AFC Bournemouth enjoyed an easy evening against Swansea City in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup as they cruised to a commanding 5-0 victory.
The Cherries fielded a strong XI, with five changes to the side which was on the receiving end of a 4-0 battering from Liverpool last time out at the Vitality Stadium. David Brooks also captained the side on his return.
Swansea also showed up with a strong side. The Welsh side lost 3-1 at home to Southampton last time out. Five changes were made, with Jamal Lowe missing out due to being cup-tied whilst on loan from the Cherries.
Bournemouth opened the scoring just six minutes in courtesy of defender Lloyd Kelly, who produced an excellent finish as he met a David Brooks free kick.
The Cherries extended their lead just three minutes later, as 20-year-old Alex Scott slotted the ball past Andy Fisher in the Swansea goal.
You could sense it would be a long night for the travelling Swansea fans when Luis Sinisterra finished well in the 14th minute.
The first half was all one-way traffic as Bournemouth made it 4-0 in the 34th minute, with David Brooks finishing well.
The final goal of the game came in the 43rd minute. Dominic Solanke was found at the back post and tapped into an empty net.
With the score 5-0 at half-time, it was job done for Andoni Iraola's side and no more goals followed in a lacklustre second half.
The result sees Bournemouth ease their way into the Fifth Round, for which the draw is set to take place on Sunday.
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Story of the Match:
The game began with Bournemouth on the attack, Andoni Iraola's high-pressing system working wonders for the Cherries.
This led to the first goal in the game from Lloyd Kelly. Nathan Wood lost possession and fouled Sinisterra to give away a free kick for the home side. David Brooks whipped in a fantastic ball towards the back post, where Lloyd Kelly connected brilliantly on the half-volley, finishing emphatically.
The second goal was again assisted by David Brooks. He was found well and breezed past Bashir Humphries. He then cut the ball back to Alex Scott who smashed it past Fisher, making it 2-0.
It got even worse for Swansea in the 14th minute, and Nathan Wood was at fault again. He gave the ball away to Alex Scott who found Luis Sinisterra on the right-hand side of the penalty area. He curled his effort past Fisher into the far corner and sent the home fans into ruptures.
Swansea had a good chance in the 30th minute to get a goal back. Kyle Naughton unleashed a fierce strike on the goal which crashed back off the bottom of the post. Nathan Wood struck on the follow-up but his effort was saved by Travers. The score remained 3-0 to Bournemouth.
The Cherries would increase their advantage in the 34th minute. It was Humphries this time with the error as Solanke dispossessed him with ease. He slid the ball into Brooks who tucked the ball past Fisher well, making it 4-0.
It got even worse for Swansea before half time as the hosts made it 5-0. Christie's pass found Luis Sinisterra. He passed the ball into Solanke who tapped into the empty net. In his celebrations he was booked, showing a heartfelt tribute for teammate Jaidon Anthony's mum; who sadly passed away earlier this week.
Just before the whistle sounded, Swansea had a massive chance to reduce the deficit. The ball fell kindly to Liam Cullen on the edge of the box, who connected well with a half-volley from the edge of the area. The effort was on target, but Travers reacted brilliantly and diverted the ball behind for a corner.
With the score at 5-0 at half-time, the job was done for Bournemouth. It would be tough to imagine what Luke Williams would even say to his players after that abysmal first-half performance.
Little would happen in the second half, with Bournemouth easing off after their superb first-half performance. A few chances came and went but the final score ended 5-0 to Bournemouth, who find themselves sailing into the Fifth Round of the FA Cup.
The Cherries and Adoni Iraola will have to wait until Sunday to find out their opponents in the next round of the cup, with the draw at 2pm on ITV1.
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Player of the Match: Alex Scott
The 20-year-old former Bristol City man dictated the play in the midfield this evening, putting in a dominant display and getting himself a goal and assist. David Brooks captained the side tonight and had an excellent game, however Scott displayed a better overall performance.
