The Cherries secure ninth place with 1-1 draw against Foxes

Match Report

21 May 2017

Leicester City 1 v 1 AFCB

Attendance: 32,000

The scarf's were not really needed on a warm day at the King Power.

The Cherries can be well satisfied with a ninth placed finish in their second season in the Premier League. They afternoon looked like they may even do better than that when Junior Stanislas got them off to a lightening start with a goal in the first minute. Despite Dan Gosling stretching Jasper Schmiechel to the edge of his limits, the Cherries could not get the second goal that their dominance really warranted in the first 20 minutes. Leicester started to compete better and Slimani had an afternoon when he was going to put chance after chance wide beginning with a couple of headers. The second half saw Leicester improve further until Jamie Vardy knocked in the equaliser almost standing on the goal line. There was a Premier League debut for Matt Worthington in AFCB colours when Ryan Fraser was subbed and although Vardy had a goal disallowed for an offside and Slimani put a free header from close in wide in the last 10 minutes, Jordan Ibe wasted the best chance to win the game just minutes from the end when he had a poor first touch on a Stanislas through ball. 

There were plenty of fans about to pack the stadium.

We might have to find a smaller ball to kick off with.

Typical Eddie had said he didn't want to change the team too much and yet Andrew Surman and Ryan Gosling returned along with Ryan Fraser to the starting line up, while Ryan Allsop was give his first Premier League start in goal.  

AFCB get ready to take on Leicester City.

There are more pictures on Match Day Gallery.

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There was a great atmosphere in the stadium with giant football balloons and other inflatables being traded like a tennis match between the fans and the Leicester stewards who joined in the fun  like a pantomime. But the action on the pitch swiftly captured our attention with Steve Cook passing a ball up the left wing to Lys Mousset who took on two Leicester defenders before sliding a ball across to Ryan Fraser who took a hefty blow. The referee played on though and Mousset snapped a shot off that rebounded off a defender into the path of Junior Stanislas, who came flying in from the right side to slam home the opening goal in under a minute! That's AFCB's 100th Premier League goal.

It was like a riot in the stand, but a happy one for the Cherries' fans who were delighted with the start of the game. Pugh thrilled fans next with a sharp ball pulled back across the six yard box that was calling out to be put away. 

Leicester countered with Mahrez having a shot blocked before Chilwell shot wide. AFCB were finding joy on the left with Daniels whipping in another low ball that Pugh cleverly stepped over but Fraser did not read in time.

When Surman was brought down 35 yards from goal Junior Stanislas took the free kick but smashed it into the Leicester wall. Leicester's reply came from Slimani who hit a rising shot over. Leicester win ton the first corner on 18 minutes as their pressure grew. Benalouane luckily headed wide after a Steve Cook deflection. In came the next corner and that Mahrez took from the right and Fuchs got up well and Slimani couldn't quite stretch far enough to meet it at the back post.

AFCB thought they might have extended their lead in the 24th minute when  Adam Smith got behind the Leicester defence and pulled a ball back for Dan Gosling who let fly from the edge of the box with a superb curling shot that needed all of Schmeichel's agility and skill to keep out of the top right corner.

Gosling was having an excellent game in shepherding Mahrez and coming out on top most of the time. Mousset was getting involved but was annoyed at hitting a shot straight at Schmiechel on the half hour.

Adam Smith was then knocked for six as he ran into Andy King who took all of Smith and nothing of the ball.

Mahrez is starting to show promise hitting a shot that Allsop saves well. A left wing cross the gives Slimani a headed opportunity that he puts wide of the far post. A corner follows with Slimani stopping low with a headed effort that narrowly runs past the post.

Another chance sees Ndidi head the ball right onto Allsop's chest and the keeper gratefully falls on the ball. Benalouane gets a yellow card. It's 0-1 to the Cherries at half time but it's been a tight game.

AFCB subs at half time.

