JERMAIN DEFOE and Bournemouth are up and running – thanks to super sub Jordon Ibe.
The Cherries were on course to become only the fourth Premier League team to lose their first five games of the season when Solly March gave Brighton the lead early in the second half. But within minutes of coming on, Ibe conjured a lovely backheel to tee up Andrew Surman for the equaliser.
And the former Liverpool man then jabbed a pass through to Defoe, who duly fired home the first goal of his second spell on the South Coast.
You could almost touch the relief around the Vitality Stadium after four defeats and one goal in the opening fixtures – and a lacklustre performance until Ibe’s interventions.
Bournemouth made almost all the running in the first half, but it was mostly foreplay without much penetration.
Left back Charlie Daniels was their man most likely and was involved in creating decent openings for Marc Pugh and Defoe, which were both spurned.
Unambitious Brighton seemed happy to leave with a point but almost scored three times early in the second period before finally taking the lead. From a Knockaert corner, Duffy saw Surman nod his header off the line and then do the same to Propper’s follow-up effort.
Moments later, Duffy headed the ball across goal and Propper hit the underside of the bar with his own header.
The goal soon arrived. Pascal Gross turned Daniels far too easily and March had time and space to head the ball past Asmir Begovic.
But Ibe came to the rescue within two minutes of coming on for Ryan Fraser. His cute backheel returned the ball to Surman, who kept his cool as challenges flew in and then passed the ball into the corner of the net.
And then Ibe found Defoe, who finally did what he has always done best. The right-foot shot he buried in the bottom corner was his first Bournemouth goal since the final game of his loan spell in May 2001.
Worth the wait? Time will tell.
From The Sun
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