Moore puts Cherries in the promised land
IT WAS the kind of game that needed a moment of genius, something a little out of the ordinary. Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest had been inseparable for 83 minutes, the occasion tense, the contest tight.
It was then that Jordan Zemura was tripped by Scott McKenna on the edge of the Forest penalty box.
Ryan Christie made his bid, then stepped away from the ball. That left Philip Billing over it and the whole of the Vitality Stadium awaited a whipped shot. Nope. In one of the most lucrative training ground moves of all time, Billing passed to Kieffer Moore, whose golden shot put Bournemouth in the Premier League.
A few nail-biting minutes later and Bournemouth were there. Home and dry in the second automatic promotion place, the breathless pursuit of Forest and others over at last.
The stands emptied, the pitch a sea of red and black. The Cherries were back in the big time after two seasons away, taken there by Scott Parker’s second promotion in three seasons.
‘I’ve dreamt of this moment as a kid and thankfully I get to live it,’ Moore said. ‘We locked eyes and just saw the space. Thankfully Phil played me the ball and the rest is history.’
Forest will have to go into the play-offs, their miraculous transformation under Steve Cooper may yet be completed but it will be done the hard way.
‘Deep down, you know when you’ve done all right,’ said Cooper. ‘It’s a disappointment but whether we like it or not we have to get on with it. We’ll take heart and a lot of pride and will be ready.’
There was a cup final feel to the occasion with so much at stake and a boisterous atmosphere. That transmitted into a fullbloodied opening, with neither set of players holding back.
Lloyd Kelly and Brennan Johnson were soon squaring up, while Steve Cook — who will be granted a testimonial by the Cherries later this year having left for Forest in January — slid in on old team-mate Dominic Solanke.
The hosts carved out the first chance. Solanke broke into the box, the ball popped out to Billing and his cross-cum-shot was touched away by Brice Samba.
Forest’s other Bournemouth old boy, Sam Surridge, came even closer on nine minutes. Djed Spence strode into space and slotted the perfect through ball. Surridge only had Mark Travers to beat but saw his shot crash back off the crossbar.
Cook was in the wars and needed treatment for a head wound following a clash with Billing at a corner. The cut opened up again a few minutes later and Cook was more Vaseline than forehead for the rest of the game.
Forest started to get on top as the contest settled. Zemura made a crucial block in front of goal to deny Johnson’s effort after Philip Zinckernagel crossed.
And 20-year-old Johnson, one of the outstanding players of the Championship season, worked space on the edge of the box but fired straight at Travers.
Bournemouth created the first chance of the second half, Solanke latching on to a Christie pass but firing into the side-netting.
When midfielder Jefferson Lerma pulled a muscle, Parker sought to harness Bournemouth’s second-half impetus by bringing on a forward in Moore.
Billing got the better of Ryan
Yates and only had to lay the ball back to a team-mate, but hesitated and Samba claimed.
The Forest keeper then swatted away Jaidon Anthony’s shot after more good wing play.
Following Moore’s crucial strike, Forest mounted a late siege but rarely looked like scoring. Samba, forward for a late corner, flicked on to the roof of the net.
• BOURNEMOUTH and Wales winger David Brooks is cancer free, seven months after being diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma.
‘Delighted to say the treatment was successful and I am now cancer free,’ he said. ‘Those words feel incredible to say and I am so thankful for all your messages and good wishes, these really helped me through tough times.’