LEWIS BACK TO HAUNT CHERRIES
Striker is on five already this term
LEWIS GRABBAN might have come back to haunt his former club but Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe was just happy to stop a minirot at Norwich.
Somewhat inevitably Grabban, who swapped Bournemouth for Carrow Road this summer, netted his fifth of an already productive season against the Cherries to put Norwich in front after 15 minutes.
But they couldn’t hold the lead up until half-time as just before the break Callum Wilson slotted home.
That was how it stayed and while Bournemouth and Norwich both had chances to find a winner, Howe was just happy to pick up a point after back-to-back league defeats.
“To come here and get a point is a good result on the back of two defeats,” he said. “It was important that we came here and got something.
“After going a goal down I thought the players responded well. We rode our luck at times but we got what we deserved in the end.
“The equaliser came at an important time for us. We were under a lot of pressure without conceding too many chances, which is annoying for us because it's usually the other way around.
“We looked dangerous on the counter attack and the goal was a magnificent goal. We switched play from the side-to-side and it was a really incisive move so it was really nice to great to see us score.
“We were never going to come here and totally out-play Norwich, not with the players they have, but we showed a different side to our game that you wouldn't associate with us.”
Bournemouth’s Dan Gosling had the first shot of the game after six minutes but his long-range drive flew aimlessly over the bar.
But 15 minutes in the visitors found themselves behind as Grabban continued his hot-streak against his former side when he met Nathan Redmond's precise cross with a bullet header.
Grabban drilled an effort wide on 27 minutes before former Rangers man Kyle Lafferty struck tamely at Lee Camp in the Cherries goal.
Camp turned Redmond's narrow free-kick behind before Tommy Elphick cut-out Alex Tettey's cross shortly before the break with the hosts dominating.
But right on half-time former Coventry striker Wilson slammed home an equaliser at the back post after Simon Francis' drilled cross following a cute ball by Junior Stanislas.
Bradley Johnson fluffed a shot into the arms of Camp just after the break as Norwich looked to get back on top.
Michael Turner then nodded over after he met Tettey's deep cross on 62 minutes and ex-Burnley man Stanislas nearly got lucky after his deflected strike flew just over John Ruddy's goal.
Cameron Jerome and Josh Murphy were introduced but Bournemouth’s stubborn defence would not be broken.
Grabban miss-hit a shot on 74 minutes under pressure from the impressive Steve Cook, before Murphy blazed his long-range effort way over.
Substitute Marc Pugh's volley forced a save out of Ruddy with 11 minutes left but Bournemouth kept coming as Camp tipped Johnson’s 30-yard free-kick over at the death.
Norwich manager Neil Adams said: “We probably dominated the game, in particular the second half and the game was mostly played in their half of the pitch and you are just waiting for that goal to come.
“I thought it would come, but it didn’t.We got a point, we wanted three, but overall I think it was a fair result.
“We can't be high-fiving after a draw because at Carrow Road though as we need to be winning all the time.”