Cherries and Saints play-out frenzied 3-3 draw

Match Report

27 April 2019

Southampton 3 v 3 AFCB

Attendance 31,310

AFCB push Saints all the way in high-scoring draw.

The south coast is not always highly regarded for football entertainment but this match had it all. Southampton got off to a fast start with their early goal but egging Nathan Aké and finding the corner of the net. But Bournemouth responded in amazing fashion with a stunning goal created from the back and stuck away with great passion by Dan Gosling. Once Wilson had nudged the Cherries ahead before half - time the goal kept coming. Sadly it was Southampton that were in control racing into a 3-2 lead. The combination of Fraser and Wilson worked their magic again to draw AFCB level but Wilson could easily have won the game in the dying minutes but cam up short of his hat-trick.

Bournemouth brought back Nathaniel Clyne and Jack Simpson to the starting line up, but Ryan Fraser was rested by moving him to the bench having had a calf problem in training.

The early pressure came from Saint’s with corner and shot blocked. Bournemouth are blocking lots of shots. Nathan Redmond then finds Artur Boruc in top form to stop his shot at the near post! Bournemouth are conceding corners.

Southampton are pushing forward and have Bournemouth in some trouble. Shane Long has scored from the centre of the box, after an attack down AFCB's right. Redmond pulled the ball back for Shane Long to score. Boruc was given little chance as the shot went through Aké's legs into the right corner of the goal on 12 minutes.

Bournemouth were starting to soak up the pressure better when Lerma started a move in his own box. Gosling received the ball and passed it on to King. He ran from the back and covered ground quickly to get over half way. Wilson then hit a first time pass and Gosling fired in past keeper's left hand to make it 1-1 on 20 minutes. That had to be Bournemouth's best goal of the season - fantastic passing and movement and a perfect team goal!

Shane Long is testing Boruc again with another shot. Southampton countered with a cross to Ings who headed wide. Chris Mepham is having to go off early. He's replaced by Ryan Fraser.

Saints attack again and Ward-Prowse runs through the middle of AFCB's midfield. He finds Shane Long, but Boruc makes a great save, then Long hits the post! Bournemouth were carved open and were lucky to see the ball come off the bottom of left post.

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We're up to the 32nd minute and Bournemouth corner cleared, Brooks fires a shot from distance at Angus Gunn who can only parry it and Wilson is on hand to make it 1-2.

King goes down under pressure but no penalty. Gosling has been booked. It's 1-2 at half-time.

Callum Wilson's day.

Second half
Southampton have subbed Oriol for Targett. Bournemouth lose the ball on the right. Bertrand fires wide. Bournemouth have a corner and Simpson gets up well but heads wide.

Gosling is subbed for Emerson Hyndman on 53 minutes.

Ward-Prowse shapes to shoot from outside the box and he's beaten Boruc low to his left. It's 2-2 on 60 minutes. Bournemouth's players backed off and gave too much space.

Big cross from the right from Valery to Targett to score with a header at the far post on 73 minutes, 3-2. Aké eas slow to get out to block the cross and Bournemouth were punished for being defensively naive.

Solanke has replaced Nathaniel Cylne. Fraser shoots wide.

Stuart Armstrong replaces Danny Ings on 81 minutes. Josh King shoots wide.

An attack from Ryan Fraser on right. His cross is right in front of gaol and Wilson gets ahead of his marker to make it 3-3 on 88min. Charlie Austin has replaced Shane Long.

Wilson clean through but can’t beat the keeper and is denied a hat-trick!

Just a point earned at St Marys.

Summary
A cracking game with lots of highs and lows. Eddie should not be to disappointed with a draw as this was exciting football in the Spring sun. While Boruc was kept to busy, the Cherries certainly knew how to hurt Southampton and to comeback twice proved that the team was not on the beach but wanted to win. The record points total may have slipped out of reach but the spirit is back in the right place.

AFCB line up

AFCB Subs: Begovic, Hyndman, Ibe, Solanke, Surridge, Mousset

Cherry Chimes' Mom: Callum Wilson

SouthamptonGunn, Valery, Bednarek, Stephens, Bertrand, Ward-Prowse, Romeu (Targett), Højbjerg,

Long(Austin), Ings (Armstrong), Redmond.

Saints' Subs
Forster, Armstrong, Lemina, Targett, Sims, Ramsay, Austin