Cherries see promotion hopes turn sour with loss at Forest

LONDON: Eddie Howe will be happy to see Bournemouth written off after their promotion hopes were dented again.

The Cherries boss admitted he was “baffled” to see his Championship high-fliers lose 2-1 at Nottingham Forest after they threatened to run riot in an electric first 20 minutes.

Andrew Surman’s spectacular third-minute opener fired Bournemouth ahead and Forest boss Dougie Freedman’s unbeaten record was looking under real threat.

But the hosts weathered the storm and hit back through Jamaal Lascelles and skipper Henri Lansbury before the break.

Howe, though, believes Bournemouth, who have not won in four league games, are still good enough to finish in the top two.

He said: “It’s tight but it’s always a missed opportunity when you don’t win.

“It’ll go to the wire. A lot of teams will probably write us off now and that’s fine.

“Everyone outside of Bournemouth will be thinking that way now after our recent run.

“We have to make sure we don’t panic and use whatever criticism we get to fire us again and reignite our challenge.

“There’s such a long way to go. Even in the games we haven’t won, we could have done and that’s a good sign.

“It can all change in the blink of an eye. I believe this team’s good enough to finish in the top two. I’ve always thought it – and that hasn’t changed.”

Howe added: “The way we started the game, I’m baffled how we lost it.

“Unfortunately, we lost our momentum, conceded a poor goal from a set-piece and a free-kick which was poor timing before the break.” — The Sun, London