Report: Bournemouth 0-2 Bolton
Goals either side of half time from strike partnership David Ngog and Jermaine Beckford sealed a well-earned 2-0 victory for Wanderers at Bournemouth.
French number nine Ngog put Bolton on the road to victory with a cool finish from an acute angle in the 37th minute after tremendous play from Chung-Yong Lee on the wing.
After a resolute and determined second half display, Bolton sealed the win in stoppage time through a characteristic finish from Beckford to send the travelling support into raptures.
Bolton boss Dougie Freedman named the same side that drew against Ipswich Town seven days ago at the Reebok Stadium.
French striker David Ngog and South Korean international Chung-Yong Lee retained their place for Wanderers’ first trip to Bournemouth for the first time in over ten years.
Bournemouth began on the front foot at Dean Court as they went in search of their fifth home league win of the season.
Despite their early pressure, Bolton created the game’s first opportunity when full back Alex Baptiste, in search of his fourth league goal of the season, hit a thunderous strike from the edge of the penalty box but was denied by a fabulous save from Cherries custodian Lee Camp.
The Whites went close again in the 12th minute when Jay Spearing’s effort from 20-yards took a wicked deflection off a Bournemouth defender and sneaked past the far post.
One minute later and Bolton keeper Andrew Lonergan, making his second league start of the season, was called into action to push a close range attempt from Tokelo Rantie over the bar.
It was turning out to be a real attractive contest for the Dean Court crowd with both teams showing real purpose in the final third and threatening each time they went forward.
Mindful of the threat Bournemouth possessed with youngster Ryan Fraser and South African striker Rantie proving to be a handful, Wanderers were looking dangerous on the left hand side through Chung-Yong Lee.
The South Korean’s excellent first half display reaped rewards for Wanderers as they went ahead on the south coast with 37 minutes gone on Darren Deadman’s watch.
The winger threaded a delightful pass from the left hand side into the path of Ngog who cleverly rounded goalkeeper Camp and from the acutest of angles slotted the ball into an empty goal for his first of the campaign.
Into the second half and Dougie Freedman’s side started well as Sierra Leone international Medo tried to replicate his goal scoring heroics from last weekend but his dipping effort from 25-yards flashed wide.
The final 45 continued in the same vein as the first with a frantic contest at the home of last season’s League One runners up.
As time passed by the Cherries started to see more of possession but Bolton’s two holding midfielders Spearing and Medo were providing tremendous cover for the Whites’ defence.
Manager Freedman made his first change of the afternoon with 67 minutes played as youngster Odelusi was introduced for goal scorer Ngog.
Bournemouth were making a real fight of the game as they looked for a breakthrough in front of a crowd of 10,015, 995 of those from the Reebok Stadium.
With just over ten minutes to go, the Cherries came only a whisker away from an equaliser as substitute Brett Pitman curled a free-kick from the edge of the penalty box over Lonergan’s frame.
Visiting boss Freedman responded to Bournemouth’s pressure by bringing on club captain Zat Knight in place of Lee.
A late flurry of Bournemouth attacks followed but against the run of play Bolton sealed all three points as striker Beckford showed great composure and strength to hold off two Cherries defenders to hit a left footed strike from inside the penalty area which looped over a helpless Camp into the back of the net.