CHERRIES interim manager Gary O’Neil urged his side to “believe and go again” ahead of their remarkable 3-2 comeback victory at Nottingham Forest. The former Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and West Ham midfielder saw his side staring down the barrel of defeat, after goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and Brennan Johnson saw them 2-0 down at half-time. But a wonder-strike from Philip Billing, followed by Dominic Solanke’s bicycle kick turned the game on its head before Jaidon Anthony’s last-gasp winner three minutes from time. Asked for his emotions post-match,
Gary O’Neil said: “Just delighted for the boys really. They did everything I asked of them, they showed belief at real tough moments. I thought the first-half score line was really harsh on them. We wasted some moments that we need to do better with but I thought to come in 2-0 down after what they’ve given the first half was really harsh. Then you ask them at half-time to believe and go again boys. This is what it is, we are where we are. To respond at that point with the week they’ve gone through, the quick turnaround from Wednesday to manage to respond at half-time the way they did just says everything about what they are as a group.”
O’Neil has now picked up four points from two games since Scott Parker was sacked on Tuesday.
Gary O Neil said: “People are probably bored of me saying it now. I’ve only been in it for five days and I probably said it a million times that they’re an incredible group. Honestly, they are just so committed, so relentless. You can never ask too much of them and they’ll keep going until someone tells them to stop they just never know when they’re done. When you’ve got a group like that, you’ve always got a chance and obviously the first goal after half-time was massive for us.”
DOMINIC Solanke celebrated his 50th goal for Cherries in the memorable comeback win over Nottingham Forest – but rather than take personal plaudits, he was quick to point out the “amazing” character of his teammates. First-half goals from Cheick Kouyate and Brennan Johnson gave Forest a 2-0 lead at the break, only for wonder-strikes from Phil Billing and Solanke to restore parity just after the hour mark. Solanke played a big part in the eventual winner, hunting down Scott McKenna to win the ball back high, allowing the striker to fashion in Jaidon Anthony for a first Premier League goal. Reflecting on the milestone,
Dominic Solanke said: “I’m delighted to get my 50th goal for the club. Not a bad way to get it as well, but it was a massive comeback win today. In the first half, we conceded two goals that weren’t nice to concede. One from a set play and one from a penalty, which could have gone either way. So that was disappointing. But we knew that we were definitely in the game and we needed to get that next goal, which we did with a good finish from Phil. And then we were just up from there. I mentioned after the last game, I think we know the quality we’ve got in the squad and we showed that today. Even the character was amazing. To be two down at half-time and to come back out – in the Premier League especially – and come back to get three goals, it just shows a lot about us.”
The former Liverpool man’s goal saw the Reading-born striker display a feat of acrobatics, going for the bicycle kick to convert his first goal of the campaign.
