Bournemouth midfielder set for Wigan loan

Emerson Hyndman is said to be considering a loan move to Wigan Athletic in the Championship, according to The Sun. Emerson played in the last game of the season for Bournemouth away at Burnley in a 1-0 win, but has found first team football hard to come by with the Cherries since his loan move ended at Rangers in the summer last year.

Emerson looks to join Wigan on loan.

The choice to send Hyndman out on loan would indicate that Emerson is not considered ready yet to force his way into this Bournemouth team, and while that might be so I do wonder why Emerson was not loaned out last season? He certainly will know everything he has to about how AFCB play and what they require of him, and yet last January he could have gone out on loan then rather than find himself waiting for a game at the end of the season.

No doubt, Hydman's place will be taken by David Brooks who is thought to be imminently signing for AFCB from Sheffield United for a fee reported to be around £11.5m. For a Championship player it is a high price to pay if he is not going to get games and the tale of Emerson would perhaps be a warning to AFCB fans that not every player that is plucked from the Championship will turn out like Lewis Cook.

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Howe seems to have accepted that recruitment at AFCB is not going to be an exact science even if the best possible considerations are made to try and limit the risks before players are bid for. Hyndman may still play extremely well for a team like Wigan as he did at Rangers, but if he doesn't fit in well enough to the Bournemouth way of playing it's best to see if he can enjoy his career elsewhere and perhaps get a permanent move away or acquire the kind of qualities that Howe wants at AFCB.

Hyndman was a big player for Fulham before he signed for the Cherries, so it seems hard on him that he is now trying to recover that playing career back in the Championship while Fulham are no going to be battling with AFCB in the Premier League. I wish Hyndman all the best, but I do want future signings to fair better if they come to AFCB. Can I get excited about the potential signing of David Brooks? Not really, until I see whether he is capable of making the grade. Unfortunately, it seems Hyndman has not made the grade so far.

In other news, Bournemouth striker Mikael Ndjoli could be set to join Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock on loan.

Cherry Chimes' Newsletter - out tomorrow
Cherry Chimes' July Newsletter brings you the best stories on the blog and the thoughts behind them from last month. It's out tomorrow with special story - Does it really matter who AFCB play in pre-season friendlies?

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Will we see the true AFCB against West Ham?

Bournemouth have pleased and disappointed in equal measure this week. While the same players have not been involved in the two matches, the feeling of a quick exit from the FA Cup sticks more in the mind than the fabulous comeback against Arsenal, and it seems frustrating that fans, and probably the players are in need of a lift only a few days after one of their best ever wins in the Premier League.

The Cherries seek only their second back-to-back
league wins of the season on Saturday.

Still, I am a realist. Given the choice before last week wold I ave been pleased with a cup exit and yet three points against Arsenal in the league? You bet I would. It was the manner of the defeat against Wigan that has made everyone angry and while preparations for the league matches have to take priority, I wonder if the magnitude of how the team would feel after defeat against Wigan was really ever considered. Eddie Howe took a late flight up to the game fro Southampton on Wednesday, so he could stay behind and work with the players who would be featuring against West Ham this Saturday a little while longer. It's that big a game this weekend.

What Eddie has to do is get those players performing. Another flat performance like we saw in mid-week would throw AFCB back into more trouble and it is important new to keep collecting points with a difficult match against Chelsea just around the corner. Against a side like West Ham, Bournemouth have to show fighting qualities. The defeat in mid-week could actually have a positive affect, if  Howe can show how annoyed he was on the night and get the players bursting to play well.

Back-to-back wins have been a rare commodity for AFCB and that must worry the manager. In fact, AFCB have not won away in the league in their last five games. This last week has also been just like a microcosm of the season as a whole - up and down. Trying to get a bit of calm breathing space seems just out of reach, but a win against West Ham would at least make the FA Cup exit a ripple rather than a chasm which it currently feels like. 

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West Ham Home League Form
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Visit West Ham Till I Die to read a Question and Answer session with Cherry Chimes previewing the West Ham v Bournemouth match.

Competition - Win a T-Shirt Send in your score predictions on a Tweet for your chance to win a Cherry Chimes T-Shirt. We will pick one winner if more than one fan predicts the correct score. T-Shirts are adult size Medium or Large. It's free entry.

