Cherry Chimes: Alonso snatches draw from Bournemouth in final few minutes

Match Report

AFCB 2 v 2 Chelsea

29 February 2020

Attendance: 10,667

Here we go fourth verses 16th in the table.

Every pint is vital in a relegation battle and Bournemouth were close to gaining three points until Marcos Alonso netted his second goal in the 85th minute to deny Bournemouth their third home win in a row. Alonso had opened the scoring in the 33rd minute to give Chelsea a 0-2 half-time lead. Bournemouth had started both halved well though and with a dramatic three minutes scored twice in the 54th and 57th minute of the second half as Jefferson Lerma and Josh King found the net. A shock result was on but then Marcos Alonso pounced when Ramsdale had made a great save to deny Mount an equaliser. The draw was the least that Bournemouth deserved but other results saw them drop into the bottom three on goal difference.

The group hug - it's a massive game for Bournemouth.

Bournemouth made four changes with Steve Cook, Lewis Cook, Philip Billing and Ryan Fraser coming in for Simon Francis, Dan Gosling, Harry Wilson and Andrew Surman.

There are more images on Match Day Gallery.

Match Description
The first attack comes from Bournemouth. Fraser goes down the right plays Stacey through and his cross is hit towards goal by Billing, but Caballero saves.

Billing again goes close but hits the side netting. He robbed Tomori from the throw in and should have done better with the finish.

Chelsea come back with, Alonso winning a corner off of Stacey. A volley from Mount is pushed out for a second corner but Aké clears.

Billing plays a great ball down the left for King and Callum Wilson shoots but right at Caballero.

Lerma puts in a crunching tackle on Mount on 12 minutes. Jorginho gets booked for a foul on Billing.

Stacey wins a corner. Pedro comes out with the ball. Billing is playing well and makes a good interception, but Callum Wilson can't keep the ball in play.

Stacey wins a corner. There was a penalty shout by Bournemouth players but the referee has given a free kick to Chelsea.

Aké stops a Pedro pass when Chelsea were looking good for a chance. Steve Cook heads out. Adam Smith concedes a corner. Billing clears.

Aké gives Chelsea a corner. King clears. Kovacic takes down Wilson but there's no free kick. The home crowd aren't happy about that.

Mount has a snap shot but no power and Ramsdale saves down to his left.

Chelsea make a cross from the right from James and Gidroud gets his foot to it, Ramsdale puts it on the bar only for Alonso to score at the far post with a volley on 33 minutes.

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Another Chelsea corner. Lerma clears, but Chelsea have another corner. Steve Cook just gets the ball away in time.

Chelsea corner. James shoots fro range but Ramsdale does well to keep it out to his left.

Mount almost gets in from a ball over the top.

Bournemouth are behind but they started well.

Second half
Chelsea on the break with Mount and Alonso takes it up and crosses, Giroud puts the chance wide from six yards. A bug let off for Bournemouth.

Bournemouth have a free kick, but Fraser goes down. Billing plays on Stacey and he's blocked.

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Stacey clears when King had lost the ball. James shoots over.

Bournemouth corner. Another follows. Lerma rises and heads in on 1-1 on 53 minutes. Jefferson Lerma's name rings out around Dean Court. A belting header!

Fraser into Billing, Billing makes a great turn, Stacey gets down the right and Callum Wilson can't get there, but King scores at the far post 2-1. A long VAR wait, but the goal is given. Bournemouth have turned it around. The crowd has played its part lifting the team.

Adam Smith is booked. The noise is defending. This is why we come to football. Every Bournemouth tackle is being cheered.

Aké heads down and Wilson shot right on front of goal is saved by Caballero.

Tomori and Jorginho are off for Chelsea. William and Barkley are on after 64 minutes. The rain is driving down.

James crosses and Giroud heads wide. Junior Stanislas replaces Josh King on 67 minutes.

Barkley shoots but hits his own player. Christensen is booked for a foul on Wilson. Giroud is replaced by Batshuayi on 72 minutes.

Chelsea see the offside flag go up. Barkley shoots and its deflected for a corner.

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Lewis Cook blocks for a corner. Ake clears. Another Chelsea corner. It's spooned wide by Azpilicueta. Corner again. Wilson comes away with it.

Dan Gosling replaces Lewis Cook on 80 minutes. Bournemouth are being driven back.

Lerma clears for a Chelsea corner. A shot from Mount deflects and Ramsdale saves for a corner.

Another shot goes wide from Azpilicueta.

Pedro shoots and Ramsdale puts it onto the post but Alonso is there to head in and make it 2-2 on 85 minutes. Bournemouth were desperately unlucky. They haven't held out.

We have five minutes left. Callum Wilson is booked. Ramsdale is out quickly ahead of Batshuayi.

Five minutes of added time. Pedro is blocked.

It's ended 2-2.

Summary

Bournemouth didn't choke but they fell back on their heels after getting ahead in this game with a period of intense and exhilarating attacking play. Chelsea gathered themselves and came back and the point might just be seen better for Bournemouth in a few weeks time than it seems now with other teams leaping past them.

Bournemouth players put everything into that game.

AFCB line up

AFCB Subs: Boruc, Francis, Rico, Gosling, Stanislas, H Wilson, Solanke

Chelsea
13 Caballero, 28 Azpilicueta, 4 Christensen, 29 Tomori (Willian 64), 24 James,
5 Jorginho (Barkley 64), 17 Kovacic, 3 Alonso, 19 Mount, 11 Pedrom
18 Giroud (Batshuayi 72)

Chelsea Subs
1 Arrizabalaga, 2 Rüdiger, 8 Barkley, 10 Willian, 12 Loftus-Cheek, 23 Batshuayi, 47 Gilmour

Eddie Howe thanks the crowd.

Referee: Andre Marriner 3/10 - came under some stick for not giving free kicks. The foul on Callum Wilson by Kovacic really deserved a yellow.

Cherry Chimes MoM: Jefferson Lerma

AFCB Ratings: Ramsdale 7, Stacey 7, S Cook 6, Aké 6, Fraser 6, Billing 6, Lerma 8,
L Cook 6, King 6, C Wilson 6

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Sunday, 1 March 2020

Alonso snatches draw from Bournemouth in final few minutes

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