The Cherries find safety in last home game

Match Report

AFCB 1 v 0 Swansea

5 May 2018

Attendance: 10,820

Bournemouth welcome Swansea City to Dean Court.

The prospect of not getting a point in the last home game of the season might have made a few Bournemouth fans anxious, but the sun came out and so did the Cherries' A game to grab the points they really should have earned weeks ago. Swansea City were supposed to be fighting for their lives, but they offered only a couple of moments of worry for Bournemouth's defence and Asmir Begovic proved to be a barrier they couldn't beat. Callum Wilson continued to get in great scoring positions but just couldn't score, so it was left to a well worked free kick that led to a 18 yard deflected shot from Ryan Fraser to separate the sides. For once Bournemouth controlled the game and earned their clean sheet which now takes them to 41 points and gives them a place in next season's Premier League.

Eddie Howe brought in Marc Pugh on the left wing in what many feel could have been his last match for the Cherries. He replaced Lys Mousset who moved to the bench. Gone was the ill-fated back three of last week and Adam Smith made the substitutes bench.

All ready to go.

More pictures are posted on Match Day Gallery.

Bournemouth started with Callum Wilson going down in the box, but referee Kevin Friend ignored all penalty shouts. Begovic invited pressure on Nathan Ake with his short pass rather than kicking long when Ake was clearly marked.

Wilson was getting much of the ball, turning well and Mawson had to get a last ditch clearance in at the near post. The referee was letting rough challenges go in these opening minutes, but Bournemouth kept pushing forward winning a couple of corners.

Then Cook squared the ball to Josh King who slipped Marc Pugh through for the winger to finish well, only for the offside flag to go up on seven minutes.

Swansea then got their game going. Andre Ayew was fouled fairly centrally 35 yards out. Surman won an early header only for the ball to stick in AFCB's box and Mawson found Mike van der Hoorn who shot from six yards only to pick out Begovic.

Another chance swiftly fell to Nathan Dyer, but he also couldn't beat Asmir from close range and Bournemouth managed to survive when they should have gone one down.

Bournemouth still attacked with pace and Fraser put in a fast cross for Wilson on the far left, but the Bournemouth striker blasted his shot over from a good position.

A Swansea corner was soon cleared only for another AFCB attack that King running at Swansea and Surman breaking through the middle before Wilson again shot over on 20 minutes.

Steve Cook made an important block from Jordan Ayer's shot as the game started to become end to end. Steve Cook then got frustrated when he expected King to be making a run down the right and found his pass looked like it had been banged wildly out of play.

The opening goal came when Wilson had been fouled cutting inside Federico Fernandez on 35 minutes. A free kick was awarded but it took an age for Kevin Friend to get the Swansea wall to retreat and Olsson was booked. In all the time taken AFCB came up with a great plan to get a strike on target. Surman squared the ball to Fraser on the edge of the D and the wee man hit through his shot precisely, despite just flicking off Mawson's head, to beat Fabianski on his left and put the Cherries 1-0 up on 37 minutes.

Swansea kept the ball well around AFCB's box following the goal and Tom Carroll and the two Ayews worked the ball so that Jordan Ayew was staring the goal down only to miss the target when it was easier to score.

AFCB are 1-0 up at half time.

Second Half
Swansea came at AFCB straight away with Jordan Ayew testing Begovic from the D with a shot that Begovic scrambled past the post for a Swansea corner.

While King won a free kick he soon found himself book for taking the free kick too quickly. AFCB fans had more to laugh about when Dyer got to the by line and then promptly lost his footing.

Van der Hoorn was then booked for a foul on Wilson.

Josh King did some excellent work turning his defender and crossing only for Steve Cook to head over from close range.

A Swansea sub on the hour saw Dyer replaced by Tammy Abraham. Another free kick for AFCB saw Francis try his luck with a strong drive that skimmed over the bar. Lewis Cook started to take more charge of things in the middle and while Carroll was pushing forward he could only shoot over.

Swansea started to get more desperate in holding back King and Mawson was booked. Fraser was also making plenty of runs up the left which was keeping Swansea on the defensive.

On 72 minutes Swansea took off defender Mike van der Hoorn and put on Andy King. Bournemouth kept the pressure on with a corner following a deflected shot from Surman. Ake and Wilson went for the same header off the corner from Lewis Cook but Fabianski caught the effort clearly.

Lewis Cook did a bit of showboating with a cool step over to release Daniels up the left as he started to enjoy more control in the middle.

Swansea subbed Ki Sung-Yueng on 77 minutes and brought on Luciano Narsingh. Meanwhile Pugh was applauded off and Gosling replaced him. The substitute almost worked straight away for the Cherries with Wilson battling with Fernandez before Gosling had a shot saved twice.

Andy King was next to get a booking for a foul on King. All looked set for Callum Wilson to make it 2-0 when King played him in on the right side only for Fabianski to make a fantastic point blank save with his hip.

Swansea pushed for a goal with a corner as 90 minutes were up, but Bournemouth defended well. In the three minutes of added time AFCB used their subs taking off King first for Mousset to come on and then Tyrone Mings replaced Callum Wilson. Holding the ball in the Swansea right corner Mousset and Gosling ensured AFCB ran out as 1-0 winners, safety assured!

The three points that AFCB so desperately wanted - safety assured!

Summary

This was the job we wanted to do a few games ago and while it has been difficult for Howe to get a response out of the players he did it in this game. They could have had a more comfortable ride had Callum Wilson found his form in front of goal, but the running of Ryan Fraser, Callum Wilson and Josh King kept Swansea on read alert all afternoon. At the other end Begovic was like a brick wall, nobody was going to beat him. It was great to see the players come back onto the pitch after the game with their families to than the fans. It became a real celebration and with Nathan Ake walking off with a car load of silverware we could all say job well done for another season.

AFCB line up

AFCB Subs: Boruc, Mings, B Smith, Gosling, Ibe, Mousset, Defoe 

AFCB Ratings
Begovic 8, Francis 7, S Cook 6, Ake 6, Daniels 6, Fraser 9, L Cook 7, Surman 6, Pugh 6, King 8, Wilson 6

Cherry Chimes' MoM: Ryan Fraser

Swansea City

Fabianski, van der Hoorn, Fernandez, Mawson, Roberts, Ki Sung-Yueng (Narsingh 78),
Carrol, Olsson, Dyer (Abraham 59), J Ayew, A Ayew

Swansea Subs
Nordfeldt, Clucas, Rangel, Narsingh, King, Renato Sanches, Abraham

Referee Watch: Kevin Friend 3/10 I though Friend improved as the game went on but there were several clear fouls that he chose to ignore when no advantage was given. He did book more Swansea players, but I can't understand why King was booked for trying to take a free kick quickly.