AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth were 2-1 winners over Sheffield Wednesday in a training game at the club’s Portugal training camp.
Lewis Cook fired the Cherries into the lead just before the half-time interval with a deflected effort from inside the area.
Dominic Solanke added a characteristically clinical finish in the second-half before Fisayo Dele-Bashiru reduced the deficit late on.
The victory saw two different starting 11s play in the searing heat in Portugal, with Scott Parker’s side also completing some gruelling runs after their time on the pitch.
After an early save from Mark Travers, the Cherries had the better of the first-half, with captain Lloyd Kelly pouncing on Joe Rothwell’s cross at the back post, forcing a brilliant save from stopper David Stockdale.
But the Cherries did have the lead right on the stroke of half-time when a set play fell to Cook on the edge of the box, and the midfielder took no hesitation in hammering a powerful drive goal bound – the ball deflecting off George Byers and into the corner.
At the break, Parker made 11 changes to his line up and they came out with a real intent from the off.
Ryan Fredericks went close with a low drive from outside the box before Solanke added the second after 56 minutes.
Jaidon Anthony’s cushioned back heel allowed Ryan Christie to play a whipped ball into the box, where the Cherries frontman Solanke controlled well and shifted the ball onto his left foot, drilling a low drive into the far corner.
But the Owls found a way back into the game as Dele-Bashiru raced through one-on-one to accurately finish into the corner inside the penalty area.
The Cherries deserved a third goal and almost had it in stunning circumstances, when midfielder Philip Billing hit an incredible free-kick from just inside Wednesday’s half which almost caught Cameron Dawson out.
The ball travelled at a ferocious pace and was set to nestle in the net, but the ‘keeper had to be at full stretch to tip the ball over the bar.
Dawson was called into action again just a minute later when he produced a fine reflex stop to palm away Jefferson Lerma’s header from a corner.
But the Cherries were well worth their victory in a superb workout for Parker’s side.
First-half XI: Travers, Cook, Kelly, Mepham, Rothwell, Smith, Stacey, Lowe, Moore, Zemura, Dembele.
Second-half XI: Lossl, Fredericks, Greenwood, Lerma, Solanke, Christie, Marcondes, Pearson, Hill, Billing, Anthony.
