Bournemouth 2 Fulham 1: Cherries out of the bottom three as Solanke bundles in to seal crucial late win
DOMINIC SOLANKE lifted Bournemouth out of the drop zone with a scruffy winner against Fulham.
Solanke eased the Cherries relegation fears when he scrambled the ball home 11 minutes from time.
High-riding Fulham can only have themselves to blame for squandering the lead against a side that had only won two of their previous 12 league games.
And the manner of their third straight Premier League defeat would have done little to cheer their under-fire boss Marco Silva up.
The Londoners were in cruise control in the first half when Andreas Pereira gave them an early lead.
But the wheels came off in the second half as substitute Marcus Tavernier and Solanke fired the Cherries up the table.
All eyes were on Fulham’s bad boy Silva as he made his way to the bench.
The photographers only wanted a picture of one man who disgraced himself in last month’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester United.
Obviously there was no place on the bench for star men Aleksandra Mitrovic and Willian.
Both players were suspended after being red-carded against United in the same incident that saw Silva lose his head.
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Top scorer Mitrovic was given a three-match ban after shoving match referee Chris Kavanagh but that could be doubled when he goes before a personal hearing this week.
And Silva was only allowed to take part on the sidelines as he awaits his peen fate from a personal hearing.
The Portuguese last week made a personal apology to Kavanagh for protesting too much over Willian’s dismissal for hand ball.
The ensuing penalty allowed United to draw level in a game that they went on win 3-1 denying the Londoners a day out at Wembley.
But the scowling demonstrative Silva wasn’t in the mood to change his ways as he patrolled the technical area.
His mood was far more upbeat on 16 minutes when Pereira coolly found the home net after a slick Fulham attack.
Carlos Vinicius and Manor Solomon combined to find Harrison Reed who set-up a perfectly weighted pass for Pereira.
The former Manchester United star had the time to look up and guide the ball past Cherries goalkeeper Neto.
Bournemouth fans were hoping for the best when VAR had a little check for offside but the goal rightly stood.
And the visitors came so close to doubling their lead seven minutes later when Vinicius played the ball on to Antonee Robinson.
Without breaking stride Robinson hit a swerving 20-yard shot that crashed onto the top of the Cherries bar.
Bournemouth, who beat Liverpool in their last home fixture, suddenly woke up against a team they only lost once to in 11 previous meetings.
Dominic Solanke found Phillip Billing who laid the ball on for Dango Ouattara who should have done better that side-foot the ball wide of the far post.
Then a loose Fulham clearance fell to Jefferson Lerma who thumped the ball over the bar from just inside the box.
Overall Fulham looked far more comfortable on the ball compared to their relegation-threatened hosts.
And the home defenders were left red-faced when Pereira had time to take a pass on his chest and attempt a bicycle kick which went high and wide.
Silva wasn’t impressed with the acrobatics as he placed his head in his hands following that miss.
But the Portuguese was even more livid screaming at his team when the Cherries should have scored three minutes before the break.
Billing and Solanke both squandered clear opportunities in the box before Ouattara smacked the ball onto the underside of bar when all he had to do was tap home.
Only an offside flag spared the player’s blushes but it didn’t spare the Fulham defence was a right-old telling off from the gaffer.
Bournemouth head coach Gary O’Neil made two changes at half-time to liven up his boys.
And one of his new arrivals Tavernier, who replaced Jaidon Anthony, made a spectacular impact.
The former Middlesbrough player received the ball on the corner of the box with little danger in sight for Fulham.
But Tavernier stepped inside Harrison Reed before arrowing a fabulous shot into the far top corner beyond goalkeeper Bern Leno’s desperate dive.
It was a masterpiece in finishing and totally unexpected following Bournemouth’s previous tame efforts.
The Cherries have conceded more headed goals (11) than any other Premier League side this campaign.
And they were grateful there was no Mitrovic around when Pereira sent a thumping header wide from Kenny Tete’s cross.
Fulham were desperate to keep up their European campaign by claiming their seventh away top-flight victory to equal a 61-year club record.
But the home side had other ideas and took the lead on 79 minutes with a scrappy goal that tested Silva’s temperament again.
Lerma picked out Ryan Christie whose shot was saved by Leno but the ball fell nicely for Solanke to bundle home his fifth goal of the season.
There was some doubt whether Fulham’s Robinson got the final touch but Solanke wasn’t complaining.