Mousset inspires Cherries to comeback victory over Stoke

Match Report

4 February 2018

AFC Bournemouth 2 v 1 Stoke City

Attendance: 10,614

Mousset with Ibe after a match winning performance.

It was always going to be a tricky match for the Bournemouth players coming off of such a high in mid-week and when Xherdan Shaqiri headed past Begovic on five minutes. That was bad enough but when Steve Cook limped off with a hamstring pull, Eddie Howe decided to change the shape of the team and put another striker on. Things were not going to plan and Stoke City were intent on pressing high and putting as many hard challenges in as they could. It was carnage at times and Bournemouth were not being allowed to play their passing game. But the introduction of Lys Mousset on the hour made a massive difference. He just got stuck in and started terrorising Ryan Shawcross. It was Josh King who found the net first with a solo effort curled in from the left side of the penalty box, before Lys Mousset rounded off a great striker's goal with a header from a free kick - it was Mousset's first Premier League goal.

Bournemouth looked to extend their six match unbeaten record.

Bournemouth named an unchanged team for this game. Why change a winning formula? The formation would be 3-4-3 and there was plenty of fire power on the bench with Mousset, King and Pugh. 

Stoke City had their new signing Badou Ndiaye starting in midfield and Peter Crouch started up front.

AFCB mark the passing of former groundsman John Harris with a minute of applause.

There are more pictures on Match Day Gallery.

Cherry Chimes lives every key moment of the match.

The Stoke fans came in numbers and had good voice from the start. They had something to shout about soon enough too. A good ball by Crouch to Shaqiri had Steve Cook having to clear off the line and when the danger looked to have passed, another cross from Ndiaye on the left was quickly fired into Xherdan Shaqiri who found himself unmarked and able to steer his header pass Begovic from eight yards out. Bournemouth were 0-1 down with five minutes played. Shaqiri stole n behind Aké and in front of Daniels.

If the rain was not bad enough the score line was a shocker for the Bournemouth fans. This was no Chelsea they were playing. The first half continued to run away from Bournemouth as Ibe put his first shot into the side netting.

Steve Cook then went down injured in his own box and limped off with a hamstring twinge after 11 minutes. Josh King replaced him on 13 minutes and Bournemouth moved to a back four with Fraser playing at right back.

Stoke new signing Ndiaye started getting on the ball and driving forward and Stoke were pressing up high on Bournemouth. Wilson made a good run after Lewis Cook tried to play him in over the top but Butland saved well. 

The fouls started to escalate with Stoke seeming to get away with most of them. Choupo-Moting was nest to hook a shot just over as Stoke took control of the game. Bournemouth were misplacing passes, Daniels, King and Gosling were among the culprits. Wilson would get the service but wasn't getting much joy against Stoke's centre-backs.

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Bournemouth's best move came on 35 minutes when King up the left found Ibe who shot well but Pieters made a dramatic block right on the line, while he ended up in the net. Wilson went down from the resulting corner but Paul Tierney waved away the penalty claim.

The referee did eventually give Ndiaye the first yellow card after he fouled Ibe. Bournemouth were creating corners but not a lot from them. Lewis Cook saw his effort blocked by Shawcross on the edge of the box. While Francis made a massive back pass from half way that didn't go down well with the home fans.

As half time approached there was more positivity about the Cherries' play with Stanislas having a shot saved. Shaqiri then received a yellow card for  catching Gosling on the half way line. Still it was Stoke who were the happier going in 0-1 up at half time.

Thoughts at half time.

Josh King kicks off the second half.

Second half

Bournemouth started much better with Josh King forcing the first save from Jack Butland after a strong run down the left. Stoke were still doing well enough to get shots off and a warning came from Ndiaye who tried a bicycle kick that just flew wide on 52 minutes.

Bournemouth were starting to catch Stoke offside more often now. Gosling was the first Bournemouth player in the book for a challenge on Shaqiri, who seemed rather pleased with his work. 

Josh King raised hopes as he ran into the box and had to jump a high challenge just to avoid getting hurt, but the referee saw it as simulation and book King. No penalty!

Eddie Howe responded by subbing Stanislas who had been having a quiet game with Lys Mousset on 59 minutes. 

Stoke almost extended their lead when Peter Crouched headed onto Bournemouth's bar!

Bournemouth then started to mount some pressure with some corners. Aké even ventured forward and found Mousset well before the French striker shot and saw Butland push the ball away for a corner. 

Wilson came closer still when he was played down the right side by Gosling only for Wilson to skew his shot across the goal and wide of the far post! Fraser was then caught by Choupo-Moting who was carded. Bournemouth kept the pressure on, and a deflected ball left King in space on the left of the box and he beat Butland on the angle to make it 1-1 on 70 minutes.

Now it was game on! Stoke subbed Ndiaye for Stafylidis. Mousset was bossing the play now and looked the most lively player on the pitch. A low cross from Gosling just needed a touch by Mousset at the near post but the ball squeezed past him and Butland somehow. 

A free kick for Bournemouth on the right then gave the Cherries another chance and Ibe's cross was met by Mousset running in and heading past Butland to make it 2-1. The comeback was complete!

Suddenly, it was Bournemouth's time to run down the clock. On 83 minutes Stoke made a double substitution with Choupo-Moting replaced by Diouf and Crouch subbed by Berahino.

Bournemouth did not have much of a Stoke storm to whether and with four minutes of added time Pugh replaced Jordan Ibe.  Bournemouth could have made the winning margin greater when Lewis Cook Slipped in Wilson but Butland made a good save.

Bournemouth take the three points and go up to ninth on 31 points.

Summary

This was not a game where Bournemouth played particularly well, but they got the win. The bullying tactics of Stoke didn't come off in the long run and the energy that the Bournemouth players had in the second half was too much for them. It was Lys Mousset though that took the game to another level. He was brave enough to be direct and put Stoke on the back foot. Comebacks are starting to be as regular as clockwork at Dean Court these days and as soon as the Josh King goal went in, it felt like Stoke were there for the taking. Stoke had played as well as they could, but the Cherries didn't want to drop any points and it was a great feeling to see Mousset get the winner. He'll now feel like he is a full contributor and that can only be good for Bournemouth going forward.

King also had a yellow card. AFCB Subs: Boruc, Simpson,
Arter, Surman, Pugh, Mousset, King.

AFCB Ratings

Begovic 7, Francis 6, S Cook 5 (King 7), Aké 7, Daniels 6, Fraser 7, L Cook 7, Gosling 7, 

Stanislas 6 (Mousset 8), Ibe 7, Wilson 7 

Stoke City

Butland, Bauer, Shawcross, Zouma, Pieters, Cameron, Ndiaye (Stafylidis), Shaqiri, Allen,
Choupo-Moting (Berahino 83), Crouch (Diouf 83)

Stoke Subs
Grant, Sobhi, Adam, Johnson, Stafylidis, Berahino, Diouf

Referee Watch: Paul Tierney 1/10 - Oh, wouldn't it have been nice to have a referee who protected AFCB players in the first half? At least he did a bit better second half. Some of the challenges he let go were awful.

T-shirt winner
We had a winner of the Cherry Chimes T-Shirt! And @ShaunMcKinlay1 got it spot on 5 minutes for the first goal. Shame it was a goal for Stoke City! Congratulations to Shaun.