Dominic Solanke double helps Cherries keep control at top of Championship

Posted Sunday, October 24, 2021 by PA

Dominic Solanke grabbed a double as unbeaten Bournemouth cruised to a 3-0 victory over Huddersfield to equal the club’s best start to a league season.

Striker Solanke bagged a first-half brace to take his tally to 11 goals for the season, before defender Lloyd Kelly added a third in the second half to keep the Cherries in control at the top of the Sky Bet Championship.

Bournemouth are now unbeaten in their first 14 matches this season, a statistic only matched by the 1961-62 side in the Old Third Division – with Liverpool the only other side in the top four English tiers yet to lose.

Both teams warmed up with messages printed on their T-shirts in support of Cherries winger David Brooks, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma last week.

The crowd then erupted in a minute’s chanting for the Wales international which ended seconds before Ollie Turton clumsily tripped Solanke to gift the hosts a penalty.

Solanke picked himself up, and after a slow run-up, sent Lee Nicholls the wrong way in the ninth minute.

It was Solanke’s ninth Championship strike of the season and ended Nicholls’ three-match clean sheet run.

Former Huddersfield midfielder Phillip Billing was booed by the away fans before lofting a cross into the box for Solanke to skid a header wide.

The pair then combined again in the 21st minute to double Bournemouth’s advantage.

Ryan Christie bent in a delicious cross from the right, which Billing cushioned to Solanke, who chested down before rifling home.

Gary Cahill tried his luck from 30 yards and Jaidon Anthony curled over for the Cherries, while Fraizer Campbell ended the half by shooting into the stands – the visitors only having one first half touch in the Bournemouth box.

Nicholls was forced into a smart stop to deny Christie after the restart, before Campbell saw a shot blocked on the edge of the area after a strong press at the other end.

Solanke almost grabbed his treble after a blistering counter-attack between Anthony and Billing saw the slide strike deflect out the ground.

But from the resulting 64th-minute corner captain Kelly met Christie’s centre to acrobatically divert in his second Bournemouth goal.

Huddersfield briefly thought they had pulled a goal back but after Travers had tipped Josh Koroma’s rasping strike onto the bar, Danny Ward was offside before he bundled in the rebound.

Morgan Rogers had an effort cleared off the line moments after coming on before fellow sub Junior Stanislas blazed the follow-up wide as Bournemouth cruised to another three points.