Dembele makes fast work of Robins
B’MOUTH ..... 3 BRISTOL C ..2
FASTING Siriki Dembele left Scott Parker hungry for more after scoring a sizzling solo goal to fire Bournemouth a step closer to a Premier League return.
Devout Muslim Dembele is refraining from eating during daylight hours until May 1 during Ramadan.
But the substitute had Parker drooling after taking Bristol City players out of the game with a mazy run before calmly slotting home what proved to be the winner.
Cherries chief Parker said: “It was a sensational goal. If you give him the ball, he can dribble one against one and cause people problems.”
Bournemouth got off to a nightmare start when defender Rob Atkinson headed his first Robins goal from Matty James’ fourth-minute corner.
Dominic Solanke turned in a 40th-minute equaliser from Jordan Zemura’s low cross and the Cherries took the lead in the 52nd minute when Lewis Cook’s 25-yard strike beat keeper Dan Bentley at his near post.
Dembele finished from six yards in the 81st minute before Andreas Weimann reduced the arrears in stoppage time with a neat finish.
Parker added: “I thought we were very good. It was a bit edgy at the end but I was pleased with our mentality from start to finish.”
City boss Nigel Pearson said: “We were gutsy, committed and kept a good shape. They have a lot of players who have played in the Premier League but we gave them a really good game.”
BOURNEMOUTH: Travers 6; Smith 6, Phillips 6, Kelly 7, Zemura 7; Lerma 6 (Pearson 84th), Cook 8, Billing 6; Christie 7, Solanke 7 (Lowe 88th), Anthony 6 (Dembele (72nd) 7)
BRISTOL CITY: Bentley 6; Cundy 5 (Conway 80th), Klose 6, Atkinson 7; Dasilva 5, James 7, Scott 6, Pring 5 (Massengo (58th) 6), Weimann 7; Martin 5, Wells 5
STAR MAN: Lewis Cook
REF: S Martin