Send your Score Tweet for #WHA v #AFCB to @CherryChimes before 10 am on Saturday 20 Jan 2018. 

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Wigan romp to 3-0 win over Bournemouth in the FA Cup

Match Report

Wigan Athletic 1 v AFC Bournemouth

FA Cup Third round replay

Attendance: 4709 (491 away fans)

League One Wigan - far to good for AFCB's out of form squad members.

Bournemouth travelled to Wigan with high expectations in the FA Cup, but this was as poor a performance as the Cherries made last season in the FA Cup at this stage. It should have been a strong enough line up, but those players who currently find themselves out of the first 11 couldn't get it together and were unable to show any decent finishing in front of goal. The unbeaten run has been ripped up and it will be how about how Bournemouth recover from this. It's clear that one or two just aren't up to much at this level and for those fans who travelled up it was a night to forget.

Fraser Cook and Daniels are the only players that kept their places from the game against Arsenal. It was a pity not to see King and Stanislas not yet in contention, but perhaps they are being saved for the weekend. How much does the FA Cup matter to AFCB? We were about to find out.

Match description- listening to BBC Radio Solent
Surman over hits the ball before a long goal kick from Wigan ends up with a free kick to Bournemouth. Wigan give the ball away to Arter and Max Power puts the ball out for a corner. Arter could have had a shot, but looked for Lys Mousset instead.

Daniels runs into trouble and it's a goal kick. Mousset runs into Colclough. Bruce takes the free kick but it's out of play for a Bournemouth goal kick. Surman makes a mistake but gets away with it beating Will Grigg.

Surman again has a heavy touch but Boruc saves from Massey. Will Grigg needs attention. The rain is coming down. Wigan have possession with Perkins and Elder on the left. Colcough puts a ball in it goes out for a goal kick after 8 minutes.

Colcough low ball in Grigg shots and Boruc saves and it bounces back to Sam Morsy who scores! Fraser did not stop the cross and the ball was a good one across the box and while Boruc made a good first save he could not hold onto the ball and the Cherries are behind after nine minutes. The goal went in bottom right.

Arter went crashing into Morsy and it was lucky Arter did not connect. Lys Mousset might have twisted his knee here. He is okay.

Simpson at the back, Pugh up to Mahoney on the right. Surman has given the ball away again! Simpson defends well.

Afobe against Dunkley and Bournemouth have a throw.  Mousset wins a free kick. Fraser or Surman to take. Fraser puts it over the wall and the bar.

"It's an open and expansive games," says John Williams. He expects more goals - let's hope so. 17 minutes gone.

Pugh is fouled by Morsy. Surman and Simpson to Arter up to Mousset on the left tries a flick and it's a free kick to Wigan after Dunkley is fouled.

Bournemouth on the break but Mousset he runs into trouble. He's not started well. Perkins picks up a yellow after flying into Fraser.

Ryan Colclough now fouls Fraser and he receives a yellow card. Eddie Howe has a word with the fourth official. Two yellows in two minutes. Paul Cook and Eddie Howe exchange words.

Pugh to Daniels and Mousset has a blocked shot and Perkins puts the ball out for a corner. Deep in-swinger goes off Dunkley for another corner.

Pugh now drives it in and it's cleared by Elder and Dunkley. Afobe wins a throw. Pugh has a heavy touch on Morsy.

Wigan have a corner now. Arter gives the ball away Roberts and Massey pulls it back and Steve Cook puts it our for another Wigan corner. Surman meets it then Mahoney to Elder and Grigg is offside.

Fraser and Mousset and Afobe has a deflected shot, but it's cleared. Simpson fouls Grigg in the air. Wigan free kick on 28 minutes.

Alex Bruce puts in a cross and Mahoney chases the clearance and wins a free kick. Surman inside the Wigan half. Pugh and Daniels on the byline is tackled by Dunkley, goal kick.

Fraser loses the ball to Colclough. Elder and Colclough again to Grigg and Simpson wins the ball. Pugh is caught by Massey. Free kick to Bournemouth. Afobe heads and Jones saves to his right had side. Big chance that for Afobe, he should have done better.

