Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-2 Bournemouth
- Published
Wolves slipped to a fifth straight defeat as Bournemouth took advantage of Rajiv van La Parra's second-half red card to come from behind at Molineux.
Loan striker Danny Graham's deft header gave Wolves a half-time lead.
But Van La Parra's 59th-minute dismissal following a 50-50 challenge with Steve Cook transformed the game.
Harry Arter levelled, then Matt Ritchie blasted home from 15 yards before Wolves ended with nine men when Matt Doherty was sent off too.
Referee Mike Jones' performance had angry Wolves owner Steve Morgan remonstrating with him on the pitch at the end.
Bournemouth, now unbeaten in 11 games, had 11-goal top scorer Callum Wilson fit to return, while Wolves made four changes to the team hammered 4-0 at Brentford last weekend.
Dominic Iorfa came in for his Wolves debut at right-back to replace the injured Scott Golbourne, while club captain Sam Ricketts and midfielders Lee Evans and George Saville were left out, instigating recalls for Richard Stearman, James Henry and Kevin McDonald.
Wolves dominated the first half and took a deserved lead on 41 minutes.
James Henry curled in a near-post left-wing cross and Graham's delicate header drifted in just inside the beaten Boruc's left upright.
Cherries at Molineux |
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Eddie Howe, now Bournemouth's manager, was in the last Cherries team to visit Molineux in September 1998. He was also part of a winning side that day, Mark Stein scoring twice in Bournemouth's 2-1 League Cup win, with Robbie Keane netting the Wolves goal. |
Bournemouth started the second half more brightly, Pitman testing Carl Ikeme with a fierce low free-kick which the Wolves goalkeeper did well to hold onto.
But then came the game's main talking point when Cherries defender Cook went down heavily after an apparently harmless, fully committed collision with Van La Parra - and referee Jones quickly brandished a red card.
Within 14 minutes, Arter had levelled, then Ritchie fired home through a crowded box after Pitman and Wilson had both been denied by tremendous saves from Ikeme.
Doherty was then shown the red card for a late challenge on Brett Pitman, sparking an incident which had players from both sides squaring up to each other.
Wolves head coach Kenny Jackett told BBC WM:
"I spoke to all the officials and the information I got was that Van La Parra was deemed to have led with his elbow, which was why he was red-carded. I felt at the time that it was head to head, as I still do, having seen it, that it was accidental.
"The second sending-off was equally hard. Matt won the ball with his first leg and his second leg was passive.
"You are allowed to appeal and, on both fronts, we will appeal."
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe told BBC Radio Solent:
"The sending-off was a key moment in the game. Cookie came back in the dressing room with a bump on his head. He was definitely caught. Whether the lad deliberately made contact is the question.
"But, even before the sending-off, I felt we were the better team in the second half.
"You can understand the home fans' frustrations when they've been one up, had two men sent off, then ended up losing."
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