Summary:
- One change for Palace as Schlupp returns to starting XI
- Ayew denied twice by Neto in opening five minutes
- Johnstone gets down low to save from Semenyo
- Senesi capitalises on spell of Bournemouth pressure by heading home corner
- Ayew almost replies immediately with crisp low strike
- Clyne replaces injured Mitchell on half-an-hour mark
- Johnstone makes important intervention to deny Solanke
- HT: Palace 0-1 Bournemouth
- Lerma volleys against the outside of the post early in the second-half
- Palace control possession as they seek an equaliser
- Lerma goes close again with volleyed effort from Richards’ header
- Ward slides in to deny Billing clear opportunity at the other end
- Deep Bournemouth defending frustrates the Eagles
- Moore heads in Bournemouth’s second in injury time
- FT: Palace 0-2 Bournemouth
After a slow start to their season, the visitors had enjoyed strong form of late, with three wins and a draw from their previous five matches – but it was the Eagles who made the brighter opening in south London.
Jordan Ayew was heavily involved in the first five minutes, and twice saw efforts denied by Neto in the Bournemouth goalmouth; the first was a more routine save from a header from range, but the latter required sharp reflexes to tip over the Ghanaian’s rising drive with a single hand.
Up the other end, however, Bournemouth’s direct running posed the Palace defenders early problems; an important foot from Marc Guéhi stopped Luis Sinisterra’s threatening run, but teed up Antoine Semenyo on the edge of the box. The forward’s placed effort forced Sam Johnstone into an important save low down to his left.
Palace were looking the more threatening team; Michael Olise celebrated his first Selhurst Park start of the season with an audacious overhead kick which had the SE25 faithful on their feet. The strike, although spectacular, flew over the bar.
But just as they were building up a head of steam, a Bournemouth bolt from the blue: a corner kick from the left was flicked on by Sinisterra at the near post, and defender Marcos Senesi steamed in at the far stick to nod home from yards out.
Palace were not cowed, and Ayew’s wiggling run and rasping drive from 25 yards almost proved the perfect low response – but after Neto made the initial save, Odsonne Edouard was crowded out on the follow-up.
Sadly, just as they looked to build up steam again, Palace’s newly-crowned Player of the Month, Tyrick Mitchell, was forced to withdraw with injury; Nathaniel Clyne his replacement.
And moments after Joachim Andersen made a vital tracking run to deny Dominic Solanke a near-post header, the Bournemouth forward – following a scrappy passage of play – had a low volley from a tight angle kicked away by Johnstone.
An open game in the first-half continued to prove so early in the second, as a delightful clipped pass from Olise found Jefferson Lerma overlapping.
Seeking what would be his first Palace goal, and against his former club no less, the Colombian struck a half-volley with the outside of his boot which beat Neto’s despairing dive – but crashed against the outside of the post.
The midfielder indeed went on to prove ubiquitous in the early stages of the second-half, linking well with his attacking teammates and playing a central role in several bright passages of play around the opposition box which – save for some last-ditch Bournemouth defending – would have created clear opportunities.
The next chance, albeit a difficult one, also fell to Lerma. A deep free-kick, delivered by Olise, was nodded back across the box by Richards and the midfielder – at chest height – swung a leg at it, but volleyed over the bar.
Bournemouth scarcely created a chance in the second-half but did almost carve out an opportunity for substitute Philip Billing, who turned smartly inside the box. Ward, thankfully, slid in to deny him the opportunity to shoot.
In the end, however, it proved in vain, as the visitors’ deep defending restricted Palace to few clear chances in the closing quarter of the game.
And just as it looked like a solitary goal would settle it, a Bournemouth break culminated in Kieffer Moore stooping to head home Billing’s clipped cross from close range, sealing the three points for the visitors.
Palace: Johnstone (GK), Ward (Hughes, 69), Andersen, Guéhi, Mitchell (Clyne, 29), Richards, Lerma (Mateta, 86), Schlupp (Ahamada, 69), Olise, Edouard, Ayew
Subs: Matthews (GK), Tomkins, Riedewald, Ebiowei, França
Bournemouth: Neto (GK); Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez, Christie, Cook, Semenyo (Tavernier, 61), Kluivert (Billing, 61), Sinisterra (Ouattara, 78), Solanke (Moore, 88)
Subs: Travers (GK), Mepham, Brooks, Rothwell, Kilkenny