AFC Bournemouth
Enes Ünal grabbed a dramatic injury-time leveller as AFC Bournemouth fought back to claim a 2-2 draw with Premier League counterparts Sheffield United on Saturday.
The Turkey international, on loan from Getafe, prodded home in the first minute of added time as Andoni Iraola’s team came from 2-0 down to earn a share of the points.
Goals from Gustavo Hamer and Jack Robinson had put the Blades in the driving seat after Dom Solanke had missed a 14th-minute penalty for the hosts.
Dango Ouattara came off the bench to halve the deficit with a 74th-minute header before Ünal’s late equaliser ensured the Cherries would equal their Premier League goal tally from last season.
Both goalkeepers made routine saves in the early stages, Ivo Grbić getting behind Milos Kerkez’s shot and Neto gathering Ben Brereton Díaz’s low drive.
Kerkez seemed a tad unfortunate to receive the game’s first booking for what looked like a well-timed sliding tackle which left Tom Davies on the floor.
A well-worked free-kick led to the Cherries being awarded a penalty after 13 minutes, Solanke upended by Davies’s rash challenge following Marcus Tavernier’s pass.
But Solanke missed out on the chance to register a 15th Premier League goal of the season when he slipped and lifted his spot-kick high over the crossbar.
Antoine Semenyo also fired over the top after meeting Lewis Cook’s 19th-minute corner, the former Bristol City man then seeing an angled effort tipped over the crossbar by Grbić.
Another stinging drive from Semenyo was saved by Grbić, the frontman letting fly from just inside the 18-yard box after Tavernier’s deflected cross had fallen invitingly for him.
The visitors took the lead in the 27th minute when Gustavo Hamer hammered the loose ball into the roof of the net after Neto had saved Jayden Bogle’s initial strike.
As the Cherries went in search of a quick response, Ryan Christie created some space but could only find the side netting from a tight angle.
Grbić pulled off a smart reaction save at his near post to push Semenyo’s header around the post after Christie had centred.
And although Justin Kluivert beat Grbić to a through ball, the Serbian goalkeeper stuck out his leg to block the frontman’s flick.
Christie failed to trouble Grbić after Solanke had cushioned a Kerkez cross into his path on the stroke of half-time.
And in first-half stoppage time, Tavernier slipped a pass to the lively Kerkez who was thwarted by another save from Grbić.
Ouattara replaced Kerkez at the break before Christie, teed up by Tavernier, blasted his shot over the crossbar.
Neto rushed off his line to prevent Brereton Díaz reaching a through ball before a double substitution saw Tavernier and Kluivert replaced by Luis Sinisterra and Ünal.
Oliver Arblaster’s low drive was pushed away by Neto, the Blades doubling their lead through Robinson from the resultant corner midway through the second half.
The defender, who donned the skipper’s armband, prodded home Hamer’s corner at the far post despite the best efforts of Neto to keep the ball out.
Although the Cherries thought they had halved the deficit soon after, Solanke’s effort was ruled out for handball following a VAR check.
However, there was no reprieve for the visitors when Ouattara reduced the arrears, the substitute planting a thumping near-post header home after meeting Christie’s 74th-minute corner.
Ouattara climbed at the far post to meet Alex Scott’s corner nine minutes from time, but his header flew over the crossbar.
Sinisterra’s mazy run set up a chance for Scott but his effort struck a defender before Ünal’s effort was cleared off the line.
But after Mepham had hooked the loose ball back into the danger zone and Ouattara had flicked it on, Ünal was there to steer home the leveller.
There was still time for Sinisterra to go close to finding a winner, his low shot rolling narrowly past the post late on, with Philip Billing drilling another effort over the crossbar.
AFC Bournemouth: Neto, Smith (Scott, 74), Zabarnyi, Mepham, Kerkez (Ouattara, h/t), Cook, Christie (Billing, 74), Tavernier (Sinisterra, 62), Kluivert (Ünal, 62), Semenyo, Solanke.
Unused subs: Travers (g/k), Faivre, Adams, Kinsey.
Booked: Kerkez, Smith, Mepham.
Sheffield United: Grbić, Baldock, Trusty, Hamer, McBurnie (McAtee, 69), Brereton Díaz (Osula, 80), Robinson, Bogle (Ahmedhodžić, 69), Davies (Vinícius de Souza Costa, h/t), Osborn, Arblaster (Norwood, 80).
Unused subs: Foderingham (g/k), Larouci, Curtis, Brooks.
Booked: Hamer, McBurnie, Grbić, Brereton Díaz, Norwood.
Referee: Anthony Taylor.
