Bournemouth promoted to the Premier League - 3rd May 2022

Bournemouth 1 Nottingham Forest 0

There is indeed Premier League life at Bournemouth after Eddie Howe.

Relegated back in July 2020 amid the spectre of Covid-19, they have bounced back at the second time of asking and, after five history-making seasons under Howe, it is Scott Parker who has led them back to the Promised Land of English football at the first time of asking.

Needing to beat Nottingham Forest here to secure the second automatic promotion place alongside Fulham, there was never even the slightest sense of Bournemouth playing to protect their position ahead of Saturday’s final round of Championship matches. They instead went on the attack and constantly took the game to visitors who had themselves gone into the match with the chance to leapfrog Bouremouth in second with victory.

It made for a tense, breathless occasion that was finally only settled in the 83rd minute when Kieffer Moore, the former lifeguard, calmly applied the finishing touch to Dominic Solanke’s innovative freekick.

“We are going up,” rang out around an ecstatic Dean Court and, in scenes reminiscent of their original Premier League promotion back in 2015, there was a joyous pitch invasion after the final whistle as fans mobbed their heroes in celebration at one of the greatest nights in the club’s history.

Forest looked crestfallen, but it is also still not over for Steve Cooper’s team. One of the great clubs of European football have been out of the English top-flight since 1999 but, having looked like relegation candidates before Christmas, they have finished the season superbly. And, even allowing for this set-back, they will be the form team ahead of the season-ending play-offs.

There was already an edge before kick-off. Forest had been unhappy at the game being postponed just four hours before kick-off back in February due to the high winds from Storm Eunice, and even submitted a letter of complaint to the Football League.

With Steve Cook at the heart of Forest’s defence and Sam Surridge spearheading their attack, two former Bournemouth players were also back on familiar turf.

The atmosphere was intense and the match soon settled into a pattern, with Bournemouth generally in control of possession but Forest working effectively off the ball to stifle their attacks before launching quick breaks forward.

They were initially also creating the best chances, with Djed Spence brilliantly carving the Bournemouth defence open for Surridge, whose shot beat goalkeeper Mark Travers but cannoned off the crossbar. A clash of heads between Cook and Nat Phillips prompted a lengthy treatment break. The blood was flowing from Cook’s head and attempts by the Forest medics to stem the blood, partly by applying great slabs of vaseline, were of only limited success.

The Forest defence were being most persistently tested down Bournemouth’s left, with the excellent Jordan Zemura whipping one especially dangerous ball across the six-yard box that required a crucial Jack Colback intervention. Philip Zinckernagel then produced a similarly threatening cross at the opposite end, with Brennan Johnson’s goalbound shot cleared by Zemura.

The match was being played at a breathless pace and, as half-time loomed, it was again Surridge who might have put Forest ahead. He appeared to have evaded the offside trap before going down under a challenge from Travers but the flag went up and Bournemouth survived what would have been a plausible penalty shout.

The half-time break rejuvenated Bournemouth, who were showing absolutely no inclination to sit back for a draw and went all out to clinch their promotion chance at the first opportunity.

A series of passes found Ryan Christie on the right and he brilliantly released Solanke, who sprinted in front of Cook before shooting just inches wide of Samba’s near-post.

Bournemouth were forced into their first change when Jefferson Lerma went down injured and was replaced in attack by Moore but it actually worked to Bournemouth’s immediate advantage.

A much more physical presence, Moore duly provided Bournemouth with greater variation in attack and they soon created a series of wonderful chances. First Billing shot tamely at Samba after bustling his way into the penalty area and then Jadon Anthony also tested the Forest goalkeeper.

The combination of Moore and Solanke was causing Forest huge defensive problems and, unlike the first-half, the visitors were unable even to threaten with the occasional break forward. Their need was much greater but, as the minutes ticked down, it was all they could do to simply avert defeat and take this automatic promotion race to Saturday. Zemura, who had been outstanding, then produced a wonderful fun forward and, having been upended on the edge of the penalty area, Bournemouth executed a brilliant free-kick. Solanke shaped to shoot but instead rolled his pass to the unmarked Moore, who calmly side-footed a famous finish past Travers. Cue delirium inside Dean Court and, following a two year absence, Bournemouth are back in the Premier League.

Telegraph