
The Cherries went second in the Premier League as brilliant Antoine Semenyo goals and a Justin Kluivert rocket earned Bournemouth a 3-1 win against Fulham.
It was a drab first half in the heavy rain at the Vitality Stadium, as neither side particularly threatened the opposite goal.
Fulham took the lead after Ryan Sessegnon lifted the ball over Djordje Petrovic following a one-two with Samuel Chukwueze, but the Cherries struck twice in six minutes in the final quarter to turn the game around.
Semenyo first found the bottom corner from a seemingly impossible angle to draw Bournemouth level with 12 minutes to play, before Kluivert thundered a shot into the top corner from 30 yards six minutes later.
And Semenyo completed his brace deep into stoppage time to confirm a fantastic comeback and put the Cherries into the top two in the league, at least until Saturday’s fixtures in the league.
Andoni Iraola made four changes to his side that drew with Leeds, with James Hill, Alex Scott, David Brooks and Marcus Tavernier coming into the side.
Alex Jimenez, Ryan Christie, Amine Adli and Justin Kluivert all dropped to the bench.
With the rain swirling around Dean Court, the Cherries started on the front foot and dominated the opening exchanges, but without creating too many chances.
Bernd Leno was needed to punch clear a Bafode Diakite header into the danger area with Evanilson threatening.
The Fulham keeper was called upon again after ten minutes, as he got down to save a low Tyler Adams shot as Fulham failed to clear their lines and the American intercepted a pass just outside the box.
Fulham settled into the half and had their first sight of goal 22 minutes into the game, but Harry Wilson’s shot after a corner was headed out to him didn’t trouble Djordje Petrovic in the Cherries goal.
Alex Iwobi saw a shot blocked outside the Cherries box with half an hour on the clock, before Marcos Senesi was well placed to take the ball away from Tom Cairney as he looked to bring the ball down in the box after a fast Fulham counterattack.
The Cherries went close in the final four minutes of the half as Antoine Semenyo drilled a shot towards goal that was saved by Leno but spilled and Evanilson went down under the challenge of Calvin Bassey – but the flag was up for offside.
Scott drilled a shot goalwards from distance that was blocked by Joachim Andersen as the game entered the break without score.
Like in the first half, the Cherries started as the better of the two sides and controlled the early exchanges.
The English midfielder had a good chance blocked at the start of the second half after Evanilson laid the ball back to the edge of the box.
Leno was forced into a crucial save as a Brooks corner curled towards goal, the German keeper punching the ball of his line before Evanilson found the side netting from the rebound.
The Brazilian drew another save out of the keeper moments later after he was teed up by Tavernier from a Hill long ball, but Leno got down to save at his near post.
Petrovic saved well from a Wilson shot after the Welshman turned well inside the box, before Iraola went to his bench on the hour mark, Jimenez and Kluivert replacing Hill and Tavernier.
The Cherries continued to have the better of the half as the match entered the final 20 minutes, but it was the visitors who took the lead.
Sessegnon played a one-two with substitute Samuel Chukwueze and raced in on Petrovic, lifting the ball over the advancing Serbian to hand Marco Silva’s side the advantage with 70 minutes on the clock.
Iraola made attacking changes with 13 minutes to play as Ben Gannon-Doak and Christie replaced Senesi and Adams.
The Cherries drew themselves level with a moment of magic from the in-form Semenyo.
The Ghanaian danced past his man and got to the byline and, from seemingly an impossible angle, nutmegged Leno to find the far corner of the net.
And the Cherries took the lead six minutes later with another sensational goal – this time from substitute Kluivert.
The Dutchman picked up the ball on the edge of the centre circle and drove towards the Fulham area, shifting the ball to create space for a shot from 30 yards, and his powerful effort picked out the top corner to complete a quick turnaround for the hosts.
Veljko Milosavljevic replaced Brooks after the goal, and, as Fulham sought an equaliser, the Cherries extended their lead in stoppage time.
Gannon-Doak was played in behind on the counterattack, and in lots of space, the young Scot had the presence of mind to square it to the arriving Semenyo who side footed the ball past Leno.
That saw the Cherries stretch their unbeaten run to six games and put them second in the league ahead of Saturday’s fixtures.
AFC Bournemouth: 1, Đ. Petrović; 3, A. Truffert; 5, M. Senesi (Gannon-Doak 78’); 18, B. Diakité; 23, J. Hill (Jimenez 61’); 8, A. Scott; 12, T. Adams (Christie 78’); 7, D. Brooks (c)(Milosavljevic 85’); 16, M. Tavernier (Kluivert 61’); 24, A. Semenyo; 9, Evanilson.
Fulham: 1, B. Leno; 3, C. Bassey; 31, I. Diop (booked, 76’)(Smith Rowe 86’); 5, J. Andersen (c); 21, T. Castagne; 16, S. Berge; 20, S. Lukić (Cairney 14’); 30, R. Sessegnon; 24, J. King (Kevin 67’); 8, H. Wilson (Chukwueze 67’); 17, A. Iwobi (Traore 86’).
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