The Cherries fail to hold on to lead with Palace 1-1

Match Report

Crystal Palace 1-1 AFCB
27 August 2016

Attendance: 23,503

AFCB are still waiting for their luck to turn, but they managed to secure their first point of the season away at Crystal Palace. Josh King scored the goal that lifted AFCB spirits as early as the 11th minute, when he turned sharply and fired in from the angle in the box from a Harry Arter pass. A sustained AFCB attack in the first half saw them dominate even though Mike Dean felt a Charlie Daniels' tug on Benteke, in the box, enough to give Palace a penalty that Artur Boruc saved fantastically in the 15th minute from Yohan Cabaye. Callum Wilson could have extended the lead, when he broke though, but he saw his shit saved by Palace's new signing Mandanda. Boruc was needed on a more regular basis in the second half as the Eagles battered the Cherries' defence. Chance after chance went begging for them until Scott Dann headed the equaliser in the 93rd minute to sink AFCB's hopes of a win.

Selhurst Park - we await the players.

Graham, Joe and Ben give their pre-match views on Cherry Chimes FanCam.

There were no changes to the starting 11 for AFCB from the West Ham game which might have been slightly surprising considering some of the strong performance in midweek. So Ryan Fraser kept his place on the left wing and Harry Arter was back in the team after his one match suspension.

There are more pictures on Match Day Gallery.

Simon Francis and Scott Dann.

AFCB tried to apply pressure from the start against a Palace side who were also pointless after two matches. The game soon became the Cherries' corner show with two corners in the first 10 minutes. Neither provided a clear chance, but on 11 minutes AFCB had a free kick after Jordan Ibe had been fouled by Delaney. Harry Arter saw Josh King in a bit of space on the right side of the box, and the Bournemouth forward wasted no time in cracking the ball across Mandanda and into the bottom left corner of the goal - 0-1.

The fans were jubilant and it seemed that AFCB were playing more penetrative football at last. However, Mike Dean soon after pointed to the spot as Charlie Daniels was adjudged to have pulled Benteke's shirt - it seemed baffling to AFCB fans. But a penalty it was and Cabaye went to Boruc's right and found the Polish keeper ready to palm the ball safely away! AFCB fans felt justice had been done.

Adam Smith was then on the receiving end of a challenge from Cabaye that earned the Frenchman a yellow card. Ryan Fraser then played a good ball to King who saw his shot deflected for a corner. The corner was cleared but another free kick on the edge of the box saw Surman curl his effort over.

Crystal Palace were looking to hit Benteke when they could, with Townsend and Puncheon also in support, while Wickham seemed to move out to the left wing having started up front. Simon Francis was having to mark the ex-Liverpool man tightly. Place won their first corner on 22 minutes.

Meanwhile, Callum Wilson was finding it hard to keep upright in the Palace box. Mike Dean was not giving much AFCB's way though. 

Cabaye was getting a little more into the game but as soon as Benteke got involved Francis was straight on him. On the 26th minute he got too close and gave Palace a great chance from a free kick on the edge of the D. Townsend hit the wall though and Ward's follow up was cleared. The danger was not over though as Townsend clipped the ball back in from the right wing and had Boruc back peddling to make a great save over his head and to his right on the line. "We've got a big Pole in our goal," rang out around Selhurst Park.

While AFCB put pressure on Crystal Palace for the second goal it was hard to get anyone in the clear until Josh King put Wilson in one-on-one and the shot was smothered by the Palace keeper who came out quick to make the save. Ibe was also getting in shooting positions but he found Ward was there to block. Simon Francis also made a strong run into the box but fell heavily on his shoulder.

At this stage AFCB looked comfortable enough with Steve Cook pumping the ball out of the stadium to make a clearance. Frustrated, Delaney was yellow carded for his foul in Jordan Ibe as half time approached.

AFCB subs at half time.

