AFC Bournemouth 4-3 Luton - Dramatic finish sees Cherries grab victory

Despite surrendering a two goal lead to trail 3-2, late goals from teenagers Sam Vokes and Brett Pitman turned the game on its head again.

Cherries made two changes to Saturday's Southend defeat with Lee Bradbury coming in to take a wide right position in place of Jo Tessem. The enforced change saw teenager Ryan Pryce make a full debut in goal replacing the injured Gareth Stewart.

Cherries: Pryce, Young, Cummings, Perrett, Gowling, Hollands, Cooper, Gradel, Bradbury, Vokes, Kuffour (Pitman 80).
Subs: Pearce, Bartley, Partington, Tessem.

Luton: Brill, Goodall, Perry, Hutchison, Currie, Robinson, Talbot (Andrew 82), Morgan (O'Leary 71), Keane, Spring, Furlong.
Subs: Beresford, Emanuel, Jackson.

Cherries made the perfect start to the match and took the lead on sixty seconds. Shaun Cooper won the ball in midfield and remained composed as the ball found Sam Vokes wide right. His deep picked out an unmarked Max Gradel who notched his sixth of the season with a controlled first time effort back across goal.

Paul Furlong was the first to test rookie keeper Ryan Pryce, but the teenager gathered easily as the veteran striker made poor contact with his shot.

Hollands and Currie traded half chances wide of goal before Matt Spring fired just over from a long range free kick.

Just after the half hour mark Cherries doubled their lead. Once again Sam Vokes provided the assist as his through ball was perfect for Jo Kuffour to run onto. He used his pace to run clear of the Luton defence and also bag number six of the season.

Luton replied with two Drew Talbot efforts. Ryan Pryce dived at his feet to save the first and Russ Perrett blocked the second and conceded a corner which Cherries cleared before Luton could pounce on a loose ball.

A minute before half time Luton were awarded a penalty. Russ Perrett was adjudged to have tugged on the shirt of Paul Furlong to the dismay of the Cherries defence. Matt Spring stepped up and not for the first time in his career converted a penalty against Bournemouth

Half time: AFC Bournemouth 2-1 Luton Town

Spring also had the first chance of the second half with a guided twenty yard effort well held by Pryce. Dean Morgan then poked the ball wide as Cherries failed to clear their lines.

Following another long range effort from Talbot, Cherries created their own chance when Max Gradel's trickery set up a cross for Hollands who glanced a header over the bar.

On fifty-eight minutes a superbly struck Warren Cummings corner found the on-rushing Perrett at the far post. His header was firm, but narrowly cleared the bar.

A minute later Luton were level. Darren Curries whipped in a cross from the right touch line and Dean Morgan ghosted unseen between two defenders to be gifted the easiest of equalisers.

Responding well to Luton's second goal, Cherries went on the attack. Jo Kuffour's shot on the turn deceived the experienced Don Hutchison, but was saved well by keeper Brill.

Vokes and Kuffour combined on seventy-four minutes with the diminutive striker jinking in the box before shooting just wide.

Four minutes later Luton had the lead. A mistake from Perrett let in Talbot and his cross was headed at goal by Keane. Pryce pulled off a superb save, but nobody in the Cherries defence could clear and Furlong was first to the ball giving Luton the lead.

Just as Cherries looked to be heading for defeat Sam Vokes popped up with a peach of a goal. Seemingly with nowhere to go on the edge of the box, Vokes supplied a delicate shot over the keeper into the far top corner.

Vokes then nearly grabbed a winner in stoppage time. Played through into the box his deft finish rolled past Brill and agonisingly wide of the post as the Luton defence could do nothing bar look on.

It was substitute Brett Pitman who bagged a stoppage time winner to raise the roof at Dean Court. It all started with Cherries keeping composed in bringing forward a failed Luton attack.

Gradel and Cooper were both involved before an intervention from the referee thankfully didn't lose Cherries possession. Lee Bradbury took up possession on the right hand side and provided an inch perfect cross for Pitman to hammer home with a powerful header.

Final Score: AFC Bournemouth 4-3 Luton Town