AFC Bournemouth rounded off their pre-season training camp in Spain with a 4-3 victory over La Liga side Levante.
The side from Valencia finished 15th in Spain’s top division last season after finish the campaign as winners of the second division.
As is the norm with pre-season games at this stage of the summer, the Cherries put out two separate sides to ensure that most of the players got a good 45 minutes under their belt.
📋 Confirmed, our starting XI for the first half of our pre-season game against @LevanteUD at @LaMangaClub.
Watch live ➡️ https://t.co/HF4TXLviNO#afcb 🍒 pic.twitter.com/JuV71GoKe4
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) July 20, 2018
It was goals galore in the first half as AFC Bournemouth raced into a 2-0 lead, with a marvellous team goal to open the scoring.
Pass, pass, goal! 💥
@emersonhyndman caps a fine team move to open the scoring against @LevanteUD. 🇺🇸#afcb 🍒 pic.twitter.com/dgzliMCRzK
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) July 20, 2018
Superb cross from Fraser, with Defoe sharp and alert to flick the ball home with the outside of his boot!#BOULEV 🍒 2-0 🔵 (13)
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) July 20, 2018
Levante then turned the game on its head with three goals in 17 minutes.
Goal. Levante lead. Roger Marti has his second, after converting Rochina's clever through ball.#BOULEV 🍒 2-3 🔵 (36)
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) July 20, 2018
The Cherries were back on level terms before halftime.
We're level! Mahoney swings in a deep corner, with Simpson rising to head home at the back post!
This game. 🤷♂️ #BOULEV 🍒 3-3 🔵 (42)
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) July 20, 2018
📷 Match action from an entertaining first half against @LevanteUD here at @LaMangaClub.
#afcb 🍒 pic.twitter.com/rK4zNcrLZS— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) July 20, 2018
Sweeping changes at half time brought an end to the goal-fest.
We're back underway and here's our second half XI to face @LevanteUD!#BOULEV 🍒 3-3 🔵 (46)
Watch live ➡️ https://t.co/HF4TXLviNO pic.twitter.com/ePy58uKSBX
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) July 20, 2018
With four minutes remaining Lewis Cook scored the winner with a goal from 25 yards.
👏 There's the whistle, as we edge a seven-goal thriller against @LevanteUD at @LaMangaClub.
Hyndman, Defoe, Simpson and Lewis Cook with the goals.#afcb 🍒 pic.twitter.com/ZmE2C8Z20b
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) July 20, 2018
Just the seven goals to end our training camp in 🇪🇸 and what a sunset 😍 #afcb 🍒 pic.twitter.com/jqeR6jWXFt
— Anthony Marshall (@AntMarshallTHFC) July 20, 2018
AFC Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe told afcb.co.uk…
“It was a strange one because we’re pleased to win. There’s a lot to look back at and reflect on. I’m pleased that we scored four goals, but disappointed to have conceded three.
“We made a really fast start and that was reflected in the way in which we’ve trained. We then had a bit of a strange period where we just lost our control.
“I thought it was a real test of our character when we went 3-2 down. The pleasing thing was that we came back and won the game.
“We weren’t at our fluent best with the ball today and we were open to the counter-attack. We made a few individual errors during the first half. But we’re at an early stage of pre-season and we’re building to where we want to be.
Your say…
thegazzyb wrote…
I don‘t expect Brooks to be in Eddie‘s first matchday squad. We all know how Eddie operates – he‘s very cautious with our new players. The key will be to keep Brooks motivated, even when he‘s not getting a game. Brooks looks like he thinks that making a good first impression might get him in and around the matchday squad, which is quite a reasonable assumption. I just hope he isn‘t too disappointed when he finds that it wasn‘t enough. Not his fault, just the way Eddie goes about things and he just needs to be patient and keep his motivation levels high. Fingers crossed he has a good head on his shoulders and hopefully Lewis Cook will be able to reassure him that he‘s done nothing wrong and that it‘s just “normal” to be left on the sidelines for a while. – Join the conversation, click here.
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