Colclough puts a shot 15 yards wide at the other end. Wigan have a free kick. Arter applauds the referee rather sarcastically.

Surman and Simpson with the ball. Pugh can't keep it in play. Afobe against Dunkley and it's a Bournemouth throw. Afobe wins a corner, 8 minutes of the half left. Fraser delivers and Simpson was in there but Dunkley wins it.

Colclough and Perkins but it's too hard a pass for Elder.

Afobe into Fraser. Surman and Mousset's shot takes a deflection off Bruce, it's a corner. It might have hit a hand there! Pugh is bundled over but no penalty.

Arter dives in on Colclough and it's a yellow card for Harry is it? yes, he's in the book. Cook lofts the ball out to Daniels. Simpson beats Grigg and Surman back to Arter. Mousset to Afobe and Mousset he's tripped, Afobe – no Pugh is offside.

Pugh and Mousset loses it. Roberst tries a pass but it doesn't get to Grigg. Grigg has it again and Boruc makes a save even though Grigg was offside.

"It's been tacky at times says," John Williams. Elder and Mahoney battle. Pugh down the left Afobe and Arter to Daniels out to Pugh. Afobe and Mousset in the box and Wigan clear.

Mahoney's delivery Afobe's header is caught by Jones. A disappointing first half from the Cherries 1-0 down.

Stats
AFCB Shots 6, On target 2, Corners 5, Fouls 7
Wigan Shots 4, On target 3, Corners 2, Fouls 7

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Second half
Mousset wins a corner at the start of the half. Elder heads it out for another corner. Bruce heads out and Pugh knocks it back in before it's cleared again.

Simpson comes forward to Mousset. Simpson again and Pugh is tackled by Massey. Fraser has a shot and the keeper has to make a save for the corner.

A bright start this half by Bournemouth. Simpson to Mousset but Jone sis there first. Daniels now and Pugh to Surman and Mahoney shoots but it's blocked.

Wigan and Morsy to Roberts. Morsy to Power and Morsy before Cook clears. Power delivers and Cook again clears and Bournemouth win a free kick for a shove on Mahoney.

Sub for Wigan Noel Hunt comes on and off goes Grigg on 51 minutes. Boruc clears straight to Morsy 45 yards out!

Roberts wins a free kick. Steve Cook wins the header. Bournemouth win the free kick. Morsy is getting treatment. Hunt and Roberts shoots, but it's wide.

Simoson loses the ball to Massey against Daniels and Power to the byline but Cook gets a clearance in.

Musset is away to Afobe and he gets his feet tangled up and the ball runs through to the keeper! Pugh in the box, Arter and Surman and Fraser wins a corner.

Pugh takes and aims for Afobe. Fraser back in and Surman doesn't get to it." Bournemouth have had opportunities in the last few minutes and they haven't taken them," says John Williams.

Shot from Wigan goes just wide from Colclough. Boruc has thrown the ball out to Morsy!

Bournemouth sub, Jordan Ibe comes on for Mahoney on 64 minutes. Ibe gets his first touches, back heel to Fraser and Afobe tries an attempted overhead but doesn't make good contact.

Daniels and Pugh attack with 21 minutes left. Afobe and Surman now Arter delivers to Mousset but the header drops wide! Lots of chances for Bournemouth but they haven't taken any of them.

Mousset is down after Elder's challenge. Ibe through ball for Afobe and the number nine fires wide! "This is fast becoming the Benik Afobe game isn't it? With the chances he's had. three good chances," says John Williams. "He could have had a hat-trick tonight."

Daniels gives a corner to Wigan. A good chance for Gary Roberts with Boruc slow to come out, but the ball ends up in Brouc's hands.

Wigan make a change. On comes Dan Byrne and off goes Ryan Colclough. Surman to Fraser and Mousset and Afobe loses out to Jones.

Arter and Pugh loses out to Byrne. Massey deflected shot side of the post. Surman had just got back to do enough. Wigan corner is out by Afobe.

Power ball in and, off the crossbar, and in by Byrne, 2-0 to Wigan. Bournemouth have 17 minutes to save themselves. The cup shock is on for Wigan.

