Stoppage-time defeat on the south coast

We suffered a 3-2 defeat on the south coast as AFC Bournemouth scored a stoppage time winner in an entertaining affair on Wednesday evening.

Despite taking an early lead and then levelling the game up with a magnificent goal late on, we were undone when Antoine Semenyo struck a 95th-minute goal to give Bournemouth their first win in 12 Premier League matches.

Mathys Tel opened the scoring with a fine goal in the fifth minute but the home side were in front before half-time, Evanilson and Junior Krupi turning the game on its head. After we saw penalty claims overturned by an on-pitch review, we levelled it up at 2-2 thanks to a stunning overhead kick from Joao Palhinha and almost won it, only for Djordje Petrovic to make a wonderful save to deny Micky van de Ven’s header. Instead, heartbreak, as Semenyo had the final say to hand us a rare away defeat.

Thomas Frank made five changes to the team that started against Sunderland on Sunday as Djed Spence, Palhinha, Xavi Simons, Lucas Bergvall and Randal Kolo Muani came in for Ben Davies, Archie Gray, Mo Kudus, Wilson Odobert and Richarlison.

With five minutes on the clock, Bergvall tested Petrovic with a 25-yard drive which the Cherries goalkeeper saved in the centre of his goal, but just seconds later a Xavi Simons backheel set Tel away down the left, he cut inside James Hill and hit a low right-foot shot which curled into the bottom corner.

Bournemouth responded with a couple of half-chances, Evanilson and James Tavernier with wayward efforts, while Cristian Romero went close when his near-post flicked header from a Tel corner flew just over the bar. An entertaining half saw the hosts level it up in the 22nd minute when Tavernier delivered a fine cross from their right and Evanilson sent his header past Guglielmo Vicario. Bergvall, playing on the right of our three-man midfield, threatened to score again shortly after when his right-foot curling shot just skimmed the top of the net and instead, it was Bournemouth who took the lead after 36 minutes. A cross from the right missed everyone in the area and found Marcos Senesi at the back post, he knocked it back to the edge of the six-yard box where Krupi was on hand to side-foot past Vicario.

Once again, it was Bergvall who almost found the target as we looked to equalise, finding space down the inside right channel and trying to catch Petrovic out at his near post but the keeper was alert to push it away. We were dealt a blow just before the hour mark when the Sweden international midfielder went down injured and had to be replaced by Wilson Odobert and the French forward was quickly into the action, having a shot blocked with Xavi seeing similar from the rebound.

Another substitute so nearly brought us level in the 69th minute, only for Richarlison to head against the post after Romero had won the first header from a corner, before Enes Unal failed to capitalise on a Spence mistake at the other end, firing wide after the defender failed to clear a cross.

There was controversy as the game entered its final 20 minutes, van de Ven with a classic surge from the back which ended with him tumbling inside the area under the challenge of Hill. Referee Darren England initially pointed to the spot, only to overturn his decision after a pitchside review of the incident, announcing that there was no foul by Hill. But we shrugged off that disappointment to draw level with a sumptuous goal from Palhinha in the 78th minute. A corner from the right caused havoc in the Bournemouth defence and, as the ball bounced up, the Portuguese midfielder produced a magical overhead kick into the far corner of Petrovic’s net.

The Cherries keeper then made a wonderful save to preserve parity in the game, diving to tip van de Ven’s header onto the crossbar, with Romero then heading just over with only a few minutes remaining. Both sides were going for the win as the game entered nine minutes of stoppage time and sadly, it was the home side who got it. Semenyo had a quiet night on what was possibly his final game for Bournemouth before moving away, but he picked the ball up on the left edge of our area and hit a right-foot drive that arrowed into the far corner to settle the contest.

Match data

Goals: Bournemouth – Evanilson 22, Krupi 36, Semenyo 90+5; Spurs – Tel 5, Palhinha 78.

Yellow cards: Bournemouth – Semenyo, Cook, Jimenez; Spurs – Pedro Porro, Kolo Muani, van de Ven.

Referee: Darren England.

Venue: Vitality Stadium.

Weather: Light rain, gentle breeze, five degrees.