Dominic Solanke rescued a point for Scott Parker's Bournemouth side deep into added time against Fulham on Saturday as the Dorset club continue to hunt down automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Dominic Solanke rescued a point for Scott Parker's Bournemouth side deep into added time against Fulham on Saturday as the Dorset club continue to hunt down automatic promotion to the Premier League.
With the game into the eighth and final minute of stoppage time, second placed Bournemouth were trailing 1-0 to the league leaders after an Alexsander Mitrovic header had merely edged over the line early in the second half.
Adam Smith was then challenged heavily inside Fulham’s box by former Cherries winger Harry Wilson. A nervous second passed before the referee’s whistle was heard, instigating an almighty roar from the home supporters, and piercing the ears of the Cottagers. Graham Scott had pointed to the spot.
Solanke, the Cherries leading goal scorer this season, picked up the ball and strode forwards. Despite missing his last penalty against Blackpool, the striker was undetereted and left Parker in no doubt of the goal scorer's ability to rifle home from the spot.
“There wasn't a cooler man in the stadium than Dominic Solanke," explained the Cherries' head coach
"He missed the penalty at Blackpool away, that was his last penalty.
"He came in the next day and wanted to work out a process, work out his technique in penalties, mixing up things. And from that day to this point, he's practised, practised, practised and got himself in a position so that he's ready in the height of it, when there is a big penalty and there isn’t a bigger penalty than today."
With more competition for automatic promotion to the top-flight following results elsewhere, and four games to go for the season, Bournemouth could not afford to leave the ground empty handed. The prolific number nine placed his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. The chanting from the stands ceased.
Solanke took two steps to the left before jogging forward with his steely eyes set on 6 foot 4” Marek Rodak until the very last moment. Tangible tension shadowed the Vitality as the striker sent the goalkeeper the wrong way and wrapped his right foot around the ball, coolly stroking it into the bottom left corner.The crowd erupted in joy and an overwhelming outburst of relief filled the Steve Fletcher stand as serene Solanke performed his iconic bow and arrow celebration.
"You couldn’t have cranked the pressure on him anymore. And to be fair, the work that he's done put him in the best position to be able to execute and full credit to him," added Parker.
Bournemouth's coaching staff flooded the away side’s technical area in irrepressible delight. Dominic Solanke’s 27th goal of the campaign rescued his side a point which could prove to be monumental at this stage of the season.
Parker admitted he had to walk back down the tunnel as the penalty was taken before adding more praise for his leading talisman.
“I’ve not got enough words and compliments for Dominic Solanke,"he added.
"Every week the boy is the most focused, the most committed, the most relentless, and with that attitude, that desire, those values, there’s something about the boy that I can't relate to massively along with a lot of others.
"He deserves putting that goal away for the work he's done. The humility of wanting to get better, wanting to improve. You boys don't see that. You just see him on the occasion today at 96 minutes, put the ball in the net and probably just see it as a normal penalty.
"I see the graft, I see the hurt when he's missed, I see the stresses and then I see the ultimate commitment to be able to do that. These moments only happen through work and graft and a mentality.”
The Cherries remain second in the league and will travel to 14th place Swansea on Tuesday for a 19:45BST kick-off at the Liberty Stadium with eight points now needed from their final four games to secure automatic promotion the the Premeir League.