Max Power crosses and Elder's low header makes it 3-0 to Wigan! A bullet header and Bournemouth trail by three! This is turning into a rout on 76 minutes.

Bournemouth make a sub. Hyndman replaces Fraser on 78 minutes. Long ball for Hunt and Cook gets it back to the keeper.

Mousset to Daniels ball in and the ball comes off two Bournemouth players for a goal kick! Ibe and Hyndman finds Mousset but he runs the ball out. Ibe gets to the ball first and crosses to Mousset, eight yards out and he misses! Wasteful.

Wigan have a corner now. Boruc gets the ball. Ibe holds the ball up for Arter and Hyndman, but his chip goes out of play.

Wigan sub Roberts for Michael Jacobs. Bournemouth sub Surman for Kyle Taylor to make his debut for Bournemouth. Pugh to Ibe and Ibe is closed down by Perkins. Hunt goes to the corner flag.

Afobe now and Taylor. Arter puts the ball out to Pugh. Taylor is getting touches. Ibe against Byrne to Pugh and the keeper comes for that one.

Massey and Power shoots and Cook deflects it to take it out for a corner over the bar. Bournemouth free kick. A minute of added time to go.

That's it, we're out! No silverware this year.

Summary
Bournemouth didn't want to lose momentum after their last match but they found it hard to get going against Wigan and soon found themselves 1-0 down to the league one side again. Surman couldn't pick a pass and Arter was running round like a mad man. Afobe again put in a lacklustre performance. Wigan were putting themselves about but it was the senior Bournemouth players that were needing to show some metal in this game. Artur Boruc and Steve Cook apart it seemed that most of them went missing. The bench was of course packed with youngsters and it would have served some of the starting 11 well if Eddie had chucked a load of them on at half time. It got worse second half as Afobe continued to miss chances and Wigan finally started to take some of theirs. Bournemouth had lost their last three FA Cup replays and now they have a fourth. It's not a stat that Eddie Howe will be particularly proud of.


AFCB 3-4-2-1
Boruc, S Cook, Simpson, Daniels, Fraser, Arter, Surman, Pugh, Mousset, Mahoney, Afobe

AFCB subs
Federici, Hobson, Butcher, Hyndman, Taylor, Ibe, Ndjouli

Wigan
Jones, Power, Dunkley, Bruce, Elder, Perkins, Morsy, Colclough, Roberts, Massey, Grigg

Wigan subs
Walton, Byrne, Jacobs, Hunt, Powell, James, Burn

Wigan could be tougher than Arsenal game for Bournemouth

In a week that has started well for the Cherries it is very important that Wigan Athletic don't go and spoil it. It would be just Bournemouth's luck that they find all they have done by beating Arsenal is make themselves a bigger scalp for the league One side. I'm optimistic though that Wigan won't be under estimated and that the momentum Bournemouth have created can be built upon.

The FA Cup might not be a priority for either club, but the benefits a win bring can be more than just getting through to the next round. Bournemouth need to get a few players back in match trim and the game comes at a good time for some of the players. Many of those who sat on the bench on Saturday will surely play and Eddie Howe will be closely watching the form of those players who need to get back on track.

Wigan will be up for this game.

Wigan Athletic have just played the one match since the third Round FA Cup tie at Dean Court and they will have been a bit disappointed to only get a 0-0 draw with Peterborough at home. So this is another chance to show their fans that they can mix it with teams from higher divisions and they know they can't sit back but have to take the initiative like they did in the first game. If they don't get off to a great start though, Bournemouth should find they can play with a bit less pressure away from home and the win at the weekend should encourage those who missed out to press their claim again for Premier League starts.

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Bournemouth know that if they are sloppy Wigan have players that will put away chances and I think Eddie Howe will be asking his players to do more to make this a real test for Wigan. That may mean playing a few more big names than we saw in the first leg and it is likely that we will see Josh King and Junior Stanislas, if they are well enough recovered. Whatever team Howe puts out though, he will not want to go into next weekend's crunch game with West Ham without having seen more of his players play well. 

In other news, AFCB's training ground gets approval and AFCB say goodbye to former groundsman John Harris.

