Four-some Cherries turn on the style as Dan proves the man
ARNAUT DANJUMA took just 24 seconds to set Bournemouth on their way into the play-off places.
Dutch destroyer Danjuma scored twice and made another as the Cherries routed lowly Coventry to pick up their fourth straight win.
Manager Jonathan Woodgate admitted Danjuma was frustrated to be denied the chance to complete a hat-trick after being substituted late on.
He said: “He wanted to stay on to try and get his hat-trick but it’s the team that comes first.
“If something happened to him in the last five minutes, I’d never forgive myself.
“He will have more chances in his career to score hat-tricks but the team is more important than an individual player being on two goals.
“A 4-1 victory is a good result because Coventry are a decent team and should be higher in the table.
“I thought we played really well.
“We played with a high intensity from the start and were difficult to play against.
“That is what I ask for, to start quickly and put the opposition on the back foot.”
Following Reading’s defeat at Watford on Friday, the Cherries knew a point would be enough to propel them into sixth place.
But there was never any danger Woodgate’s men would settle for a draw and they got off to a blistering start, with Danjuma breaking the deadlock straight from kick-off.
David Brooks raced down the right before caressing a cross into the path of Danjuma, who gleefully slotted home from six yards.
Coventry were level just two minutes later thanks to a sweetly struck 25-yard free-kick from Leicester loanee Matty James.
David Brooks and Danjuma both came close to restoring Bournemouth’s lead before the Holland man doubled his and the Cherries’ tally on 28 minutes.
Danjuma combined neatly with Philip Billing before squeezing his shot through the legs of Sky Blues keeper Marko Marosi and into the far corner from a tight angle on 69 minutes.
Brooks then put the game out of Coventry’s reach with a cushioned finish from Danjuma’s pin-point cross.
The Cherries added a fourth in stoppage time when a combination of Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke and Sky Blues substitute Dominic Thompson diverted Ben Pearson’s cross into the net.
Coventry also had defender Josh Pask stretchered off with a head injury following a stomach-turning collision with Billing.
Manager Mark Robins said: “He has been taken to hospital so we hope it is not too serious.
“But this result isn’t the end of the world, we have to learn from it and move on.”
BOURNEMOUTH: Begovic 6; Smith 6, Carter-Vickers 7, Steve Cook 6, Kelly 6; Lerma 6, Wilshere 5 (Pearson (72nd)
6); Danjuma 9 (Anthony 90th), Billing
7 (Riquelme 90th), Brooks 8 (Stacey
90th); Solanke 6 (Surridge 90th)
COVENTRY: Marosi 6; Ostigard 5, McFadzean 5, Pask 6 (Thompson
(60th) 5); Eccles 5, Kelly 6 (Hamer
79th), James 7, McCallum 6; Godden 4 (Gyokeres 79th), O’Hare 6 (Allen 90th), Walker 7 (Bakayoko 90th)
STAR MAN: Arnuat Danjuma
REF: D Webb
B’mouth Coventry
7 Shots on target 2
4 Shots off target 3
1 Blocked shots 2
4 Corners 3
9 Fouls 10
1 Offsides 2
0 Yellow cards 1
0 Red cards 0
83 Passing success % 66.7
11 Tackles 14
81.8 Tackles won % 78.6
66.9 Possession % 33.1