AFC Bournemouth: Match report

Eddie Howe’s men enjoyed the better of the first half and had deservedly reached the break on level terms after Lewis Grabban had cancelled out Gabriele Angella 13th-minute opener.

However, a second from Angella, coupled with goals for Troy Deeney and Lewis McGugan, all in the space of 14 second-half minutes, knocked the wind out of their sails.

And to complete a miserable second half for Cherries, Deeney went on to register a hat-trick, his stunning individual goal after 88 minutes followed by a stoppage-time penalty.

Cherries boss Howe was forced into a late switch after skipper Tommy Elphick, who had been in line to start, failed to recover from a back injury.

Howe made two changes to his starting line-up from the 2-1 win over Charlton with Ryan Fraser and Andrew Surman replacing Wes Thomas and Mo Coulibaly.

As Watford started brightly, Ryan Allsop safely gathered a long-range free-kick from McGugan before Harry Arter earned an early booking for clattering Ikechi Anya.

Marc Pugh’s rising drive had Watford goalkeeper Manuel Almunia stretching before it just cleared the crossbar, while Grabban’s snapshot found the side netting. Although defender Elliott Ward managed to divert Anya’s stinging drive for a corner, the Hornets opened the scoring from the resultant flag kick.

Cherries paid a heavy price for failing to deal with Almen Abdi’s delivery and, after the ball had fallen invitingly for Angella, the Italian rifled it home from around 10 yards.

It was the first away goal given up by Allsop since he joined the club and brought to an end Cherries’ impressive record of 474 minutes without conceding on the road.

A flowing move started by Fraser ended with Grabban drawing a fine save at his near post from Almunia after Surman’s pass had spilt the Watford defence.

Cherries then had a loud penalty appeal waved away after Fraser had gone to ground under Anya’s challenge before Arter’s fierce drive was charged down.

Almunia’s acrobatic save prevented Cherries from levelling after Fraser’s driven cross had struck Marco Cassetti and looked to be creeping in at the near post.

Cherries found a way past Almunia after 30 minutes when Grabban held off his marker, stole a yard and prodded home Fraser’s centre from inside the six-yard box. The goal owed much to some excellent build-up play involving Surman and Arter.

Steve Cook’s mule-like throw eventually fell to Ward just inside the 18-box, the defender’s first-time effort blocked by a defender. And as a pulsating first half drew to a close, Allsop got behind Abdi’s free-kick from 20 yards.

Watford restored their lead seven minutes into the second half when Angella outjumped Cook to plant a firm header past Allsop after meeting Abdi’s free-kick.

And Deeney quickly extended the hosts’ advantage when he latched on to a Fernando Forestieri pass before firing past Allsop, the striker having burst into the 18-yard box.

Allsop saved from Forestieri’s lavish effort but was powerless to prevent McGugan adding a fourth, the Watford man afforded a free run on goal before finding the bottom corner after 66 minutes.

Surman looked destined to reduce the arrears 10 minutes from time, only for his goalbound effort to clip a defender and go out for a corner.

Deeney capped a stylish second-half showing from the hosts, the striker netting a ferocious 25-yarder to make it 5-1 two minutes from time before netting from the spot after Cook had felled Diego Fabbrini in injury time.

Cherries: Allsop, Francis, Ward, Cook, Daniels (Harte, 55), Fraser, MacDonald (Pitman, 61), Arter, Surman, Pugh (O’Kane, 68), Grabban.

Unused subs: Thomas, Hughes, Stockley, Flahavan (g/k).

Hornets: Almunia, Doyley, Angella, Cassetti, Faraoni (Pudil, 65), Abdi, Iriney, McGugan (Battocchio, 75), Anya, Deeney, Forestieri (Fabbrini, 68).

Unused subs: Ekstrand, Acuna, Smith, Bond (g/k).

Booked: Faraoni, Cassetti.

Referee: James Adcock (Long Eaton).

Attendance: 16,295 (including 1,605 away supporters).