AFC Bournemouth
Shaun Cooper's under-21s were defeated 4-1 to a Wycombe Wanderers XI at Adams Park on Tuesday afternoon.
The Chairboys had first-team players Jason McCarthy and Dominic Gape making their returns from injury, while experienced 'keeper David Stockdale and new signing Garath McCleary also featured in Buckinghamshire.
As for the Cherries, Jaidon Anthony was involved as well as Nnamdi Ofoborh, the latter re-united with team-mates from last season, having won promotion to the Championship with Wycombe as a loanee in the summer.
The first chance of the game fell the way of the hosts, with Andron Georgiou looking to test Cameron Plain from range, but his shot from 20 yards was dragged wide of the post.
Moments later and the 'keeper was called into action following another shot from range, this time Gape drove his effort straight at the 17-year-old.
With the Chairboys threatening, the deadlock was eventually broken 12 minutes in.
Christian Saydee's foul saw McCarthy look to whip one in from a dead ball on the left, his cross met perfectly by the head of Alex Samuel to give Wycombe the lead.
That lead was doubled a matter of minutes later and it was Samuel on the scoresheet again, latching onto a loose ball in the box to finish from five yards.
With the hosts on the ascendancy, they looked to add more to their tally, with a big left-hand from Plain saving McCarthy's powerful effort superbly.
The Cherries grew into the game and looked to halve the deficit, the best chance of the opening 30 minutes coming from Jake Adams' through-ball for Euan Pollock, but the striker couldn't quite get on the end of it.
Another opportunity presented itself just before the break, this time George Hunt sending a ball in for Pollock, who directed his shot over the bar on the half-volley.
Wanderers also looked to make the most of a late chance in the opening half, as Hunt brought down Giles Phillips in a dangerous area, but McCarthy's ball in evaded everyone and went behind for a goal kick.
Following the interval, it was the Cherries who looked the most menacing, as Ofoborh linked up well with Jaidon Anthony, the latter's curled effort collected comfortably by Stockdale in the end.
Anthony continued to cause further problems for the Wycombe defence, turning his man moments later, again calling the experienced shot-stopper into action.
Up the other end of the pitch, Plain was tested yet again, diverting Nick Freeman's low drive out for a corner, before denying Samuel his hat-trick after catching an ambitious scissor-kick.
With an hour gone, McCleary, on as a half-time substitute, thought he'd added a third, again the Cherries 'keeper getting fingertips to his effort, which was turned round the post.
The Jamaica international again almost got his goal minutes later. Plain saved well from Freeman, with McCleary ready to pounce on the rebound, but the youngster threw himself in front of the shot and averted the danger.
The heroics in goal were to prove pivotal as Anthony got his side back in the game with 20 minutes to go.
The forward latched onto the end of Ofoborh's through-ball to find the target with a smart low finish.
As both teams went in search of another, the latter stages were end-to-end, with Alex Pattison seeing his shot from the right go inches wide, before half-time substitute Aaron Roberts blocked from Freeman.
Cooper's side stayed firm and were almost rewarded through under-18s striker Pollock, who forced a point-blank save out of Stockdale on the right-hand side of the box.
Andre Burley was the next to prevent a leveller for the Cherries, getting himself in the way of Ofoborh's shot.
Saydee was next to try his luck from 25 yards as the clock ticked down, but his shot sailed over and into the Lords Stand.
Despite their best efforts, the under-21s couldn't stop a third late on for Wycombe.
McCarthy rose highest and headed home Freeman's corner, as the Chairboys regained their two-goal advantage.
There was one final chance as the clocked ticked over the 90-minute mark and it fell the way of the hosts.
Samuel completed his hat-trick with another headed finish, this time converting McCleary's cross.
