Bournemouth 2-3 Preston North End: Cherries miss chance to go top of Championship
- Published
Tom Barkhuizen (left) has now scored three goals in his past four games for Preston North End
Bournemouth missed the chance to go top of the Championship as they were beaten at home by Preston North End, despite a late comeback.
The visitors led on the counter early on when Tom Barkhuizen slotted in at the far post from Daniel Johnson's delivery before Scott Sinclair doubled the lead with an incredible strike from 40 yards.
Preston added a third when Patrick Bauer turned in Johnson's cross but Junior Stanislas hit back with a fine free-kick soon after.
The hosts set up a tense finale when Sam Surridge headed in Jaidon Anthony's cross but North End held on for the win.
The result ends Preston's two-game losing run and moves them up to 14th while Bournemouth remain second but are level on points with third-placed Bristol City, who won at QPR.
Preston came into the trip to the Vitality Stadium on a run of form that had seen them lose five of their past seven league matches, but took a deserved early lead.
Barkhuizen scored his third goal in four appearances at the end of a fine counter attacker that began with Sinclair's clever ball to play through Johnson.
Sinclair found the net within five minutes of the restart as he spotted Cherries goalkeeper Asmir Begovic off his line and fired into the top corner from well outside the box.
Bournemouth fought back, however, after Bauer added Preston's third and were rewarded through Stanislas and Surridge's efforts, but they could not find a dramatic late equaliser.
A fine night for North End was soured when Bauer was carried off on a stretcher in added time with an injury.
Bournemouth boss Jason Tindall told BBC Radio Solent:
"They didn't deserve to score the three goals as they were based on our mistakes.
"The first came after a free-kick, the second was miscommunication at the back and then the third was from a free-kick where we switched off at the back post.
"I felt if the game went on for another five minutes we would have got something. We were asking questions but it wasn't to be for us tonight."
Preston North End manager Alex Neil told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"I'm disappointed and upset for Patrick Bauer who looks like he has a really bad injury to his Achilles.
"He's a big character at Preston so to see him look like he's suffered a bad injury is upsetting for everyone.
"In terms of the game, I thought we performed well and were worth the win. We were deserving of the three points."
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