Bournemouth vs West Bromwich Albion. Premier League.
Vitality StadiumAttendance11,040.
Saturday 7 May 2016 19:27, UK
Matt Ritchie's late equaliser ensured Bournemouth snatched a 1-1 draw against West Brom in their final home match of the season.
Salomon Rondon got on the end of a superb Jonny Evans cross after 16 minutes to put the Baggies en route to three points on the south coast.
The lead should have been greater at the interval, but Craig Gardner saw his penalty brilliantly saved by Artur Boruc in the Bournemouth goal two minutes before the break, and that third West Brom penalty miss in a row proved costly as Ritchie headed a late equaliser.
With both sides already safe from relegation on 42 points, the result matters little, but Ritchie's late intervention means Tony Pulis's side are on an end-of-season run of eight league games without a win.
The first half saw the Cherries enjoy all the possession without every really causing problems, and it was the visitors who enjoyed the better of the chances.
Gardner deflected a Craig Dawson strike just wide of the post before Rondon broke the deadlock in deadly fashion.
Boruc's clearance was really poor, young Jonathan Leko picked up the loose ball, showed great feet to pick out Evans, who whipped a perfect cross onto the head of Rondon. He powered the ball past the despairing dive of Boruc.
Gardner was then denied by a brilliant stop from Boruc low to the 'keeper's right, before ratoning for his earlier error to deny Gardner again, this time from 12 yards.
Tommy Elphick needlessly conceded the penalty, pulling Dawson to the floor, but Gardner's powerful penalty was brilliantly touched onto the crossbar by Boruc, who had the awareness to get up and claw away the rebound.
After the break, the pattern of the match stayed the same, with the home side enjoying all of the ball without ever really threatening.
Both sides made changes which made a difference, with Callum Wilson and Josh King injecting more intensity into the Cherries' play.
Harry Arter was fortunate to stay on the pitch after lunging in dangerously on Darren Fletcher, before Ritchie punished the Baggies for their profligacy eight minutes from time.
Steve Cook launched a long throw into the middle, the Baggies failed to clear it, allowing substitute Ritchie to head in from close range. It was poor defending from Tony Pulis' men to allow the ball to bounce.
The game came to life as a result, with Dawson coming within inches of a winner down the other end, but he was denied by the post, meaning both had to settle for a point which keeps the pair locked on 42 points.
Soccer Saturday verdict - Matt Le Tissier
In the first-half, Bournemouth created absolutely nothing. West Brom were very solid defensively.
Afobe and Grabban up front had no impact on this game at all in the first half and you couldn't see how Bournemouth were going to get back into this game.
I'd say that Bournemouth were probably Bournemouth a little bit fortunate to get a point out of it.
Player ratings
Bournemouth: Boruc (7), Francis (6), Elphick (5), Cook (7), Daniels (6), Stanislas (5), Arter (4), Surman (6), Gradel (7), Grabban (5), Afobe (4).
Subs used: Ritchie (7), King (7), Wilson (7).
West Brom: Foster (7); Olsson (6), Yacob (8), Evans (7), Gardner (5), McClean (7), McAuley (6), Fletcher (5), Dawson (6), Rondon (7), Leko (6).
Subs used: Berahino (6), Sandro (6).
Man of the match: Claudio Jacob