ASK Fans' match Preview West Ham Utd v AFCB

Mousset is primed to be the one to watch tonight

Lys Mousset has suddenly found himself on the verge of playing a bigger part in Bournemouth's season than he might have hoped for. He did play well enough in the first tie against Wigan to get another crack at it tonight and it was interesting to see Eddie Howe go over to Mousset and make sure he was the player that he had a few words to before coming off the pitch to congratulate him in his part in the goal that Wilson scored against Arsenal.

Mousset is getting his opportunity.

I don't think we know yet how good Lys Mousset is. He has shown against Wigan already that he can strike a good shot and will be aiming to be the main man on the score sheet tonight. It would not surprise me if Eddie Howe was running on the pitch last Sunday to tell Mousset that he had a big week ahead of him, and while Defoe remains injured, and Wilson is having to do a lot of work in Premier League games, the door seems a little wider for Mousset to play now and I bet Benik Afobe knows it too.

Lys is the first sub at present for Bournemouth going by recent events and I'm hopeful that he is going to get the nod a bit more often now from Howe. It's apparently his fitness that was holding him back, but I think he can be more than an impact player.

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Keep your eyes on Mousset. I get the impression he is very near a real break through for the Cherries and we could be about to see that he can get more than a goal in a game. Wigan will not have seen much of him apart from the game the other week and I expect that Dinkley and Burn will know they will be kept busy by the Frenchman in particular. Mousset was happily celebrating with Jordan Ibe at the weekend, it's now his time to get in on the act.

Daily Mail Fans' Verdict AFCB v Arsenal

Steve Cook has developed a taste for late goals

I suppose we should be getting used to seeing Steve Cook come up with late winners. He almost scored against Liverpool late on and he did of course get a headed winner against Newcastle, so when he popped up again to get the equaliser against Wigan in the third round of the FA Cup, I'm starting to think that he has become Bournemouth's most dangerous player in the last five minutes of games.

Cook will soon have a new nickname if he keeps the late goals coming - last minute man.

Steve Cook is one of those players that might not have a lot of fan shirts with his name on the back of them, but he epitomises the never say die attitude of the Cherries. He really enjoys getting the chance to get forward for corners and any pressure situations in the final minutes of games he seems to look forward to. He always has jumped well at set-pieces and while he may not have the fineness of the best finishers at the club, he is becoming a safe house to call upon when AFCB are really up against it.

The goal he got against Wigan was far from easy. He had the tall Dan Burn jumping in front of him as well as Nathan Aké trying to get the goal. Still, Cook gambled to perfection in expecting Pugh's cross to reach him and he did not flinch when needing to direct the ball past Christian Walton, knowing it was probably the last chance AFCB would get.

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If Eddie Howe could bottle that kind of courage and determination I am sure he would. When these things happen regularly for a team in a season there is a kind of belief that the goals will keep coming late and it's a great feeling to have for the players. Steve Cook will have been back to training this week and will be saying, I told you I'd score with the right cross. You can't deny that he is one of the best headers of the ball in an AFCB shirt and I just hope he inspires others to also believe they can get goals in this team, as we head into the most difficult second half of a season that AFCB have had for a while.

Pugh and Ibe show their worth

It's funny how our perception of players changes when we see the alternatives. The match against Wigan was a good example of how valuable fitness is to AFCB's squad when they are doing all they can to stay with the Premier League elite. AFCB needed to make changes for the FA Cup and I expect most fans would agree with Eddie's decision this season, but it was very evident that in the end Howe had to turn to his first team players to rescue the tie.

Pugh is still turning it on when AFCB most need him.

It's important that we recognise the part that Jordan Ibe and Marc Pugh made to the Cherries revival against Wigan. They were both able to make the assists that led to the two Bournemouth goals and they found that bit extra when the team needed it. It is probable that neither Pugh or Ibe are Eddie's first choices on the wings when Junior Stanisals and Ryan Fraser are available, but they do play with understanding.

Jordan Ibe is on form but can more of AFCB's players start performing?

