Dembele’s sub-lime
BOURNEMOUTH Solanke L Cook Dembele BRISTOL CITY Atkinson Weimann
ALEX CROOK
FASTING Siriki Dembele left Scott Parker hungry for more after his sizzling solo goal fired Bournemouth a step closer to a Premier League return.
Devout Muslim Dembele is refraining from eating during daylight hours until May 1 to celebrate Ramadan.
The ex-peterborough ace climbed off the bench to take three City players out of the game with a mazy run before slotting home what proved to be the winner.
Cherries chief Parker, who paid £1.5million for Dembele in January, said: “It was a sensational goal. He deserved it because he has been first class in the last two weeks. He has come into an
environment and VITAL STATS a culture that has BOURNEMOUTH BRISTOL CITY been very 9 ........ Shots on Target ......... 3 different. 8 ........ Shots off Target .......... 1 “He will say it 12 ............... Corners ................. 3 has been difficult 8 .................. Fouls .................... 7 at times, but he is 0 ............... Offsides ................. 2
starting to 85.1 Passing Success % ... 68 646 ...... Total Passes ........ 309 understand what 67.8 ..... Possession % ..... 32.2 we want.” 58.6.Territorial Adv %...41.4 The win gave
second-placed Cherries a six-point lead over Huddersfield with three games in hand, but they got off to a nightmare start when defender Rob Atkinson headed his first City goal from Matty James’ corner after four minutes.
Dominic Solanke equalised five minutes before half-time, turning in Jordan Zemura’s cross for his 25th of the season.
Bournemouth led in the 52nd minute when Lewis Cook’s 25-yarder beat Dan Bentley at his near post and then Dembele took on virtually the entire City defence with only nine minutes left.
However the visitors threatened a late comeback with Andreas Weimann’s neat finish in stoppage time.
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 I thought we gave them a really good game.” BOURNEMOUTH: Travers 6; Smith 6, Phillips 6, Kelly 7, Zemura 7; Lerma 6 (Pearson 84), Cook 8, Billing 6; Christie 7, Solanke 7 (Lowe 88), Anthony 6 (Dembele 72, 7). Subs not used: Dennis, Cantwell, Stacey, Cahill. BRISTOL CITY: Bentley 6; Cundy 5 (Conway 80), Klose 6, Atkinson 7; Dasilva 5, James 7, Scott 6, Pring 5 (Massengo 58, 6), Weimann 7; Martin 5, Wells 5. Subs not used: O’leary, Vyner, Bell, Benarous, Owers. MAN OF THE MATCH: Lewis Cook. Showed his Premier League quality by bossing midfield and scoring a fine goal. REFEREE: Stephen Martin 7.