Bournemouth vs Hull City. Premier League.
Vitality StadiumAttendance11,029.
Saturday 15 October 2016 18:09, UK
Bournemouth ran Hull City ragged at the Vitality Stadium, handing Mike Phelan a miserable start to life as the Tigers’ full-time manager.
Goals from Charlie Daniels, Steve Cook and Junior Stanislas saw the home side go in 3-1 up at half-time, with Ryan Mason's deflected shot the only saving grace for Hull.
But the game became even more one-sided after the break as the Cherries turned on the style, picking off their visitors time and again and adding three further goals through Stanislas, Callum Wilson and substitute Dan Gosling.
Hull went into the game boosted by the news of a permanent deal for manager Phelan, who had taken charge of the club's initial seven games on a caretaker basis.
But that positive vibe was extremely short-lived, with Daniels turning home the opener inside five minutes after Stanislas' whipped free-kick had struck the woodwork.
The Cherries dominated the opening half hour of the game, with Jordon Ibe involved throughout. The ex-Liverpool winger tormented the visitors with his pace and trickery down the left flank, teeing up Wilson to hit the woodwork with an excellent cut-back and going close on a number of occasions himself.
However, Hull equalised against the run of play when the otherwise disappointing Mason tried his luck from range and saw his shot take a wicked deflection to find the back of the net.
It was a lifeline for the visitors, but they never looked like getting back afloat on a wet afternoon on the south coast, with Cook - on his 200th club appearance - restoring Bournemouth's lead on 41 minutes with a header from a lofted free-kick.
Robert Snodgrass, who should have already been booked, then lunged in to give away a penalty before the break, which Stanislas dispatched with aplomb into the roof of the net.
Hull had half-time to regroup, but it was a case of more of the same after the interval, with the Cherries still rampant.
Stanislas grabbed his second of the afternoon on 65 minutes to effectively seal the win, but it got worse for the beleaguered visitors late on as Wilson and Gosling added gloss to the scoreline.
The lively Ibe went off midway through the half, as did Arsenal loanee Jack Wilshere, who quietly dominated the game in a central midfield performance that suggested he could be on the way back towards his best.
The result leaves Hull without a win in six, but a goals against record of 17 in their most recent four games will be the most worrying stat for Phelan. The Tigers were ripped apart almost at will by Bournemouth and need a quick solution to those defensive problems before the current slump becomes something more serious.
Bournemouth have now lost just one in six, but face a trickier test when they face Tottenham Hotspur next weekend.
Player ratings
Bournemouth: Boruc 7, Smith 8, Francis 7, Cook 8, Daniels 8, Ibe 9, Arter 8, Surman 7, Wilshere 8, Stanislas 8, Wilson 8.
Subs used: King 7, Gosling 7, Afobe 6.
Hull: Marshall 5, Elmohamady 4, Maguire 5, Davies 5, Robertson 4, Mason 4, Livermore 4, Clucas 4, Snodgrass 3, Keane 4, Maloney 4.
Subs used: Huddlestone 5, Diomande 5, Meyler 5.
Man of the match: Junior Stanislas