What Bournemouth have not found this season though is a rhythm, as Eddie likes to call it, that can last 90 minutes. Bournemouth's best performances have mainly been reactionary this season, hanging in against a superior foe like Man Utd. But Wigan were not superior as a league One team and AFCB failed to put their dominance down early on the game which only emboldened Wigan.

For AFCB to function well it is imperative that the wide men do break through defences and cause problems and while Benik Afobe looked ineffectual as a striker through the middle, it was clever of Howe to play to Bournemouth's strengths by half time and get Pugh and Ibe on. Who would have thought that Ibe would have been a strength a few weeks ago? To me it shows how things can change, and even those who right off Benik Afobe now could find that he has a part to play in keeping AFCB up come next May.

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Not every player can seize their chance when the moment comes, but Ibe and Pugh did nothing to harm their cause and let's just hope a few more players can do well when called upon in the next few months. 

It's time we all got behind our players and gave them our full support as we don't know who the next heroes will be but any player who runs out in a red and black shirt has worked hard to earn that right and we should try and give them the best platform we can to perform on. I'd say there were a couple who were perhaps not ready on Saturday to be at their best, but I bet none of them wanted to go 0-2 down. UTCIAD!

Can Lys Mousset turn into a star player?

I like a trier and Lys Mousset is certainly one of them. He never stops trying and while Eddie Howe says Mousset's fitness has been something that has held him back, Mousset has the electric burst over the first five to 10 metres that make him a difficult player to defend against.

Lys Mousset is on the edge of the team but can he force
his way in more regularly by this time next season?

Lys took his goal well against Wigan Athletic and it's hard to know yet how much that goal really means to him. If he can take some encouragement from knowing he was the catalyst for AFCB getting back into the game then we may have a different Lys Mousset now amongst AFCB's ranks. I hope so, as Lys has an excellent chance to be part of an AFCB team that not only survives but could thrive in the Premier League.

This season he has played a few more minutes in important games but he has not been the striker that Eddie Howe has turned to first on the sub's bench and that has to be his next aim. He does offer something out of the ordinary compared to Bournemouth's other strikers. I wonder if he himself knows what he is about t do at times in a game and so it is no wonder that opponents often get bamboozled by his turns and pace.

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What Lys needs to do is to make more of his strikes count. It sounds easy but the truly valued strikers don't get frustrated when they miss, but they just get up and do better next time. I was impressed that Lys goes for the difficult if not impossible though at times. like his early effort to bicycle volley an Adam Smith cross in the first half against Wigan. If it had gone in it would have been a goal often season contender. Lys thumped the ground in annoyance that he didn't do better. Perhaps he made the wrong choice but he has shown he is prepared to gamble and perhaps he has not gambled enough in a Bournemouth shirt. If he can try to guess where he needs to get to in order to get more shots off then perhaps his goal ratio will start climbing.

Whether Lys can become a star player is still very much in the balance. Eddie seemed delighted that the Frenchman made it through 90 minutes. It seemed more important than the goal to Howe. But if Lys can keep pleasing Eddie then he will get more minutes to impress and he has to make the most of any games like the replay against Wigan to make his case for more Premier League appearances.  

Bournemouth have to be more than comeback specialists

It may be good that AFCB are finding way to get back in games, but ideally Eddie How would like them to get leads and not concede early goals. In the relegation battle though it is important for teams not to think they can't get back in matches and if the Cherries continue to pull games out of the first, they will have an important element to their game which should help them stay up.

The FA Cup tie against Wigan was another case of the Cherries making a poor start and having to chase the game. But the players on the pitch were not all first team regulars and I think this had a role in the way the team started. While it was a sluggish attempt to try and stop initial cross for the first game coming in, it was a poor attempt to win the header at the far post by Brad Smith, and whereas the ball never seems to drop for the Cherries in front of goal often enough you could guess that it would fall perfectly for Will Grigg.

AFCB players walk off after their late comeback against Wigan in the FA Cup.

The task for Bournemouth was doubly difficult after the deflected free kick went in to make it 0-2 and I suppose had the opposition been a top Premier league side there would not have been much hope of the Cherries getting back into the match. Against a League One side though there was not as much dismay around the fans I sat next to. Yes, we were annoyed that Wigan had been gifted a 0-2 head start but I felt that if Eddie Howe wanted to stay in the cup he had to make changes at half time which is rare for him.

