AFC Bournemouth
The Cherries went top of the Championship - overnight at least - after a commanding display of attacking football resulted in a 3-1 win over Coventry City on Friday evening.
Jefferson Lerma scored early on with a wonderfully powered effort from 18 yards, his second of the campaign as the away side turned their opening assertiveness into a well-taken lead.
A series of chances came but went untaken for the visitors and with just over five minutes of the half remaining Matt Godden slotted home a penalty to ensure the sides were back to being all square at the interval.
Well on top, Bournemouth retook the lead when Dan Gosling deftly finished over the 'keeper after an electric forwards incision, and the same player made it three when he lasered home a brilliant strike from range after 60 minutes.
City were reduced to ten men when Gustavo Hamer received a needless red card for a slap, the visitors smoothly seeing home their victory and laying down a mark at the top of the Championship.
There were two changes in the Cherries line up from Sunday's Vitality Stadium win, Gosling starting in place of Philip Billing with Sam Surridge making his first league start for the club in place of Arnaut Danjuma, missing out with a minor calf injury.
In the pouring West Midlands rain the visitors got the game under way, and were soon dominating the ball on the greasy St. Andrew's turf.
Dominic Solanke scampered onto a Diego Rico through ball but couldn't control, though moments later the striker would be the architect as the Cherries hit the front.
The number nine received the ball in the box, turned and teed Lerma up to run onto a shot on the edge of the box, and much like his strike against Blackburn on the opening day the Colombian fired dutifully home.
The Cherries continued their forward push, though in the 15th minute Asmir Begovic was called upon to parry a Gustavo Hamer shot behind after the Dutchman skidded in a low angled drive from just outside the area.
A goalmouth scramble in the Sky Blue's six-yard box somehow ended without a second Cherries goal, Adam Smith, Gosling and Surridge all having efforts somehow cleared off the line before City 'keeper Marko Marosi was finally able to gather.
Solanke charged into the box but saw his shot blocked, while Jack Stacey was a constant menace for the Coventry defence from the right flank and saw a number of forward surges and centres causing danger.
Marosi saved and held on from Solanke at the near post and the striker was closer still when Rico's flicked-on ball forwards fell perfect for him, he rounded the 'keeper and from an angle got his finish on target, only to be thwarted on the goal line by a desperately sliding defender.
Callum O'Hare bent a shot narrowly wide at the other end with the hosts' closest effort after 37 minutes, and within a minute they had a golden opportunity after a Lewis Cook challenge saw the award of a penalty kick.
Godden steadied himself to confidently blast home from 12 yards and despite the Cherries' authority in the contest, the game was back level at 1-1.
The away push restarted, Rico blasting a free-kick into the wall, but as referee Jarred Gillett blew his half-time whistle the match was level.
Coventry made two changes at the break and kicked the second half off, the rain finally abating at the Sky Blues' temporary home.
It was Bournemouth who were instantly back on the attack, however. Smith getting to a back-post header that was too close to Marosi to trouble the stopper, who gathered.
A sliding Lerma ball was hounded at by Stacey. The full-back picked the pocket of the covering defender, laid a ball for Gosling to shoot from, only for the midfielder to lean back and fire over the bar when a goal looked the more likely outcome.
Gosling was on the spot moments later as the Cherries deservedly regained their lead.
Lewis Cook surged and fed Stacey who cut inside and squared for Solanke. The striker's attempted shot was muffled but the ball dropped kindly for Gosling who neatly dispatched with a lofted finish over Marosi from eight yards out, his 21st Bournemouth goal.
Surridge must have thought he'd notched a third when he headed a recycled corner goalwards, but Marosi's flying save spectacularly denied him.
There was no denying Gosling on the hour mark though, the midfielder netting a thunderbolt from 27 yards that gave Marosi no chance and put the Cherries even more firmly in the driving seat at St. Andrew's.
Rico's latest ball through set Surridge into space, the England under-21 international stepping inside one man, then a second before forcing Marosi into a strong low save.
Smith was booked for a foul as Fankaty Dabo looked to break forward but in the aftermath Hamer was more severely punished after he raised his arms to Steve Cook's face and received his marching orders.
O'Hare went close from the resulting free-kick, hitting the outside of Begovic's post from an angle, but the Cherries were soon passing the ball confidently as they looked to further press home their advantage.
Marosi dallied on the ball inside his six-yard box and but for a lucky ricochet the pressing Solanke would have had the goal his display deserved.
Substitute Jack Simpson overlapped and sent in a cross that was desperately cleared before Nnamdi Ofoborh appeared late on to make his league debut for the Cherries.
Into four minutes of added time and the away side continued their press and comfortably saw the impressive away performance out to the final whistle.
