CHERRIES ON TOP FOR RYAN
BOURNEMOUTH..1 N.FOREST..O
RYAN CHRISTIE has fulfilled his dream of reaching the Premier League – after the former Celtic winger helped Bournemouth clinch promotion in a tense clash ending in eight agonising minutes of stoppage time.
Christie was celebrating when the whistle blew to seal second place after two years in the second tier as home fans swamped the pitch.
But his Scotland teammate Scott McKenna was left to pray Forest can still claim their place in the top-flight with a play-off battle to come.
Supersub Kieffer Moore came off the bench to fire Scott Parker’s men on their way with a £120million strike.
Christie said: “It’s mad, it’s such a long season and it comes down to one game.
“I’ve not really slept this week. The first-half was emotional. Then we had a moment of magic from Kieffer and we’re in the Premier League.
“We were told to calm down and take the emotion out of it. We brought control second-half and as soon as we got the goal it was about keeping them out.
“That was the longest eight minutes.”
The Cherries were given a pre-match boost when their Wales midfielder David Brooks announced on social media he was cancer free.
Brooks was given a standing ovation from the home fans in the seventh minute – in honour of their No.7 who was watching on from the executive boxes.
After a nervy first-half, Bournemouth had the first meaningful effort of the second half when top-scorer Dominic Solanke fired into the side-netting from Christie’s through-ball.
On the hour midfielder Jefferson Lerma hobbled off to be replaced by Moore.
And former Cherries captain Steve Cook made a heroic block to guide an effort from Christie away from goal after he’d broken free.
The home side got the goal their efforts deserved seven minutes from time.
Jordan Zemura’s mazy run drew a foul on the edge of the area and Philip Billing rolled a free-kick into the path of Moore who coolly fired into the far corner.
Parker said: “I’m delighted for the fans and my players.
“This is a young team, learning their trade in a promotion task. One thing about this group, if we need a result we dig deep and find it.”