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The comeback was on as soon as Bournemouth got their first. They had plenty of time to get the second but they really laboured after having a purple spell around the time of their first goal. I know there will be some who think Eddie should have played a stringer side form the start, but I saw the FA Cup as a fee hit game and a chance for some to rest and recover, so I have no problem with the team that started and playing a strong defence was something that I thought would help the team. There was still great relief when the second goal went in, but as it was in added time AFCB were really running out of time. I think the game will have been good for AFCB though as they didn't lose it and will gain some momentum from the fact that they are still in the cup. Eddie Howe probably didn't want a replay, but if the club can stay in the club it does give them a bit of relief from thinking about the pressures of the Premier League every week.

In other news, Ryan Allsop returns from his Blackpool loan period and Joe Quigley goes out on loan until May at Boreham Wood.

AFCB or Wigan have drawn West Ham or Shrewsbury Town at home in the Fourth round of the FA Cup.

Steve Cook saves AFCB from early FA Cup exit to Wigan 2-2

Match Report

AFCB 2 v 2 Wigan Athletic

Emirates FA Cup 6 January 2018

Attendance: 9894

Steve Cook has another big match to remember.

Bournemouth lived to fight another game in the FA Cup after Wigan Athletic pushed the Premier League side all the way. It took a 90+2 minute header from Steve Cook to save the Cherries from embarrassment on a cold afternoon when Eddie Howe had made eight changes to the side. Wigan took the lead in the third minute when the ball dropped kindly to Will Grigg on the six yard line and the League One leaders doubled their lead when a free kick came off Emerson Hyndman and looped over Artur Boruc on 29 minutes. A double substitution for Bournemouth at half time changed the game with Marc Pugh and Jordan Ibe putting AFCB on the front foot. Wigan felt the full power of the Cherries attack and Lys Mousset powered in his first goal of the season on 55 minutes. A last minute salvage operation earned Bournemouth a replay, but Wigan fans may wonder how they did not get a penalty moments earlier when Toney looked clear through on goal with Boruc rushing out and Adam Smith perhaps getting the benefit of the doubt for his challenge.

AFCb v Wigan line up.

The team Howe selected was a mixture of regulars and those who had not been getting games. So in came Brad Smith at left back and Connor Mahoney on the right wing, while Emerson Hyndman joined Andrew Surman in the middle of the pitch. Ryan Fraser was back as well as Nathan Aké, while Afobe and Mousset started up front.

There are more pictures on Match Day Gallery.

Will Grigg gets ready to kick off.

It was quite some start with Wigan breaking down the left with Jacobs and then James, who crossed to the far post where Massey headed back for a predatory Will Grigg to slam home the first goal on just three minutes. Brad Smith had been out jumped at the far post and  Grigg was quick than Aké to the knockdown. It was just the start the League One sided would have dreamt of and you felt the nerves shuddering through the Cherries after that.

Bournemouth replied with a free kick from the right that led to a Lys Mousset header being saved by Christian Walton, the on loan Brighton keeper.

Bournemouth came even closer on 16 minutes when Mahoney got round the back and Mousset had a shot blocked on the line.  Wigan were defending corners well enough while Surman and Brad Smith looked on different wavelength on the left.

A Wigan turnover, with Andrew Surman caught on the ball, saw Jacobs pass to Nick Powell who shot just wide on 25 minutes. Mousset was looking most likely to score for the Cherries and he made a spectacular volley that went wide on 27 minutes from an Adam Smith cross.

Wigan found themselves winning a free kick off a Brad Smith handball some 30 yards out on the right. Bournemouth put up a three-man wall with the large Dan Burn standing with it and the shot from Powell deflected off Emerson Hyndman's head and looped over Boruc right into the goal to make it 0-2 to the visitors. There was a shove from Burn across the wall, but the goal was of Bournemouth's own making and Boruc was completely wrong footed from the deflection.

Bournemouth were getting in shooting positions but wasting them. A free kick led to Fraser next volleying over the bar. Massey was carded for a foul on Fraser before Bournemouth had a late corner. Adam Smith took his frustration out on James and was also booked and while Mahoney had a shot just before the whistle went for half time it was well saved at the right post.

