Yann Kermorgant’s spectacular second minute goal sees AFC Bournemouth leading the Blues 1-0 at half-time. Daryl Murphy went closest for Town when his header struck the bar.

Bartosz Bialkowski kept his place in goal despite Dean Gerken’s return from injury, with Paul Anderson, Cole Skuse and Luke Hyam coming into the side for Jay Tabb, who dropped to the bench, and the injured Jonny Williams and Stephen Hunt.

Anderson took up the front three role alongside David McGoldrick, a former Bournemouth loanee, and Daryl Murphy in place of Hunt, who remained behind in Suffolk due to a hamstring niggle but is expected to be OK for next week’s visit to Charlton. One-time Town trialist Harry Arter started for the home side.

The home side started very brightly with the Blues immediately under pressure and they went close to going ahead in the second minute when Matt Ritchie slammed a powerful strike against Bialkowski’s crossbar from 20 yards with the keeper beaten.

Town were unable to clear the danger and the ball eventually reached Simon Francis out on the right. The full-back whipped over a cross and Yann Kermorgant spectacularly hooked a powerful overhead kick into the net from 12 yards leaving Bialkowski motionless.

The Blues were struggling to make an impression on the game and in the ninth minute the Cherries were close to adding to their lead. Goalscorer Kermorgant was played in on goal by Marc Pugh and Bialkowski did superbly to get down and save low to his left.

The loose ball ran to Ritchie on the right but the Polish keeper again did well to come off his line to block.

Town were forced into an early change in the 17th minute when Kevin Bru turned his ankle as he challenged Pugh after a loose Luke Hyam pass. After briefly trying to carry on the Mauritius international was eventually replaced by Teddy Bishop.

Skuse hit Town’s first shot of the afternoon in the 20th minute, a scuffed and deflected effort which failed to trouble Cherries’ keeper Artur Boruc.

But from the corner Christophe Berra’s goal-bound header was diverted behind. And from Anderson’s subsequent flag-kick on the left Daryl Murphy went even closer, rising highest and flicking a near-post header on to the top of the bar.

However, it was Bournemouth who were still seeing most of the ball and they continued to look dangerous, Smith blocking a Pugh shot from the left with his face.

Town began to have more of the ball after the half hour mark, albeit without particularly threatening to get back on terms.

On 37 Francis escaped from Mings and crossed from the right towards Andrew Surman headed straight at Bialkowski.

Former Cherries loanee McGoldrick tried to make the most of left-back Steve Cook’s slip in the 42nd minute but Boruc blocked his shot from a tight angle at his near post.

The Blues were looking most dangerous from set pieces and from the resultant corner Boruc did well to tip Berra’s header over the bar.

As the half moved into its final moments, Bialkowski saved spectacularly from Pugh after the Bournemouth man had reached the keeper’s under-hit punch from Ritchie’s freekick on the right.

The 1-0 half-time scoreline was a fair reflection of the first 45 minutes. The home side started like a house on fire and had gone close even via Ritchie even before Kermorgant’s excellent goal. Only a superb double save from Bialkowski stopped them increasing their lead.

The Blues found it hard to make much impact in the opening 20 minutes or so with the Cherries closing them down quickly but came into the game more towards half-time.

Town had threatened most from set pieces with Murphy and Berra both close to equalising with headers.

AFC Bournemouth: Boruc, Daniels, Cook, Elphick (c), Francis, Pugh, Surman, Arter, Ritchie, Kermorgant, Wilson. Subs: Camp, Smith, Stanislas, Gosling, Fraser, Rantie, Pitman.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Mings, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Hyam, Bru (Bishop 17), Anderson, McGoldrick, Murphy. Subs: Gerken, Parr, Tabb, Henshall, Bajner, Sammon. Referee Michael Bull (Essex).

Photo: Action Images

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