Bournemouth 2 Everton 1
The Cherries welcomed an Everton side who had gone eleven games without victory. Andoni Iraola’s side were looking to inflict some more pain on their opponents, who are well and truly embroiled in yet another relegation dogfight.
Two things you cannot fault with Everton fans is their passion and their ability to print an abundance of ‘Premier League corrupt’ cards for home games. Despite this, three months without a victory is enough to test the patience of even the most loyal of fans.
Bournemouth started in positive mood as Semenyo cut in from the left and got a shot away from outside the box. Pickford made a block but parried the ball back into the danger area, fortunately for him Cook smashed the follow-up into the stands.
Everton created their first chance of the game when Calvert-Lewin won a header from a long ball forward. Tarkowski could not get a shot away but held it up and laid it off to the striker, who forced a good save out of Neto in The Cherries’ goal.
Credit: @afcbournemouth
Iraola’s side started to ask more questions of the visitors. Semenyo in particular, as he seized upon a loose ball in the box to get off a strike at goal, only to see his effort strike the foot of the post. It was the closest we had come to the deadlock being broken on the south coast.
As the game headed towards the interval, the visitors had asked very little of Neto in The Cherries’ goal. Sean Dyche must wonder what he has to do to get his side into some good form, they are not playing like a team whose Premier League status depends on it right now.
Into the second half, Calvert-Lewin was found in the box and ended up in a heap on the ground, demanding a penalty. The referee waved away his protests and a VAR check confirmed that the official had made the right decision.
This is where the system is broken. The replay showed that as the striker turned, the defender kicks at the ball and misses, striking Calvert-Lewin in the shin. Now the VAR review is not checking whether that is a foul but a ‘clear and obvious error’.
If missing the fact that a player has connected with the striker does not fall into that category, we may as well scrap the whole system now. Failing that, let’s ramp it up a bit and only allow registered blind people to man the VAR studio.
The Toffees continued to apply some pressure, as they played a short corner, McNeil skipped past the defender and into the box. He got to the byline and seemingly noticed Neto off his line. As he tried to sneak the ball in behind him, it clipped the post and struck a defender stood a yard off the line.
Credit: @afcbournemouth
Bournemouth managed to clear their lines and keep their clean sheet intact. At this point, Dyche must have wondered if he did something wrong in a previous life as Semenyo countered, Kelly clipped a ball into the box and Solanke headed home to give The Cherries the lead.
With time running out, McNeil crossed from out wide and Neto dropped the cross under pressure from Beto. It dropped to the feet of the substitute and he knocked the ball into an empty net. The visitors had been gifted an equaliser in the most bizarre of circumstances.
As the fourth official held his board aloft to show there were to be six additional minutes, you could almost hear the groan from Dyche. One minute later, Smith whipped in a cross from the right wing without a Bournemouth player in sight in the box.
Seamus Coleman looked to chest the ball, presumably to his keeper and it ends up in the back of the net. It was a cruel blow for the visitors as they seemed to even the game up by returning the favour of the goal they were gifted.
The Cherries held on for all three points to put some real distance between themselves and the teams at the foot of the table. It is hard to see where Everton’s next victory is coming from, a feeling Sean Dyche may be starting to share.
Did you enjoy this article? Please share to your social media. With one click you can help spread the word and make Solid at the Back the one-stop shop for all Premier League fans.