Everton were forced to settle for a draw after a resilient AFC Bournemouth wrestled their way back into the game in the dying minutes of play.
Thanks to goals from Ramiro Funes Mori and Romelu Lukaku, Everton held a two-goal advantage coming into the 80th minute of the game before Bournemouth struck back through Adam Smith and Junior Stanislas. At the stroke of the 90th minute, the sides were locked at two goals a piece.
A shambolic Everton then set about rescuing the result, a feat they thought they had achieved when Ross Barkley was given time to turn in the box, drilling his shot through the legs of substitute goalkeeper Ryan Allsop.
A final twist in the tale came when, in the eighth minute of extra time, Charlie Daniels whipped a ceremonious cross in that managed to find its way onto the head of Junior Stanislas, who headed home from the edge of the six-yard box.
The result affects very little in terms of competition standings but will register as a victory in the minds of the Bournemouth faithful. The manner in which the Cherries clawed their way back into the game reaffirms the club’s ability to compete with some of the Premier League’s pedigree teams.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwvM3e_O_KM
Formations
Defensive reinforcements, through the return of Steve Cook, meant that Eddie Howe was capable of structuring his back line in something more familiar to Cherries fans. Cook would replace Simon Francis in the heart of defence, with stand-in captain Francis to be relocated back out to his natural position at right-back.
AFC Bournemouth XI (4-4-1-1): Federici (GK); Francis, Cook, Distin, Daniels; Ritchie, Surman, Gosling, Stanislas; Arter; King.
Roberto Martinez came into the match still without talisman Leighton Baines, forcing him to stick with youngster Brendan Galloway. However, the absence of Baines was not the most striking gap in the defence. Whether by tactic or availability of players, Martinez chose not to include any natural defenders on the Everton bench. Barring this defensive deficiency, the Everton gaffer opted for a very familiar lineup.
Everton XI (4-2-3-1): Howard (GK); Coleman, Stones, Funes Mori, Galloway; McCarthy, Barry; Deulofeu, Barkley, Kone; Lukaku.
Wind hindering long balls
The shallow walls of the Vitality Stadium could do very little to shelter the game from the harsh coastal winds that persistently intervened in the game. Its presence was most notable in the execution of long balls.
Early on, the wind looked to be a trivial inconvenience, popping up every now and then to toy with the trajectory of lofted balls. However, it did not discourage either side from trying their luck off the ground. Each side executed just over half of the long ball attempts made in the first half.
An Everton side, now largely playing out of their own half, often looked to the sky as a retreat from oncoming Bournemouth attacks, but found no respite; their long ball accuracy dropping to a lowly 31%.
Despite Bournemouth’s positivity in attack they often left themselves exposed to the vicious Everton counter-attack. With Lukaku seemingly without defensive duties and the pace of Deulofeu, Barkley and Kone operating in the space behind him, Everton were quick to take the ball from the cusps of their goalmouth to the opposite end of the field.
The reality that Bournemouth commanded the lion’s share of possession with a 57% cut of time on the ball, often pressing play up into the away team’s third. But Everton’s refusal to be broken down often warded them with an opportunity to run in open play against a Bournemouth midfield clamoring to regroup.
One-legged Federici unable to alter proceedings
Still reeling from the loss of Artur Boruc, Howe would have hoped that Australian Adam Federici was up to the task of protecting the Cherries’ goalmouth. Unfortunately for Howe and Federici alike, the gloveman went down midway through the first half with a suspected ankle injury, having landed awkwardly.
He limped on, though looked ginger to say the least. To the ex-Reading man’s credit, he did manage a couple of low-percentage saves before succumbing to the efforts of Funes Mori and Lukaku.
Federici, along with the returning Cook, were removed at half time due to injury. The debutant Ryan Allsop and eventual game-changer Adam Smith replaced the pair. Francis would return to centre-half.
A game of two halves
The second half saw a dramatic shift back in favor of Bournemouth. The dominion over possession increased and their desperation to threaten the Everton goal was obvious.
Stanislas, who was observably disgruntled at his team’s endeavors in the first half, seemed to take up a stake in the proceedings, providing multiple key touches and bagging two goals for his side over the course of the second half.
In addition to the efforts of Stanislas was the impact of Smith off the bench. The Englishman made a considerable impact on the attacking prowess of his side, scoring off a pinpoint accurate shot and providing a constant outlet for teammates. Cherries fans will argue Smith should have been awarded a penalty late on when he was brought down by a clumsy Galloway.
Conclusion
It was a game in which Everton’s quality was challenged by Bournemouth’s endeavor. Despite a game that looked to be in Bournemouth’s control, Everton’s ability to create clear-cut chances ultimately won their standing in the game.
However in the end, Bournemouth’s persistence and refusal to settle for a loss was rewarded with a ball that bounced in their favor. Whether by luck or the stacking of odds, Bournemouth’s ability to wrestle a point away from the game was entirely justifiable.
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