Ake gets off to a flyer after East’s penalty howler
NATHAN AKE marked his first Bournemouth start with the only goal of a feisty contest at Stoke that saw perhaps the most dubious call by a referee all season.
Roger East’s decision to turn down appeals for an early penalty from the visiting team was surely a lesson in how not to officiate.
In the end, justice prevailed with Bournemouth combining their customary intricate play with a devilish determination to scrap for victory. Mark Hughes complained bitterly about unprecedented time-wasting but Stoke were undone to a greater degree when Bojan missed the spot-kick that was given.
Bournemouth will cherish this first away victory of the campaign following defeats by Middlesbrough and Sunderland, and Jack Wilshere played his fourth 90 minutes in succession to provide further evidence his career is re-igniting under Eddie Howe.
But it was another loanee who won Bournemouth the points. Ake, borrowed from Chelsea, had only appeared twice off the bench in the league this season before being handed a start here with Adam Smith suspended.
He seized the chance at both ends of the pitch, scoring with a fine header and keeping Wilfried Bony and then Peter Crouch quiet.
Howe said: ‘He was exceptional when you consider he hasn’t played a lot of football. I don’t think he put a foot wrong.’
The same cannot be said of referee East, who mystified the stadium with just 11 minutes gone. Callum Wilson was felled when clean through as Ryan Shawcross mistimed a sliding tackle. The Stoke captain was undone by Wilson’s nudge ahead a split-second before, and the only debate seemed to be whether a red card would follow.
But East waved for play to continue, presumably in the misguided belief Shawcross had touched the ball.
Bournemouth boss Howe said: ‘We will be speaking to officials on Monday morning to get clarity.’