Early goals lift Bournemouth past 10-man Sunderland

0
139

Bournemouth needed just 10 minutes to wrap up their first ever Barclays Premier League home win, claiming a 2-0 result at the expense of 10-man Sunderland.

Cherries boss Eddie Howe uncharacteristically made five changes to the side which lost at Norwich last weekend but he was rewarded as his team were straight out of the traps.

Sunderland had hardly touched the ball before Callum Wilson scored his fifth Premier League goal of the campaign before a stunner from Matt Ritchie put them out of sight of Sunderland, who had defender Younes Kaboul sent off in the second half after the France international had been given the run-around by Wilson.

The last time the Black Cats were on the south coast they capitulated in an 8-0 defeat at Southampton, but although they looked in danger of a repeat, Dick Advocaat’s side rallied and former Bournemouth loanee Jermain Defoe missed a golden chance before Jeremain Lens saw an effort wrongly disallowed for offside.

Howe, who played alongside Defoe during his stint with the Cherries, may have labelled the striker the best finisher he has ever seen but Wilson may soon give him a run for his money as the man whose goals saw Bournemouth reach the Premier League struck inside the opening four minutes.

Sunderland goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon had blasted a clearance out of the modest Vitality Stadium but the hosts were quick to react and Simon Francis found Dan Gosling with the resulting throw-in, with the former Newcastle man sliding in Wilson, who held off Kaboul to fire home the opener.

If that goal was impressive, the second that followed five minutes later was spectacular.

Sunderland cleared a near-post corner but only as far as Ritchie, who controlled the ball on his chest and flashed a volley past Pantilimon before the former Manchester City man could move.