FOREST FIRE AS JAIDON SPARKLES
Anthony nets winner after second-half comeback
WHAT a difference a week makes.
Mauled 9-0 at Liverpool last Saturday, boss Scott Parker sacked on Monday and yesterday Bournemouth produced a stunning comeback from 2-0 down to clinch an incredible victory, with sub Jaidon Anthony netting the winner.
Suddenly there is plenty of fight in them which seemed invisible under Parker.
Nottingham Forest appeared to be cruising to victory thanks to first-half goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and Brennan Johnson.
But Phil Billing’s wonder strike, Dominic Solanke’s equaliser and Anthony’s 87th-minute effort moments after coming off the bench ensured the Cherries are alive and kicking under caretaker boss Gary O’neil.
Kouyate opened the scoring after 33 minutes.
Morgan Gibbs-white’s corner was perfect for the ex-west Ham and Crystal Palace star to powerfully head home his first Premier League goal in two years.
Then in the last minute of the half, Neco Williams’ shot clearly hit Lloyd Kelly’s outstretched hand.
Referee Michael Oliver pointed to the spot but then VAR spent a lengthy period checking the handball and even whether an offside had occurred earlier in the move.
Eventually Oliver went to check the monitor amid City Ground groans before sticking with his original decision.
It would have been easy for Johnson to miss the spot-kick after all the commotion – but this is an impressive young man.
He confidently struck the ball into the corner for his second goal of the season.
But things were so different in the second half – and Billing’s simply stunning goal set up the dramatic turnaround.
The Danish midfielder let fly with a blast of his left foot from 30 yards and on 51 minutes the whole course of the match changed.
Just 12 minutes later and Bournemouth were level, Solanke acrobatically finding the net after Kelly had headed on a Marcus Tavernier corner.
Forest heads were dropping and it was the Cherries who took advantage as they found the winner.
Anthony had been on the field only seconds when he had the simple task of scoring into an empty net having been set up by Solanke.
Forest had struggled in the second half to turn the momentum back in their favour.
But they still should have levelled in injury time.
Visiting keeper Neto went completely missing but sub Taiwo Awoniyi fired wide.