A clinical performance from Shaun Cooper’s side earned AFC Bournemouth a very impressive 4-0 victory over West Brom in Group A of the Premier League Cup.

Euan Pollock bagged a superb brace either side of the interval, after Zeno Ibsen Rossi’s thumping header gave the Cherries the lead and Christian Saydee’s low strike doubled the advantage with half-an-hour gone.  

The hosts, who were beaten 2-0 in the away fixture earlier this season, meant business and were deservedly ahead through Ibsen Rossi after just 13 minutes, the centre-back guiding his head beyond the reach of Ronnie Hollingshead.

Saydee was next to strike at Vitality Stadium, taking advantage of a loose ball into the box and emphatically finishing into the bottom left-hand corner.

The team weren’t done yet and it was Pollock who grabbed the headlines with two goals to his name, the first being a simple tap in at the back-post, before showing his skill with a smart finish across Hollingshead. 

The win means that the development squad go into Wednesday’s game away at Southampton third in the Group A standings with four points, one behind of Arsenal in second with a game in hand.

The Cherries fielded a side with a mix of experience, Ibsen Rossi, who has six first team appearances to his name this season and Saydee, scorer of his maiden senior goal against MK Dons in the summer, both amongst the starters.

Brennan Camp wore the armband in the heart of defence, while there was also a place in the team for first year scholar Ben Winterburn, who has been in the academy set-up since the age of 11.

A young bench comprised of under-18s quartet, Owen Palmer, Ferdinand Okoh, Dan Adu-Adjei and Marcus Daws - the top scorer for the Youth Team this season. They were joined by 16-year-old ‘keeper Ollie Camis, who kept a clean sheet for Alan Connell’s side at Exeter earlier this month in a crucial FA Youth Cup win.

As for the visitors, Owen Windsor and Matt Richards, who both scored September’s reverse match, started at Vitality Stadium.

Cooper’s side started quickly, with Pollock bringing the ball forward well. He picked out Aaron Roberts, who laid it back for Ben Greenwood, only for the left-footed shot to take a fierce deflection wide.

Barely a minute later, after a flurry of corners, the hosts went close again to an opener, this time Pollock’s header going just over from Greenwood’s ball in.

The pressure kept coming and Saydee was next to cause problems, dancing through the Baggies defence to work a shooting position, but his effort was low and comfortable for Hollingshead.

Up the other end of the pitch, Josh Shaw got in behind the Cherries defence and put a dangerous cross into the box, but Jack Seddon was equal to it and got there ahead of Owen Windsor.

Genesini was in the thick of the action throughout, but his most notable first-half contribution came via a through-ball for Pollock. The forward, who is currently on loan at Truro, took a good touch and was denied only by a sensational point-blank save from Hollingshead.

With Cooper’s side dominating, it was a matter of time before the deadlock was broken and Ibsen Rossi was the man to do it. He rose highest from Greenwood’s corner and gave little chance to the Baggies ‘keeper, who was left standing.

As the Cherries pushed for a second, Aurio Teixeira was the West Brom hero as he threw himself in front of Aaron Roberts’ rebound from Genesini’s shot preventing what looked a certain goal.

Nevertheless, it didn’t matter as three minutes later Saydee had double his side’s lead after the ball bobbled around from a corner, Greenwood the architect again. The striker’s low shot evaded the sea of bodies which covered the 12 yards that stood between him and the goal.

As the second-half got underway, the Cherries continued where they left off and it was the two wing-backs who linked up well. Genesini swung a long cross-field ball out to Greenwood, who hit it on the volley, unfortunately for him into the side-netting.

The Baggies, managed by former Solihull Moors assistant coach Richard Beale, looked for their route back into the game, one of their best chances being through Owen Windor, who saw his shot held by an untroubled Cam Plain.

Yet, the game was soon out of sight, with the visitors unable to deal with Genesini’s threat on the right. His inch-perfect cross was met by Pollock at the back-post who simply had to tap home for number three.

The hosts were flying and kept breaking through the West Brom defence, Yeovil-born Genesini having a go himself with a left-footed shot after cutting in from the right grazing the crossbar.

Another clever corner followed imminently, as Ibsen Rossi thought he had his second. In a carbon copy of the opener, the centre-back met Greenwood’s corner but this time couldn’t find the target as Hollingshead remained unmoved.

With the game in its final quarter, there was still time for more chances. With Pollock in space at the back-post, the ball fell to his feet but once again the Baggies were indebted to their shot-stopper, who made himself big and saved.

Despite his best efforts, there was little he could do when Pollock raced through moments later. A smart reverse ball from 17-year-old Winterburn picked out the striker and his shot across the ‘keeper was soon nestled in the bottom corner in the game’s final action. 

Match facts 

AFC Bournemouth: Plain (g/k), Genesini, Camp, Ibsen Rossi, Seddon, Greenwood, Wadham, Winterburn (Okoh 88), Roberts (Daws 77), Pollock, Saydee (Adu-Adjei 81).

Unused subs: Palmer, Camis (g/k).

Booked: N/A

West Brom: Hollingshead (g/k), Teixeira, Shaw, Williams, Joshua, Richards, Windsor, Cleary (Heard 74), Andrews, Faal (Oluwatobi 63), Triallist.

Unused subs: Machisa, Hudd (g/k).

Booked: Andrews, Triallist.  

Referee: Gary Parsons