Second half

There is bright sunshine at the start of this half. Allsop has to come off his line quickly to beat the advancing Vardy to a ball. Leicester have come out fired up though and on 51 minutes the game is even after a right side cross is headed on by Slimani and Vardy has a simple stab over the line from a yard out with Allsop unable to get there in time.

The goal had been coming and the Cherries' attacks had dropped off form their early good start. 

AFCB then win a free kick as Ndidi makes a foul. Surman takes it some 25 yards out and its deflected wide. Simpson then picked up a yellow card on 56 minutes for a trip on Fraser. Stanislas takes this one and has to retake it having put the first one right at Schmeichel before the referee was ready. The second attempt hits the wall.

Leicester made a sub on 58 minutes with Benalouane coming off and Amartey coming on. Jamie Vardy then thinks he has put Leicester in front, following a rebound from s Slimani shot but he's offside and it's disallowed.

Bournemouth try and stem the flow with Afobe replacing Mousset and Ibe coming on for Pugh in a double substitution.

Leicester come close again as Mahrez shoots and Allsop fumbles the save but Francis is behind him and clears from the goal line. Another chance falls to Slimani but he's volleyed wide!

Mahrez next has a bicycle kick blocked and  before Vardy heads an effort that Allsop puts over.

Another Leicester sub sees Demari Gray replaced Marc Allbrighton. Jamie Vardy was still causing problems for the Borunemouth defence and Francis picked up a yellow card on 71 minutes. 

The corners kept coming for Leicester with King winning a corner off of Francis. Ndidi then pulls his shot wide from 25 yards.

Chilwell has a shot blocked by Adam Smith and another corner follows. Mahrez then picks up a yellow for pulling down Gosling on the break.

Leicester still looked favourites to get a winner but Slimani misses a golden headed opportunity that he puts wide from about eight yards out. He's had a bad day in front of goal.

Satnislas on the right gives AFCB another breakaway and he's found Ibe on the left through on goal, but the winger has over cooked it with a poor first touch that's gifted the ball to Schmeichel. That was dreadful! AFCB could have won the game there.

Chilwell gets a yellow card for a foul on Gosling who has been a real star man for the Cherries. It ends 1-1.

See you next season!

Summary

While Bournemouth started this game imperiously with some sharp attacking football, they slowly saw Leicester come into the game and probably have the best of the chances. Eddie will look next season to see how they can improve on making the most of the games when they get a goal up early. The team has lost a lot of points after scoring first in games this season. But this was a wounded Leicester side that were not going to lay down in their last home game. Allsop had a heavy work load and AFCB had to withstand a lot of pressure in the second half. They have learned how to hold out in such circumstances and they might have even won the game. Still, the fans enjoyed the game and the banter with the Leicester fans. It was a good end-to-end game and no shortage of goal-mouth action.

Job done, well done AFCB on a cracking season!

Leicester City

Schmeichel, Simpson, Benalouane (Amartey 59), Fuchs, Chilwell, Mahrez, King, Ndidi,
Albrighton (Gray 73), Vardy, Slimani

Leicester Subs

Zieler, Wasilewski, Musa, Amartey, Kapustka, Gray, Okazaki

AFCB
Allsop, A Smith, Francis,  S Cook, Daniels, Stanislas, Gosling, Surman, Pugh (Ibe 63),
Fraser (Worthington 74), Mousset (Afobe 62)

AFCB Subs
Ramsdale, B Smith, Cargill, Ibe,Worthington, Afobe, Surridge, 

AFCB Ratings

Allsop 6, A Smith 7, Francis 6,  S Cook 7, Daniels 7, Stanislas 7, Gosling 8, Surman 6,
Pugh 6 (Ibe 3), Fraser 7 (Worthington 5), Mousset 6 (Afobe 4)

Referee Watch: Lee Mason - too soft in his approach at times when he let things go, but at other times played advantage well. Disallowed Vardy goal was said to be onside on second viewing by reporters! 5/10.