AFC Bournemouth
Eddie Howe’s side ended their trip Stateside with a comprehensive victory over the second tier American outfit, with a Callum Wilson brace, a strike from Lewis Grabban and a bizarre own goal from United goalkeeper Sammy Ndjock.
The only negative for the side in the comfortable pre-season warm-up fixture was the sending off of Max Gradel with 20 minutes to go – he was shown a straight red card for an altercation with Damion Lowe after the Minnesota player had gone in hard on him.
As Howe intimated earlier in the tour, he made numerous changes to his side in a bid to give his squad valuable minutes, and in the first half named three debutants in Jordon Ibe, Lewis Cook and Lys Mousset.
Harry Arter also captained the side after Steve Cook was a late omission due to reporting an injury in the warm up.
The Cherries started the game in the manner they would go on to finish it, by dominating possession and chances, after 13 minutes Wilson had the ball in the back of the net for the first time – only for it to be ruled offside.
Marc Pugh was combining brilliantly with the striker and once again just five minutes later he slotted the ball through to Wilson – only for the flag to be raised once again. Wilson’s body language said all he thought about the decisions.
The two sides stopped for a pre-planned drinks break on the 20 minute mark, as sweltering sun continued to bask down, and almost a minute later the hosts nearly took the lead.
Ismaila Jones’ strike from the corner of the area had Artur Boruc beaten, but it cannoned off the crossbar before rebounding out.
That would prove to be the hosts’ only real opening of the first period and on the 24th minute the visitors got the lead their dominance deserved.
Charlie Daniels whipped the ball in from the left, picking out Wilson who tapped it home at the far post.
And just moments later the lead was two, in one of the most bizarre own goals surely ever seen in football. As the Minnesota goalkeeper Ndjock went to throw the ball out, with the outfield players with their backs to goal, he somehow threw it the wrong way into his own net.
The second may not have been of the Cherries own doing but the third certainly was, as Arter's stinging shot was parried and Wilson followed up to toe poke home the rebound with six minutes of the first half remaining.
Debutant Ibe also had an effort from a 30-yard free kick in the dying moments of the half, before Daniels opted to shoot from a tight angle on the left, but aiming for the far corner, his effort went over.
Howe's new-look side emerged for the second half looking to continue their rampant form but it was played at a slower tempo, as Minnesota looked to avoid any embarrassment.
Adam Federici had to be on his toes to ensure that he and Boruc kept a clean sheet between them, and he did well to parry Laing's venomous shot on the 53rd minute.
Federici's counterpart Ceus also did well to keep the score line down eight minutes later as he made himself big to block Gradel's effort from a tight angle.
But it was Gradel who was involved in arguably the game's biggest talking points on 71 minutes, as he was tackled by Lowe inside the Minnesota half. He got up to express his anger and the referee saw something in the following altercation that he felt warranted sending both players off.
Gradel's dismissal didn't put a dampener on what proved to be a good evening for the Cherries though, as Grabban rounded off the scoring late on - capitalising on a defensive mistake to slot home.
Four goals and a clean sheet make for a positive start to pre-season for the Cherries, who flew home at full time ready for their first friendly on home soil against Portsmouth on Saturday.
AFC Bournemouth (first-half): Boruc, MacDonald, Cargill (O’Kane 20), Butcher, Daniels, Arter, L. Cook, Ibe, Pugh, Mousset, Wilson.
AFC Bournemouth (second-half): Federici, Francis, MacDonald, Butcher, Wiggins, Pugh, O’Kane, Gosling, Grabban, Gradel, King.
Minnesota United (first-half): Ndjock; Davis, Kallman, Calvano, Venegas; Blake, Pitchkolan, Jome, Mendes, Speas; Ramirez
Minnesota United (second-half): Ceus, Lowe, Calvano, Laing, Brovsky, Pitchkolan, Csiki, Watson, Banks, Ibson, Pinho
Attendance
8334
Goals
Wilson (24, 39), Ndjock (26 O.G), Grabban (86)
Yellow cards
Brovsky
Red cards
Gradel, Lowe
Cherries Player HD will have all the reaction to the 4-0 victory with interviews being uploaded throughout the day on the platform. Click here for more details.
