Full Time: Bournemouth 4-0 Middlesbrough
Bournemouth all but confirmed their status as a Premier League club for the next season, when they trounced 10-men Middlesbrough 4-0 at the Vitality Stadium.
The Cherries did not take long to get going, as just in the second minute of the game, Joshua King was on hand to get on the end of Marc Pugh’s cutback to put his team ahead. Not a lot later, Bournemouth went up by two goals to nil when Benik Afobe slid the ball into the net from six yards out. Boro’s woes did not stop there as midfielder Gaston Ramirez received his second booking within the first 20 minutes and was sent off.
The Cherries piled on the misery on Middlesbrough in the second period, when Marc Pugh finished with a lovely curling effort in the 65th minute, before full-back Charlie Daniels added one more with another spectacular strike 5 minutes later.
The win sees Eddie Howe’s men move up to 12th position in the league, with 38 points from 34 games. Here is how the Bournemouth players fared on the day:
Bournemouth Player Ratings
Artur Boruc – 6/10
Made a great stop at full stretch to deny Maarten De Roon. Wasn’t tested much thereafter. Fairly quiet night.
Adam Smith – 7/10
Did not have a lot to do, but when called upon, he was strong in his tackles. Finished the game with an excellent 97% pass success rate.
Simon Francis – 7/10
A quiet game for the captain as Boro hardly threatened in front of goal. Dealt well with the presence of Alvaro Negredo.
Steve Cook – 7.5/10
Made four interceptions in the game – the highest by any Bournemouth player. Kept his concentration and focus throughout.
Charlie Daniels – 9/10
Was a constant threat down the left-hand side. Linked up beautifully with Marc Pugh. His forward runs were key to the first two goals. Capped off a fine display with a wonderful goal in the second period.
Ryan Fraser – 7/10
Dangerous on the right-flank. Had the beating of George Friend throughout the game with his pace. Set up Daniels for the final goal before being taken off.
Harry Arter – 7/10
Got the assist for Afobe’s strike. Missed a chance soon after. Kept Bournemouth ticking in the middle of the park with the amount of space he was afforded.
Dan Gosling – 5/10
The midfielder’s return from injury did not last long as he was taken off with a calf problem minutes before the half-time break.
Marc Pugh – 9/10
A lovely one-two with Daniels, before cutting the ball back for King to score. Scored the third of the game in the second period with a beautifully curled effort.
Joshua King – 8/10
Opened the scoring with his 14th goal of the season. Was always a threat in the box, with the wingers pumping in crosses one after the other. Taken off to a standing ovation.
Benik Afobe – 7/10
Put away an easy chance to double the lead. Forced a couple of saves from Brad Guzan in the second half. Will do his confidence a world of good.
Substitutes
Lewis Cook – 6/10
Replaced the injured Gosling on the stroke of half-time. Set Pugh up for the third.
Junior Stanislas – 5/10
Came on for Fraser in the 72nd minute. Did nothing of note.
Lys Mousset – NA
Came on for the last five minutes in the place of King. Missed a great chance to score his first goal in England.