when on 71 minutes Callum Wilson was brought down in the box and Dervite was given a red card. Up stepped Yann Kermorgant who does not usually miss from the spot, but he leaned back a bit far and clotted this one over the bar. It gave Bolton a feeling that they had been let off the hook and they did try to come forward more with Tom walker heading over a little later.
It was going to be Bournemouth's night though and that was ensured on 78 minutes when Surman found an eager Wilson with his back to goal in the box. a swift turn and a deadly shot and it was 3-0 to the home team.
Bolton replaced Le Fondre with Woolery on 79 minutes and AFCB brought on Pitman for Kermorgant a minute later. Ryan Fraser also joined the action to replace Ritchie on 83 minutes. It was pretty much party time now but Arter did screw a shot just wide which would have capped a special night for him and the team, but I don't think he was too worried. Dan Gosling came on for Marc Pugh as the 89th minute ticked over and the three minutes of extra time where memorable for just one shot over from Callum Wilson and one eager youth who tried to jump the gun on the pitch invasion much to his shame. Everyone was soon partying though because the reds had done it - League Tow to Premier League in seven years! Not bad for a lad they said was too young to manage.
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| Good luck holding them back! |
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| The race is on to get to the players. |
A week of summaries would not be enough to give credit to the players and the staff at AFC Bournemouth who made this great day happen through their hard work and dedication not just over this 90 minutes or even for just this season, but for several seasons of fantastic play that we have all had the privilege to watch. Now we can say this club has matched its ambition with Premier league football as long as Charlton don't manage a thumping 19-0 win at The Valley or some spectacular score at the Riverside. I just tried to soak up the occasion as best I could and remembered as Eddie always says were we have come from. Some how I think there is more than a little more to this story yet and while that can start at The Valley on Saturday there is a whole new era about to start next August for our club. If you are like me, I think you might want to stay on the bus to see where it takes AFCB.
AFCB
Boruc, Smith, Elphick, Cook, Daniel, Ritchie (Fraser 83), Surman, Arter, Pugh (Gosling 89), Kermorgant (Pitman 80), Wilson
AFCB Subs
Camp, Harte, Fraser, Pitman, Gosling, Ward, Jones
AFCB Ratings
Boruc 10, Smith 10, Elphick 10, Cook 10, Daniel 10, Ritchie 10, Surman 10, Arter 10, Pugh 10, Kermorgant 10, Wilson 10 in fact the whole squad 10/10 amazing!
Bolton
Bogdan, Dervite, Ream, Moxey, Feeney (Threlkeld), Davies (Gudjohnsen 63) Danns, Bannan, Walker, Le Fondre (Woolery 79), Heskey
Bolton subs
Gudjohnsen, Lonergan, Twardzik, Woolery, Taylor, Threlkeld, Coke
Referee Watch: Simon Hooper 8/10
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