Norwich City 1-3 Bournemouth: Danjuma & Kelly strikes help beat promoted Canaries
- Published
There was little Norwich goalkeeper Tim Krul could do to stop Lloyd Kelly's drilled effort
Excellent second-half strikes from Arnaut Danjuma and Lloyd Kelly helped Bournemouth come from behind to beat promoted Norwich and close in on a Championship play-off place.
The Canaries' return to the Premier League was sealed earlier on Saturday as Swansea and Brentford both failed to win and the buoyant hosts took an early lead when Emi Buendia prodded home from Teemu Pukki's superbly-timed flick.
However, Norwich left-back Dimitris Giannoulis was controversially sent off for catching Ben Pearson in a challenge and Sam Surridge tapped in a leveller for the visitors after Lloyd Kelly's low cross caused confusion in the Canaries box.
Bournemouth went ahead through Danjuma's wonderful run and shot into the top corner from 25 yards and Kelly arrowed in a low effort from outside the box to take the game beyond the leaders.
Despite their first defeat in 14 games, Daniel Farke's Norwich will be crowned champions if they beat second-placed Watford at Carrow Road on Tuesday.
For the fifth-placed Cherries it was a sixth successive win and they will confirm a play-off place on Wednesday if they win at Millwall and seventh-placed Reading lose at Luton.
Although Norwich's top two finish was secured before kick-off they started with intensity, Buendia's volley going just wide before the Argentine playmaker scored his 13th of the season to end a fine move through the middle.
But a straight red for Greece defender Giannoulis - who was second to a keenly-contested tackle - gave Bournemouth encouragement and they would have been level before the break had the offside Dominic Solanke not helped in Danjuma's already-goalbound strike.
Cherries boss Jonathan Woodgate made an attacking half-time switch, bringing on Surridge for midfielder Jefferson Lerma and the striker was in the right place to finish at the far post after young Norwich centre-back Andrew Omobamidele's miscued clearance was saved into his path.
The goal was initially flagged offside but correctly given after referee Graham Scott spoke to his assistant referee.
The hosts replaced star striker Pukki before the hour mark after an earlier knee knock and Netherlands forward Danjuma then showed his quality - nutmegging Buendia, driving infield and unleashing an unstoppable shot past Tim Krul for his eighth goal in 10 Championship games.
Bournemouth's third arguably should not have stood as Danjuma appeared to be offside in the build-up, with Kelly steadying himself before drilling in his first for the club and consigning Norwich to only a second home league defeat of the campaign.
'We haven't done anything yet' - reaction
Bournemouth head coach Jonathan Woodgate told BBC Radio Solent: "It was a difficult game, Norwich started really well. They didn't have to win the game to get promotion, which was good for them, but they're a talented football team.
"The referee made a decision to send their man off, which I thought was right. It's difficult at times when teams go down to 10 men because you have really got to break them down.
"It's a really difficult place to come against a really good team that is firing on all cylinders and they deserve to go up.
"I can't single out individuals - the team is playing well and there is a good team spirit and the work rate it there.
"We need to keep on going, this league is notoriously difficult and anything can happen. We've won six on the spin but we haven't done anything yet - we know where we need to be at the end of the season."