December 23, (THEWILL) – An injury-time Dominic Solanke hat-trick earned Bournemouth a dramatic 3-2 victory away at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, ruining Nuno Espirito Santo’s first match in charge of the relegation threatened side.
Forest had battled back to 2-2 and looked set to claim a point after Chris Wood’s 74th minute header cancelled out Solanke’s earlier double. However, the Cherries striker broke Forest hearts by heading home a 95th minute winner to secure a vital three points for the visitors.
The game hinged on a 23rd minute red card for Forest’s Willy Boly for a second bookable offence, despite the defender clearly winning the ball in the challenge. Nuno’s side battled valiantly with 10 men and took a 47th minute lead through Anthony Elanga.
However, Solanke equalised four minutes later and grabbed his second on 56 minutes to put Bournemouth ahead. Wood looked to have rescued a point for Forest, only for Solanke to complete his treble right at the death.
The win lifts Bournemouth up to 11th in the table, while Forest remain 17th and just above the relegation zone heading into Christmas. Nuno will take heart from his side’s character but knows they face an uphill battle to avoid the drop in the second half of the campaign. Solanke meanwhile took home the match ball after netting his first senior hat-trick for the high flying Cherries.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
