BOURNEMOUTH 2
Mousset (65), King (89)
CRYSTAL PALACE 2
Milivojevic (47), Zaha (75) Bournemouth twice recovered from a losing position to secure a draw at home to Crystal Palace.
The visitors had led through second-half finishes from Luka Milivojevic and Wilfried Zaha, but Joshua King’s 89th-minute goal denied them the crucial victory, which would have taken them five points clear of the bottom three.
Beyond Charlie Daniels volleying over following a corner and Callum Wilson also wasting a fine chance, Bournemouth offered very little threat in the first half.
However, from the point of Palace taking the lead in the 47th minute, that significantly changed.
After Jermain Defoe fouled Yohan Cabaye on the edge of the area, Milivojevic — on his 27th birthday — curled the ball into the top right corner and beyond Asmir Begovic’s reach.
The hosts swiftly responded, when first Marc Pugh and then the impressive Lewis Cook tested Wayne Hennessey with curling efforts that forced the goalkeeper into two diving saves.
Patrick van Aanholt was then sent one-onone with Begovic when Zaha led a break as Bournemouth pushed up, but, despite an abundance of time and space, he shot straight at the goalkeeper.
After Begovic had saved again – this time from Zaha – Lys Mousset came off the bench to replace Pugh and, in the 65th minute, scored with virtually his first touch.
The returning James Tomkins’ defensive header fell to Ryan Fraser inside the area, who cushioned it back to Mousset, and the striker bent a first-time shot beyond Mamadou Sakho and Hennessey and into the bottom right corner.
From another attack on the edge of the area in the 75th minute, Zaha again wasted a shooting opportunity due to poor decision-making, but his outstanding footwork and skill created another chance immediately afterwards. This time, he fired the ball into the top left corner, albeit via a deflection off Steve Cook.
If Cook felt responsible, he then made a significant contribution to The Cherries’ late equaliser.
From a left-wing corner, Cook nodded the ball on to the unmarked King at the back post, who finished well from a couple of yards out to keep Palace under pressure at the foot of the table.