The last time Bournemouth avoided defeat to Man City

The two teams have met 18 times, dating back to 1987, with City winning 16 and two ending level.

Since Cherries’ first promotion to the top flight, they have embarked on a string of 12 defeats on the spin against the current Premier League champions, including a 5-1 hammering and four 4-0 losses, one of which came earlier this season.

This month marked the 24-year anniversary of the last time Cherries registered a point against their Lancashire opponents.

• Key duo miss out as Man City draw in Germany ahead of Cherries clash

The promotion-chasing pair shared a 0-0 draw at Dean Court in the third tier in February 1999, City ending the game with nine men after late red cards shown to Jamie Pollock and Kevin Horlock.

City went on to clinch promotion via the play-offs that year, with Cherries narrowly missing out on a spot in the top six under Mel Machin.

Here is a look at the last Cherries team who managed to avoid defeat against Man City, on February 13, 1999.

Mark Ovendale – Goalkeeper Ovendale tragically lost his life in 2011, aged just 37. He made more than 100 appearances for Cherries, later going on to coach at Wimborne Town, before dying following a battle with cancer.

Neil Young – Cherries legend Young spent 14 years with the club, playing well over 450 games, mostly in the third tier. He moved to Australia in 2008, educating coaches at Cumberland United.

Eddie Howe – Not much introduction needed here! This appearance came during his first playing spell at Cherries, a club he eventually played more than 300 times for before going on to have a legendary managerial career. Now set to lead Newcastle United out at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final this weekend.

Ian Cox – Signed from Crystal Palace, the Trinidad and Tobago international played more than 200 times for Cherries between 1996 and 2000, including a spell alongside Rio Ferdinand at centre-back. Returned to the club in 2019 to take up a role as part of the Community Sports Trust.

Jamie Vincent – A second member of this XI who was sadly taken too soon. Widely regarded as one of Cherries’ greatest ever left-backs, Vincent died in January 2022 after a short illness, aged 46. His performances for Cherries earned him a move up the Football League pyramid to Huddersfield Town in 1999.

John O’Neill – Another Cherries centurion, Scotsman O’Neill arrived from Celtic in 1996, before heading back north of the border four years later. Went into management with Stirling Albion in May 2010, but was sacked eight months later.

John Bailey – London-born midfielder who spent five seasons on the south coast. Notably scored for Cherries at Wembley in their Auto Windscreens Shield final 2-1 defeat to Grimsby Town in 1998. Retired due to injuries in 2000, moving to work on a building site as well as featuring in non-league.

Stephen Robinson – Having been plucked from Tottenham Hotspur as a talented teenager in 1994, Robinson went on to become a key player for Cherries, as well as feature for Northern Ireland. Left after playing more than 200 games for the club, later going into management. He is currently manager of Scottish Premiership outfit St Mirren.

Richard Hughes – Talented Scot who came through the ranks at Arsenal before enjoying two spells as a player at Cherries. Played for his national team and regularly in the Premier League for Portsmouth. After retiring from playing, returned to Cherries to work on the recruitment side and is now the club’s technical director.

James Hayter – Came up through the club’s youth system, going on to have a fine 10-year spell in the first team. Hayter played more than 400 games for Cherries, scoring over 100 goals, playing the full 90 minutes of the 2003 Third Division play-off final win over Lincoln City in Cardiff. The striker also memorably scored a hat-trick against Wrexham in 2004 in just 141 seconds. Later went on to contribute heavily at Doncaster Rovers and Yeovil Town, winning play-off finals with both. Returned to do some coaching in Cherries’ youth ranks in 2018.

Steve Fletcher – Another part of this XI who needs very little introduction. Had two playing spells with the club, totalling more than 800 games, scored the goal which clinched survival in the Greatest Escape season in 2008-09, as well as netting in the aforementioned 2003 play-off final. Fletcher, who has a stand named after him at Vitality Stadium, has since held roles as an ambassador, scout and assistant manager, before taking up his current position of first-team coach.

Subs –

Christer Warren – Warren was signed for Southampton by Alan Ball in 1995, eventually joining Cherries two years later and making more than 100 appearances. Moved on to QPR in 2000, before dropping into the Dorset and Hampshire non-league scenes, becoming manager of Wimborne Town in 2007. Returned to playing in 2012 after moving to France, before eventually retiring and came back to Wimborne last year to work with the club’s reserves.

David Town – Came through the Cherries youth ranks but spent most of his career in non-league, with the likes of Rushden & Diamonds and Boston United, before moving on to Dorchester Town and then Wimborne.

Jamie Jenkins – Unused on the day. A product of Cherries’ youth system, the Welshman struggled for game-time and moved on to Barry Town. Notably featured in a Champions League qualifier for Barry against Porto in 2001, the Welsh club winning the second leg 3-1 after losing 8-0 in Portugal.

The Manchester City team featured the likes of Nicky Weaver and Shaun Goater, with former Cherries man Ian Bishop an unused substitute.

Cherries: Ovendale, Young, Howe, Cox (Town, 89), Vincent, O’Neill (Warren, 76), Bailey, Robinson, Hughes, Hayter, Fletcher.

Unused sub: Jenkins.

Manager: Mel Machin.

Man City: Weaver, Wiekens, Edghill, Crooks, Morrison, Pollock, Brown, Horlock, Cooke (Dickov, 57), Goater (Vaughan, 85), Taylor.

Unused sub: Bishop.

Manager: Joe Royle.

Referee: Brian Coddington.