CHERRY UNLUCKY
Eddie facing the drop after cruel clash with Saints
BOURNEMOUTH 0 SOUTHAMPTON 2
FOOTBALL can be a very cruel game indeed. When you are scrapping for every last point, Lady Luck very rarely smiles.
Of course, it had to be Danny Ings who plunged the knife into his former side.
And, of course, VAR in the fifth minute of injury time, had to rule out a Sam Surridge equaliser. A point that got away that might have
made so much difference to Bournemouth. And yes, of course, as the hosts chased that equaliser, Southampton had to break away a minute later to grab their second goal through Che Adams. A cruel, cruel world. Now if Watford earn a point at home to Manchester City tomorrow, Bournemouth will be down after five wonderful years in the Premier League.
Yesterday, they ran up against Ings – who even missed a penalty – and a Saints defence who were just too strong. Cherries manager Eddie Howe handed Ings, then 17, a three-year contract in the summer of 2010, and later took him to Burnley in a £1million deal. This Ings is now a very different player as he proved again. Five minutes before half-time James WardProwse whipped the ball across the face of the Cherries area. Nathan Redmond touched it on and Ings had plenty to do, with two defenders in front of him. But a skip sideways left them floundering, and he fired into the corner of the net.
In the 59th minute, Ings had the chance to make it 2-0 after Harry Wilson handled in the area. But the excellent Aaron Ramsdale saved the spotkick and then did even better to foil Redmond when he was clean through.
After Alex McCarthy fumbled from Lloyd Kelly’s throw, Surridge thought he had given Bournemouth a lifeline.VAR said no.
And then Adams made certain of it all as he rattled in Michael Obafemi’s pass. Heartbreaking. BOURNEMOUTH (4-4-2): Ramsdale 7; Stacey, 6, S Cook 6, Kelly 6, Rico 6; Brooks 6 (H Wilson 46, 6), Billing 6 (Gosling 87), Lerma 6, (Surridge 82), Stanislas 6 (Solanke 70, 6); King 6 (L Cook 69, 6), C Wilson 6.
SOUTHAMPTON (4-2-2-2): McCarthy 7; Walker-Peters 7, Stephens 7, Vestergaard 7, Bertrand 7; Ward-Prowse 7, Romeu 7 (Hojbjerg, 77); Armstrong 6, Redmond 7; Long 7 (Adams 66, 7), Ings 8 (Obafemi 90). Goals: Ings 41, Adams 90.