
Fulham suffered a fourth loss in a row at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium despite taking the lead late on and threatening to end that sorry sequence.
Ryan Sessegnon’s clever little give and go with sub Samuel Chukweuze and perfect finish into the roof of the net looked as if it might pave the way for a first away win of the season for Marco Silva’s men.
But Antoine Semenyo quickly levelled matters before sub Justin Kluivert drilled in a dream of a shot from 25 yards that dipped over a helpless Bernd Leno. A fine breakaway goal for Semenyo – supplied by a scamper down the right and cross from Ben Gannon-Doak sealed the deal in injury time.
The loss leaves the Whites still seeking a first away win. The Cherries go second in the table after this Friday night triumph.
Both sides had to contend with appalling conditions which ensured moments of real quality stood out, and a first goal of the campaign for Sessegnon provided classy interlude to back up a gritty defensive display.
The pity for the Whites was that the lead was all-too short loved and when Semenyo danced past Timothy Castagne down to the left byline, the striker then cut back inside to drill a low shot through Leno’s legs.
That turned the tide completely and Kluivert’s brilliant hit, followed by Semenyo’s second of the night meant Whites fans endured a repeat of the 3-1 loss at Villa last week when they also surrendered a lead.
The Cherries are now on a run of six league games without defeat since the opening weekend loss at Liverpool
Fulham’s chances of getting a win to take them into the top half of the table were not exactly boosted by the stats on offer at kick-off.
The Whites had lost on their three previous visits to the Vitality Stadium and they started without a recognised number nine – Josh King being detailed to the most forward striking role in the absence of Rodrigo Muniz and Raul Jimenez.
Bayern loanee Jonah Kusi-Asare, 18, is not considered ready to start in the helter-skelter world of Premier League football.
Throw in the nasty, spoiling wind and rain and an early injury to Sasa Lukic and the omens looked even less promising for the Whites in their lime green away kit.
But the incursions down the left by Sessegnon and down the right by Harry Wilson, began to offer promising outlets. Tom Cairney came on to exercise his usual calm control and vision to get the visitors on the front foot.
But the home side looked stronger as the game wore on, even after falling behind. Leno was in difficulty from a corner which owed much treacherous swirling wind and Evanilson put the rebound into the side-netting before the Brazilian tested Leno with a ground shot soon after.
Incursions by Fulham were not that regular but Alex Iwobi twice created openings – for a header at goal from Castagne and for a Harry Wilson shot. Both were comfortably dealt with by Cherries keeper Dorde Petrovic. Cairney also had a couple of decent efforts late on but there was no denying the Chrerries were the better side.
Cherries: (4-2-3-1) Petrovic – Hill (Jimenez 6i), Diakite, Senesi (Gannon-Doak 77), Truffert – Adams (Christie 77), Scott – Semenyo, Tavernier (Kluivert 61), Brooks (Milosavljevic 85) – Evanilson
Whites: (3-4-2-1) Leno – Diop (Smith Rowe 86), Andersen, Bassey – Castagne, Lukic (Cairney 14), Berge, Sessegnon – Wilson (Chukwueze 67), Iwobi (Traore 86) – King (Kevin 67)
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