Two goals in the first 11 minutes secured a fairly comfortable win over fellow play-off contenders, Rotherham United.
Just as quick as the Cherries kicked off the ball was in the back of the net, a header from Browning landed the ball perfectly for Stephen Foley?s left foot to guide the ball like a homing missile into the roof of the visitor?s net. 1-0 to The Cherries!
Despite Brian Stock leaving Bournemouth for Preston North End, the midfield seemed to push up and attack from all sides leaving the Rotherham defence looking like the cats among the pigeons.
Rotherham then went on the attack with a shot from Williamson who fired it into row P (roughly) of the North Stand.
The Hayter-Rodrigues partnership proved to be a successful one as Dani cross one in from the right hand side to find the head of Foley only for the ball to strike the post and end up in the net from a James Hayter 11th minute rebound, his 14th goal of the season. 2-0 Bournemouth
Gareth Stewart?s first save of the game came around the 20 minute mark when again Williamson taking a couple of touches to hit a dipping volley on target forcing Stewart to make a finger tip save to nudge the ball over the crossbar.
The Rotherham midfield began to get in the game but their forwards were having a hard time trying to break Bournemouth?s defence to get a decent chance on goal.
After yet another Cherries? attack, Steve Fletcher pulled up with what seemed to be a problem with his left leg, possibly another hamstring injury. James Coutts was his replacement pushing Dani Rodrigues up to join team mate James Hayter and leaving Coutts in right midfield.
Just past the half hour mark, Purches team up with Foley who put his first touch shot across goal sent wide of the post.
Rotherham had a flurry of chances before the half time interval when McLaren and Forte both had as equal chance to get the visitors back into the game but Gareth Stewart had nothing to worry about as one shot was block and another again sent high into home fans of the North Stand.
Young James Coutts almost got his first senior league goal of the season in the 44th minute, Purches supplying all the necessaries a football needs to get out of a difficult situation to provide a flick on to Coutts to swing one in from the right to find Hayter, only for the ball to strike the crossbar instead of reaching the Cherries? top scorer.
Half Time ? Cherries 2-0 Rotherham United
Early on in the 2nd half United pushed forward to fail in an attempt to pull one back with lacking efforts upfront, their main problem so far in testing the Cherries? defence and shot stopper, Gareth Stewart. Hurst though, managed to shoot just passed the post resulting in a yellow card for the visitor for a foul on Cherries? Callum Hart who was recently offered an 18 month contract with AFC Bournemouth in which he signed.
55 minutes into the game Rodrigues fired one over the bar after finding his way into the box in front of the home fans that really got behind the team when they were attacking the North Stand.
James Coutts showed why he should be a contender in the starting 11 each week with darting runs down the right and attempts at crosses resulting in corners or throw ins near the visitor?s goal. A low cross from Coutts just after the hour mark found Foley in the middle who put his shot wide with a right footed strike.
Williamson again for Rotherham had another chance to pull one back but sent the ball over the top left of the goal into the South Stand, United?s first tester in the second half.
Rodrigues and Foley working together gain when Dani took advantage of some poor control by a Rotherham captain Murdock and played a pass through to Foley who again, this time with time to take another touch put his attempt wide.
Another mistake in the visitor?s defence with 8 minutes remaining saw James Coutts take control and blast a shot right at the Miller’s goalie, Montgomery, having to make do with using his legs to block the shot from the number 15.
Bournemouth again played some marvellous passing football using both sides of the pitch, the visitors looked to be tiring towards the end which gave the Cherries boss a good enough reason to substitute James Coutts who previously replaced captain Steve Fletcher through injury, with Brett Pitman who has scored almost 20 goals in the under 18?s this season, including 3 hat-tricks.
Pitman?s only chance came when star strike James Hayter crossed in from the right got Bret to rise to head the ball over the top left of the goal.
Well deserved win for AFC Bournemouth.
Let?s hope we can get all three points next week with a possible repeat of last season?s 3-0 victory over League One strugglers, Swindon Town.
Cherries: Stewart, Young, Hart, Cooper, O’Connor, Browning, Purches, Foley, Hayter, Rodrigues (Pitman 89), Fletcher (Coutts 28), (Tindall 86)).
Subs: Moss, Howe.
Rotherham: Montgomery, Worrell, Hurst, Barker, Murdock, Mullin, McLaren, Williamson, Forte, Butler, Hoskins (Newsham 79).
Subs: Otsemobor, Robertson, Monkhouse, Hedge.
Player Ratings
Report by Ryan Traves
Thanks Ryan for the report! If there is anyone else who would like to help out by writing for the site, please get in touch.
