Bournemouth close to drop after late drama in agonising defeat by Saints

4 years ago 305

Danny Ings needs one goal to match Matt Le Tissier's club record of 12 away from home in a Premier League season.

Danny Ings has matched Matt le Tissier's club record of 12 goals away from home in a Premier League season

Bournemouth are on the verge of relegation after losing to local rivals Southampton - with the video assistant referee denying them an injury-time equaliser.

Sam Surridge fired home from a tight angle - but a VAR review correctly found that Callum Wilson was offside.

Danny Ings had put Southampton ahead and Che Adams blasted in a second right at the death to complete an agonising few minutes for Bournemouth.

They will be relegated on Tuesday if Watford get a point against Manchester City - or if the Hornets get one against Arsenal on the final day.

The Cherries - who must win at Everton next Sunday to have any chance of survival - are three points behind the 17th-placed Hornets, who are set to sack Nigel Pearson, with a worse goal difference by four.

Ings opened the scoring with a fine finish from just outside the box - his 21st Premier League goal of the season.

But he failed to move within a goal of the league's top scorer Jamie Vardy when his penalty was saved by Aaron Ramsdale.

Bournemouth ended with half their team playing up front and Harry Wilson's curling effort was tipped around the post by Alex McCarthy before the late, late drama.

After Surridge's goal was ruled out, Adams smashed home to make the Cherries' goal difference even worse.

Bournemouth were so close...

Bournemouth's rise from the bottom of League Two to become an established Premier League team under Eddie Howe has been a great story in recent years.

But that could soon all be over after a run of nine defeats in their past 12 games.

Three points off safety - with a worse goal difference and one game left - might seem like a forgone conclusion. But Watford's tough run-in against the Gunners and City will give Howe hope of at least taking it to the final day.

However, their goal difference takes them below Aston Villa in the league, and four points from Villa's last two games - against Arsenal and West Ham - would also relegate the Cherries.

They played some nice football against their neighbours, especially in the first half, but all their efforts on target came in the last 25 minutes as they threw everything at Saints.

Harry Wilson hit a weak shot towards McCarthy, with Steve Cook then heading straight at before Harry Wilson was so close to rescuing a point in injury time.

Surridge thought he had his first Premier League goal late on but Callum Wilson was rightly judged to be offside before the substitute pounced by VAR.

The Cherries have been toothless this season and their fight was too little, too late on Sunday.

Now they must just wait and hope their dreams do not end in two days' time at Vicarage Road.

More to follow.

Match of the Day Top 10: Gianfranco Zola reveals his career highlightsGo Ask Your Mother: A parenting podcast with style
Read Entire Article