CHERRIE GRIPE
Danjuma admits: We have mountain to climb
ARNAUT DANJUMA admits Bournemouth face a tall order to make the play-offs after their second-half capitulation handed Barnsley another win.
Danjuma looked to have set the Cherries on course for a crucial victory against a topsix contender with a goal and an assist to give them a 2-1 half-time lead.
But Barnsley came storming back after the break and Holland international Danjuma, whose side are now five points behind the sixth-placed Tykes, said: “We have a huge mountain to climb.
“Climbing a mountain is difficult but it is not impossible, so I would like to stay positive and still aim for the play-offs until it’s done.
“We were in control of the first half and, if you lead 2-1 at half-time at home, you should finish it off with a win.”
Danjuma also vowed to keep standing up against bigots after being subjected to Islamophobic abuse on social media in the buildup to the game. The winger said: “I have had loads of positive reactions. It is always good to speak about racial abuse and social injustice.
“It is easy for me to deal with because I have a very thick skin and I’d like to be a voice of those who have no sound.
“The club stood behind me, the players stood behind me and the club is prosecuting the guy. It is good to make sure you always stand up for what is right.”
Barnsley took an early lead through defender Michal Helik’s tap-in before strikes from Danjuma and Dominic Solanke put the Cherries ahead. Dominik Frieser’s first goal of 2021 and super-sub Carlton Morris’s late header made it eight wins in nine for the visitors (Morris celebrates with team-mates Daryl Dike and Callum Brittain, below).
Miracle-working boss Valerien Ismael claims there is no pressure on his side going into the final 10 games of the season.
He said: “This is the good thing in this situation. We have put ourselves in such a good position we can go into any game without pressure, and will take the games one by one.
“We can use this situation to our advantage. Every game that we win, we put more pressure on everybody and that is what we want to do.”
MOTM CARLTON MORRIS (BARNSLEY)
BOURNEMOUTH: Begovic 7, Smith 6 (Stacey 45, 5), Carter-Vickers 6, S Cook 6, Kelly 6, Stanislas 7, Lerma 6, Pearson 6 (Billing 65, 5), Danjuma 7, Long 5 (Surridge 65, 6), Solanke 7
BARNSLEY: Collins 7, Sibbik 6, Helik 7, Andersen 7, Brittain 6, Palmer 5 (Kane 46, 7), Mowatt 5, Williams 5 (Styles 46, 6), Frieser 7 (Dike 67, 6), Woodrow 5, Chaplin 5 (Morris 46, 8)