AFC Bournemouth 1 Sunderland 2: Black Cats secure first Premier League win with brilliant victory

Sunderland's season is finally up and running after a superb 2-1 win at Bournemouth.
Jermain Defoe scored the winning goalJermain Defoe scored the winning goal
Jermain Defoe scored the winning goal

Victor Anichebe and Jermain Defoe from the penalty spot earned the Black Cats their first three points of the campaign after going 1-0 down to an early Dan Gosling goal.

The Black Cats had gone 10 Premier League games without a win, the club's worst ever start, but they produced a resilient, gritty and determined performance on the south coast.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sunderland played the final half hour of the game with 10 men too after Steven Pienaar was given his second yellow card for a foul on Junior Stanislas.

Anichebe was superb up front, while Jordan Pickford excelled in goal to keep Sunderland in the game with a string of stunning saves.

Manager David Moyes made three changes, with injured duo John O'Shea and Jack Rodwell out with hamstring injuries, while Wahbi Khazri was dropped to the bench.

In came Victor Anichebe for his first Premier League start alongside Jermain Defoe, with Paddy McNair and Papy Djilobodji also back in the starting line-up.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sunderland lined up with four across midfield, Duncan Watmore wide right, Paddy McNair on the left and and Steven Pienaar and Dider Ndong in the centre.

The travelling Sunderland support were in good humour early on chanting "We're going to win the league..."

But their side soon found themselves trailing.

Eleven minutes in, Chalie Daniels played the ball out to the right wing, Adam Smith had the run on Patrick van Aanholt and he provided the pin-point cross fro Dan Gosling to poke the

ball home inside the six-yard area.

It was far too easy. Sunderland were being carved open down their left-hand side. Junior Stanislas found himself in on goal after Lamine Kone was disspossessed in the build-up.

His effort sliced into the side-netting.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sunderland were being outdone in midfield but kept plugging away, Watmore doing well to find space and then carve out a cross across the face of the Cherries goal.

There was nobody there to take advantage though.

Pickford, who had earlier made a powerful save from Harry Arter, was again called upon to deny Joshua King.

Stanislas with the through ball, well blocked by the England Under-21 keeper in the 25th minute.

It was an important save to keep the Black Cats in the game. And they levelled eight minutes later.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Defoe with a low ball into Anichebe, making his full Premier League debut for Sunderland, who had his back to goal.

He held off Cherries skipper Simon Francis, before turning and shooting high into the roof of the net after 33 minutes.

It was Anichebe's first top flight goal since scoring for West Brom against Newcastle in May 2015. He was impressing, leading the line alongside Defoe.

The 1,200 travelling supporters who had made the 700-mile round trip from Wearside were celebrating again in the 45th minute but Watmore's close finish was correctly ruled offside.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Anichebe played in Jones on the right wing, he crossed first time and Watmore slid the ball home but he was a couple of yards offside.

Sunderland finished the opening 45 minutes strongly, showing far more hunger than they have in recent games. They had Pickford to thank for keeping them in the game.

Half-time: Bournemouth 1 Sunderland 1

There was an injury scare five minutes into the second half, McNair went down clutching his left shoulder after falling awkwardly following a Gosling foul.

After a few minutes of treatment, he was back on his feet and able to carry on.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It was all Sunderland in the opening stages of the second half, with the Black Cats maintaining the momentum from Anichebe's equaliser.

Didier Ndong saw his dipping effort from the edge of the area clumsily punched away by Boruc, with the travelling support in fine voice.

Bournemouth still looked a threat, with Jack Wilshere forcing Pickford into yet another smart save, the Arsenal loanee with a low effort palmed away by the Sunderland stopper.

Sunderland were dealt a body blow on the hour mark.

Pienaar shown a second yellow card for a foul on Stanislas, replays showed he got first contact on the ball but his studs then made contact with the shin of the Cherries forward.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Sunderland bench were in uproar, with the Black Cats then camped in their own half as Bournemouth tried to make the most of their exta man.

Stanislas hit the post, Wilshere prodded the ball just wide of the right-hand post, while Jones was called on to make a smart block in front of goal.

It was all action, with the hosts laying seige to the Sunderland goal.

Sunderland were weathering the storm though and they got a break 15 minutes before the end, Smith judged to have fouled Anichebe inside the area in the 74th minute.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ex-Bournemouth striker Defoe needed no excuse. He fired the ball into the right-hand side of the goal, Boruc diving the other way to spark jubiliant scenes in front of the away fans.

The game was far from over though, half-time sub Benik Afobe somehow rolled an effort wide of Pickford's right-hand post from 12-yards.

Afobe missed another glorious effort ten minutes from the end, dragging his shot well wide from the edge of the area.

It was tense, nerve-shredding stuff.

Pickford, superb all afternoon, produced a stunning save in the 88th minute, flying through the air to deny King's goal-bound effort.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sub Jason Denayer was sitting just in front of the back four, closing the Bournemouth attacking midfielders down and sniffing out danger.

Sunderland managed to hold on, a superb resilient display earning them their first win of the season. The Black Cats have lift off. Finally.

Full-time: Bournemouth 1 Sunderland 2

AFC Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Boruc, Francis (C), Cook, Smith, Gosling, Arter Mousset, 76), Daniels, King, Stanislas (Fraser, 82), Wilshere, Ibe (Afobe, 45).

Subs Not Used: Federici, Ake, Pugh, Mings.

Booked: Arter (3), King (29)

Goals: Gosling (11)

Sunderland (4-4-2): Pickford, Jones, van Aanholt, Djilobodji, Kone, Pienaar, McNair (Denayer, 72), Ndong, Watmore (Love, 90), Anichebe, Defoe (C) (Gooch, 90)

Subs Not Used: Mika, Januzaj, Manquillo, Khazri.

Booked: Pienaar (43), Anichebe 69), Gooch (90)

Sent off: Pienaar (59)

Goals: Anichebe (33), Defoe (74, pen).

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)