Bournemouth vs Coventry City. Sky Bet Championship.
Vitality Stadium.
Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Bournemouth and Coventry at the Vitality Stadium as Arnaut Danjuma scored twice and created one for David Brooks as the Cherries moved into sixth
Saturday 10 April 2021 18:45, UK
Arnaut Danjuma scored twice and made another goal as Bournemouth moved into the Championship play-off places with a convincing 4-1 win at home to lowly Coventry.
David Brooks and Dominic Solanke were also on target as Jonathan Woodgate's in-form Cherries picked up their fourth straight league win with Matty James replying for the visitors.
Bournemouth knew a point would be enough to take them into the play-off places and got off to an electric start.
Wales winger Brooks burst down the right before drilling in a cross for Danjuma to tuck home his 12th goal of the season with only 24 seconds on the clock.
The Cherries had barely finishing celebrating when Coventry hit back with a goal of their own in the third minute.
Callum O'Hare was brought down 25 yards out and Leicester loanee James stepped up to pick out the corner with a sweetly-struck free-kick.
Moments later, Brooks threatened to catch out Coventry goalkeeper Marko Marosi with an effort that sailed just over the crossbar.
Tyler Walker then forced a smart save from Bournemouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic with a swivelling shot from the corner of the six-yard box in the 11th minute.
Brooks let fly again with a curling shot wide from 22 yards as the game continued to be played at a frenetic tempo.
Danjuma came even closer to restoring Bournemouth's advantage when his 13th-minute effort from an acute angle whistled just past the post.
Bournemouth were let off the hook eight minutes later after failing to deal with a Sam McCallum long-throw but Walker could only fire wide at the far post via a deflection.
The Cherries were back in front in the 28th minute as Danjuma claimed his second goal of the afternoon.
Danjuma played a neat one-two with Philip Billing before squeezing his shot through the legs of Marosi and into the far corner from a tight angle.
Coventry started the second half brightly, with the busy Walker diverting James's fizzing low cross wide.
Cameron Carter-Vickers also made an excellent block from Walker's left-foot volley as the Sky Blues probed for an equaliser.
Coventry defender Josh Pask was carried off on a stretcher on the hour-mark following a nasty clash of heads with Billing.
That incident seemed to knock Mark Robins' men off their stride and Brooks sealed the points with his fourth goal of the season in the 69th minute.
Danjuma had too much pace for Thompson before sending in a pin-point cross for Brooks to cushion beyond Marosi from close range.
Solanke completed the rout in stoppage time when he diverted substitute Ben Pearson's cross into the net from point-blank range.
Bournemouth's Jonathan Woodgate: "I thought we played really well. We played with a high intensity from the start and were difficult to play against. That is what I ask for; start quick and put the opposition on the back foot. Arnuat wanted to stay on to try and get his hat-trick but it's the team that comes first. If something happened to him in the last five minutes I'd never forgive myself.
"He will have more opportunities in his career to score hat-tricks. It is all about attitude, application and mentality because the lad's ability has never been in doubt. A 4-1 victory is a good result because Coventry are a decent team and should be higher in the table. We can get better but onto the next one."
Coventry's Mark Robins: "We were playing against a top team. If we were at full capacity, playing at top tilt it would still be a difficult game. As it is, we are playing with lads that are still learning the game and that makes a big difference. The biggest compliment I can pay the players is that they have tried to stick with them and tried to execute the game plan.
"A lot of the time they got it right but some of the time they got it wrong and then we were punished. I don't know yet how Josh is. He is concussed certainly but hopefully he has not got any problems with his vertebrae. He was semi-conscious but has taken a whack on the back of his head. Hopefully it is not anything more serious."
