Eddie Howe and his Bournemouth Boys breaking their opening day hex

AFC Bournemouth 2, Cardiff City 0

Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth

For one man considered one day to be an all-around stellar in the helm of any big team, or maybe seen and touted as the national team manager, for Eddie Howe and his Cherries it was business as usual. 

With recently promoted Cardiff City and coming to Vitality Stadium to pay a first time meeting between these two sides, we had no clear favorites in this match until its end. 

For Neil Warnock and his Blue Bird making a return to the big circuit behind Championship winner Wolverhampton and netting too its direct pass, todays match was a test of his skills for him and his squad.

Opening day in the road and at always difficult Dean Court now known as Vitality Stadium, the outcome of this match was to be one contested one and with a display of fireworks between these two titans looking forward to net their first three points of the campaign. 

In the other side with the locals always losing their opening matches of the campaign, these were poised to look for a favorable result, for AFC having a good preseason and a promising one with positive results and for manager Howe liking what he saw. 

For the local AFC a squad not making spectacular buys in the transfers market and just getting three players in to reinforce them ahead of this campaign, contrary to the Welsh side making some purchases but with nothing big to show off too. 

Still I give the Cherries a cigar for displaying such hunger in the course of the whole match with counter plays that really put the Cardiff City defense in a defensive stance after the locals went AWOL looking forward to beat the likes of the visitor’s goalkeeper. 

For Cardiff manager Neil Warnock being a bit bold and cautious at the same time with a 4-1-4-1 formation with a lone Bobby Reid in the attack and flanked by a foursome in Joe Ralls, Callum Patterson, Nathaniel Mendez- Laing and David Junior Hoilett. 

Contrary to Eddie Howe more offensive and dynamically formed 4-4-2 formation with Callum Wilson and Joshua King to lead the locals attack, accompanied by a foursome in Ryan Fraser, David Brooks, Andrew Surman and Dan Goslin. The familiarity of these four became lethal to the Bluebirds backfield that in the end were unable and overplayed by a pushing Cherries squad. 

With the counter in place, the AFC started making a nice play like those put in together in practice with several participants in the squad making it work passing to one another and until the man of the hour, Ryan Fraser opened the score in the 24’ minute. 

As a combination with Callum Wilson to a wide-open Ryan Fraser in the middle of the box opened Bournemouth score in the first half, later in the ending minutes of the second half once again the dominance of the locals was visible. 

With another one two punch between Callum Wilson getting the ball from Simon Francis in the 91 on injury time scored what became the go ahead and winning goal and for the AFC and manager Eddie Howe finally see an end to his opening day hex. 

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