Second half

The second half saw no immediate changes in players but Crystal Palace went full out on the attack and AFCB just sat back deeper and deeper. It was a turnaround from the first half. AFCB couldn't get the ball over half way or string many passes together. Palace built pressure with some corners and Arter had to clear a header from Dann off the line. It was all Palace now, with Souaré putting in crosses from the left and Francis heading away.

A break for AFCB led by Wilson and King had Bournemouth gong forward again but when Fraser took a shot the keeper saved well and Fraser was offside anyway.

Palace then had a great chance as Conner Wickham blasted over from a central position. Artur Boruc said something as he was carded at this point. 

Eddie Howe put Dan Gosling on and took off Ibe as the Cherries came under more pressure. AFCB were battling better, but it was still Palace that were pressing. A double substitution from Pardew turned up the Selhurst volume even more, as Lee-Chung-Yong came on for James McArthur and then Wilfred Zaha replaced Connor Wickham.

It was hard to keep Palace back now. Townsend had a shot saved by Boruc that swung low to the keeper's right. The ball was pumped back into AFCB's box and Souaré put a header wide. Benteke and then Souaré went close as Steve Cook cleared off the line with a slice over the bar. The shots kept coming in but AFCB managed to keep the ball out some how with a scramble again on the line with Ward and Zaha involved.

Lee then had a great chance created by Puncheon as AFCB tried to hold Palace with two lines of five. Lee blasted it over though. The pressure was relieved a bit when Puncheon went for a big 25-yard shot that also flew high into the stand.

Callum Wilson was subbed with 18 minutes to go so that Lewis Grabban could come on. AFCB needed to make it scrappy now and to play out time. The passing was all sideways but it stemmed the flow of Palace attacks for a bit. Grabban also managed to get forward but had his shot saved.

Townsend was next to shoot wide as AFCB found it increasingly hard to get over half way. The last 10 minutes dragged on but a great run by King was helped by Adam Smith who fired in a cross that Fraser flashed just wide at the near post. Even with a water break and quick advice from Howe, on the touchline, there was no relief for the Cherries.

Boruc again was performing heroics as Lee looked certain to score but hit his shot just at a good height for the keeper. A sub two-minutes from time saw Aké replace Fraser, while Palace subbed Joel Ward for Martin Kelly. Four minutes of added time. Palace looked like they would never beat Boruc, but a cross from Puncheon fell just right for Scott Dann and he headed in from just inside the box on the right to make it 1-1.

All over and two points dropped in the final minute for the Cherries.

Summary

It was a long second half for AFCB and it was hard to take getting plundered in the last minute of the game. This was more agonising than the West Ham defeat only because it was so close to being all three points. But on balance of play Palace were more than deserved a draw as they were tremendous in the second half and the Cherries will know that they can't invite sides on them like that for long periods of the game. Artur Boruc put in the best game of his Bournemouth career and he deserved more from those in front of him at times as he should have had a clean sheet, but it's no clean sheet in 13 Premier League games now for AFCB - if Eddie has work to do, it is at both ends of the pitch though, as two goals in three league games is also not up with the front runners.

AFCB 

Boruc, A Smith, Francis, Cook, Daniels, Surman, Arter, Fraser (Aké 88), Ibe (Gosling 59), C Wilson (Grabban 71), King

AFCB Subs
Federici, Gosling, Aké, Afobe, Gradel, B Smith, Grabban

Crystal Palace
Mandanda, Ward (Kelly 88), Dann, Delaney, Souaré, Puncheon, Cabaye, McArthur (Lee Chung-Yong 66), Townsend, Wickham (Zaha 66), Benteke

Palace Subs
Speroni, Tomkins, Zaha, Lee Chung-Yong, Ledley, Kelly, Boateng

Referee: Mike Dean


Boruc 9.7, A Smith 5.9, Francis 7, Cook 7.1, Daniels 6.5, Surman 6.5, Arter 6.9, Fraser 6.9, (Aké 5), Ibe 6.5 (Gosling 5), C Wilson 6.6 (Grabban 6.2), King 8