Eddie Howe's Bournemouth picked up their first win of 2017 by beating Slaven Bilic's West Ham 3-2 in what was a highly entertaining game at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
After the Hammers had taken the lead through Michail Antonio, Joshua King came up with an equaliser for the Cherries. The former Manchester United man got the second of the game in the second half, only to be cancelled out by substitute Andre Ayew. It was late in the game that Bournemouth won the game as King latched onto the opportunity to grab his hat-trick and hand the Cherries a vital win, after the Cherries had missed two penalties prior.
Familiar formations for both
Eddie Howe's men started with the familiar 4-2-3-1 formation, as Jack Wilshere had to settle for a place on the bench for the second consecutive game. Simon Francis returned to the line-up after having recovered from the injury that he suffered against Manchester City as Marc Pugh earned a start on the right. Benik Afobe started up front, with Joshua King starting behind him.
West Ham, who were 11th in the league before the game kicked-off, also started off in the same shape as the Cherries. Cheikhou Kouyate kept his place at right-back, after having played in the same position against Chelsea in mid-week. Andy Carroll started up front, with the likes of Sofiane Feghouli, Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio starting behind him.
Missed Bournemouth penalties overshadow entertaining half
Both sides began the game on equal footing, but Bournemouth looked sharp on the break. Some good work by Afobe down the right flank saw the former Arsenal man swing in a cross for King, who headed it in towards Ryan Fraser. West Ham's defence stood firm and cleared the ball away to safety.
Minutes later, Afobe managed to break the West Ham high-line once again. His low cross did find Fraser, who fired it wide. Pugh managed to keep it alive down the left and fired in a high cross towards Afobe, who headed wide of Randolph's goal.
In the eighth minute, as Bournemouth were showing glimpses of good passing around the packed Hammers defense, Charlie Daniels was taken down inside the box by Sofiane Feghouli. Referee Bobby Madley showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot, handing the Cherries the penalty. Josh King, whose previous two goals came from the spot-kick, stepped up but fired wide.
A minute later, Bournemouth were handed a cruel lesson for missing the penalty. Feghouli was gifted the ball high up the pitch by Harry Arter, who failed to track down the former Valencia man. Michail Antonio was picked out by a cheeky pass from Feghouli, who watched his team-mate turn and hammer the ball past Artur Boruc to hand Slaven Bilic's men the lead.
While, Bournemouth hadn't bowed down, Benik Afobe handled the ball after wonderfully controlling a well-weighted Simon Francis long-pass to score. The referee had seen it and disallowed the goal, subsiding the Cherries celebrations.
As the Hammers continued to struggle defensively, Daniels broke down the left flank once again. His gem of a cross was inches away from meeting King's outstretched leg, as a golden opportunity to draw level went in vain.
In the 24th minute, a chance to increase their advantage fell West Ham's way. After Antonio was sent through down the left by Jose Fonte, the Englishman picked out Manuel Lanzini with the cut-back, but the shot was fired well over the goal. Four minutes later, Fraser's stinging effort from long range was well saved by Randolph, who palmed it out for a corner. The resulting corner was taken short, but Steve Cook's header called Randolph into action once again.
The 30th minute saw King make up for his missed penalty by scoring a well crafted goal. After the ball was left to bounce around in the box by West Ham, King lofted it over a defender to finish well with his left-foot to get the equalizer for Bournemouth.
Five minutes later, impressive movement by Pugh down the left saw Daniels pick him out with a good pass. The Englishman was tripped by Fonte and Bournemouth were handed a second penalty by Bobby Madley. A stutter in the run-up by penalty taker Afobe was an attempt to confused Randolph, but Afobe scuffed the penalty, as it went straight into the arms of Randolph.
West Ham came very close to punishing Bournemouth after their second missed penalty, but Feghouli's effort from the right side of the box was saved very well by Boruc, before it had taken a deflection off Arter's trailing leg.
Late drama wins Cherries the game
Two minutes into the second-half, after Fraser had floated in a free-kick, Cook headed the ball on for King, who found the back of the net with a cool finish from close range. West Ham players were protesting that the goal be called off for offside, but the referee stood by his decision after consulting the linesman.
Minutes later, Bournemouth got the opportunity to double their deserved lead. As Afobe broke through the centre, he was spoilt for choice with the like sof Fraser, King and Pugh making runs off him. His pass was intercepted but recovered by Daniels, who found Fraser down the right. The little winger's took a deflection, but Randolph was upto the task of gobbling it.
As the game wore on, West Ham saw more of the ball and the Cherries sat deeper in their own half, relying more the break that they were in the first half. And Afobe got the opportunity to redeem himself in the 67th minute, but the shot at the end of a good run was saved by Randolph rather comfortably.
A minute later, West Ham got a good good opportunity to draw level as Antonio managed to curl one towards goal, but Boruc was upto the task of denying the former Nottingham Forest man.
Around the 80th minute, as Bournemouth pressed for an equalizer, Antonio's right-footed volley from the edge of the box was blocked bravely by Cook, as the Hammers piled on to get the leveller.
And the attacking intent paid off in the 83rd minute. An exceptional through ball by Obiang found substitute Sam Byram, who was making a run down the right. The former Leeds man managed to lay it off to Andre Ayew, who made no mistake in getting the goal that West Ham so badly needed.
The defining moment of the game came in the 90th minute. After Ayew had given away the ball cheaply in the midfield, Jack Wilshere played in Pugh, who laid it off back to the Arsenal loanee. Wilshere did have a shot, which was saved by Randolph, but the rebound was blasted home by King, who got his hat-trick.
The win kept Bournemouth six points clear of relegation, keeping West Ham at 11th, but leaving them only three points away from the improving Cherries.