Brad Smith and Connor Mahoney get pulled at half time.

Not a great start.

Second half
Ibe replaced Mahoney and Pugh came on for Brad Smith as the second half started. Nathan Aké showed a burst of speed to head off Powell, but Wigan had the first corner of the second half. Bournemouth came back with Afobe having a shot pushed over the bar.

Bournemouth kept possession better now and Bournemouth started to get some corners with Pugh putting in a great cross at one stage that Walton clawed out from the sky. Bournemouth came closer still when Steve Cook crashed his header from the following corner against the bar, before Pugh's tame shot was caught by Walton.

Bournemouth quickly recovered possession and on the right Ibe found Mousset who lashed his right footed shot into the roof of the net, top right corner 1-2.

Wigan subbed Powell for Perkins on 56 minutes. The pressure was on Wigan now with Bournemouth in control. A Pugh cross saw Steve Cook put a hooked shot wide, just after Mousset had his shot blocked.

Will Grigg was subbed for Toney on 65 minutes and Wigan had a corner that almost saw Toney score with his first touch, but he put it wide. Wigan then had a better chance with James on the right crossing for Power who shot over.

Afobe was subbed for Callum Wilson on 71 minutes and Aké had a neat shot saved at the foot of the right post. Steve Cook headed over before Aké also had another shot blocked form a corner. Ibe was getting a lot of the ball and running past Wigan players well but Wigan were getting their blocks in.

Mousset and Wilson were not getting the ball to fall to them just right in front of goal, while Hyndman smashed his drive well over. When Massey slowly walked off for Roberts on 83 minutes it didn't look like Bournemouth would be getting out of trouble this time. Powell was carded for a foul on Adam Smith as time began to run out.

A free kick from Fraser was touched on to the bar and over for a corner and from the corner Wigan broke with Roberts and Morsy, then Toney just had Boruc to beat. Boruc came out and spread his legs in a scissor shape as Toney was about to shoot and while Toney went down referee Andy Madley waved all calls for a penalty away.

Three minutes of added time gave Bournemouth a lifeline. Ibe put in a good cross that Dunkley kept out but it only went to Pugh who crossed from the left with his shorts still riding up high on his left leg, while Steve Cook rose well to head in from close in making it 2-2. That was enough to see the Wigan assistant manager, Liam Richardson, sent to the stands. Finally, a Ryan Fraser strike right at the end almost won it for AFCB, but the shot came off the foot of the post.

A replay it is then.

Summary

Bournemouth had to make changes with the perilous league position and so many injuries. While the crossing abilities of Pugh and Ibe made a massive difference in the second half it could easily have been a cup exit for the Cherries and Howe will just be pleased that they get another chance. Steve Cook is making a habit of getting AFCB out of trouble and this was another late goal, which almost made it feel like a win. Getting more rhythm and purpose to Bournemouth's play will be Howe's concern but on this day they did enough to get a replay and it will be no easier to get a result up at Wigan.

Lys Mousset gets his goal.

AFCB fight another day.

AFCB Player Ratings

Boruc 5, A Smith 6, S Cook 7, Aké 7, B Smith 4 (Pugh 7), Mahoney 4 (Ibe 7), Hyndman 5,
Surman 5, Fraser 8,  Mousset 7, Afobe 4 (Wilson 6)

Cherry Chimes' MOM - Ryan Fraser

AFCB Subs: Federici, Simpson, Gosling, Pugh, Butcher, Ibe, Wilson

Referee Watch: Andy Madley 5/10 I was not sure about the late penalty decision, but I'm very glad he didn't give it. On replay, it did not look like there was much need for Ivan Toney to go down as he did, but changing direction and Adam Smith attempting to put the striker off saw him hit the ground pretty hard.

Wigan Athletic
Walton, Byrne, Dunkley, Burn, James, Morsy, Power, Jacobs, Powell (Perkins 56), Massey (Roberts 83), Grigg (Toney 65)

Wigan Subs
Elder, Perkins, Toney, MacDonald, Roberts, Hunt, Sarkic