AFC Bournemouth (H) 17/08/24

Nottingham Forest 1-1 AFC Bournemouth

Wood 23'                                      Semenyo 86'

The start of the 2024/25 season. A season with high expectations amongst Reds’ fans. A season we all hope to be points clear of that dreaded relegation zone. New signings have come in and a few have left. Keeping hold of Murillo and Gibbs-White too. Our first opponent, Bournemouth. Finally a Premier League opener at the World Famous City Ground.

The last two home fixtures against Bournemouth ended in heartbreak for Forest. Taking leads but ending up losing 3-2 in the cruellest of ways. Our away record is much better with both of our Premier League fixtures against the Cherries finishing 1-1. The two sides have only met 23 times before with Bournemouth edging the most victories. We have met on the opening day of the season once, back in 2007, when both teams were at a low in League One.

Red shirts filled the stadium, buzzing with excitement to be back. ‘Mull of Kintyre’ uniting us all again as another brilliant display from Forza Garibaldi was unveiled in the Trent End. The game got underway but just 6 minutes in, Danilo challenged Antoine Semenyo for a header but as he landed, his foot planted sideways, leaving him in some distress. Medics were quick to respond, and as blankets were used to give deserved privacy, we all stood together in our version of ‘Gold’.  Nuno has since said that it is a broken ankle and rumours spreading around social media say he’ll be back quicker than expected which is brilliant news.

We were all unsure if the injury would shake Forest but it was the home side who took the lead. Ryan Yates broke forward before playing into Anthony Elanga. The Swede found Chris Wood who tried to play back in Elanga but a poor clearance led to the ball ricocheting into Yates’ path. He took a touch before firing goalwards. Neto got his gloves to the shot, but the ball parried back into Wood’s track, and he slotted the ball, calmly, into the bottom right corner.

The visitors thought they had a goal back through Dango Outtara following a scramble in the 6 yard box from a short corner. As Marcus Tavernier played the ball back to the corner taker, Lewis Cook, the midfielder found himself in an offside position, meaning VAR disallowed the goal.

Forest finished the half the stronger side, wanting to see out their lead to the break. However, as the game neared the end of a lengthy additional time, Bournemouth came close to equalising. Following a Forest corner, the ball was cleared and fell to Outtara who broke forward through the Forest half. Murillo and Willy Boly were trekking back but to their rescue was Matz Sels who made himself big to deny the winger on a reduced angle.

Back underway and the second half started frantically with neither side getting a foothold in the game. The next big chance fell to Reds’ centre back, Willy Boly. Callum Hudson-Odoi whipped in a corner from the left which was met by Boly’s powerful header. Neto reacted well, pulling off a brilliant save to put the ball behind for another corner. The match began to slow and both teams were struggling to find any attacking threat. Forest looked the most likely of the two teams to find the back of the net but as the 90 minutes drew to a close, it was the Cherries who found an equaliser. After a link up down the left side, Ryan Christie put a ball into the six yard box from the byline which the substitute, Harry Toffolo tried to clear at the back post. His poor attempt hit Murillo on the chest and the ball fell to Semenyo, just yards away from goal for a tap in, despite Sels’ best effort to stop the shot.

Forest had managed to keep Bournemouth’s threat to a very minimum all game but at the death, the Cherries came close to snatching the winner. Billing played a great ball into the box but Murillo managed to turn it behind for a corner as Daniel Jebbison was shaping to shoot.

I’m very disappointed that Forest didn’t take all 3 points as we were the better team most of the game. There were times it was frantic but Bournemouth never really caused a threat until after they got their equaliser. All my thoughts are with Dani and it’s such a same to see my favourite player out before the season had really got a chance to begin. The recovery seems shorter than we originally thought so let’s hope we see him back soon. We played some really nice football at times but our defending in the final third is what costs us that goal. Sangare was a stand out for me and he seems like he’ll go on to have a strong season. It’s good to be back and bring on Southampton away next weekend!

Forest: Sels; Williams, Murillo, Boly, Aina (Toffolo 54'); Danilo (Yates 15'), Sangare; Elanga (Dominguez 54'), Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi (Anderson 72'); Wood (Awoniyi 72')

AFC Bournemouth: Neto; Smith (Araujo 63'), Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Scott (Christie 63'), Cook (Billing 84'); Ouatarra (Jebbison 69'), Tavernier, Sinisterra; Semenyo (Kluivert 63')