JUNIOR STANISLAS SCORED his sixth goal in as many games to lift Bournemouth to the top of the Championship with a 1-0 victory over 10-man Wycombe.
Bournemouth had reinforced their promotion credentials with an emphatic 5-0 win at the weekend against Huddersfield, their first match back in front of 1,200 fans.
There were 2,000 supporters present at the Vitality Stadium for the visit of struggling Wycombe, who had not won in their previous eight games and for whom Daryl Horgan came on with over 10 minutes to go, impressing while Wycombe chased an equaliser — ultimately to no avail.
It has been an excellent start to the season for the Cherries, who are scoring freely and barely conceding as they seek an instant return to the Premier League. As such, Irish backup goalkeeper Mark Travers remained so on the bench, while his compatriot midfielder Gavin Kilkenny also sat out the game as an unused sub.
Bournemouth went close to taking the lead after four minutes as Stanislas’ free-kick was headed at the near post by top-scorer Dominic Solanke but Ryan Allsop was equal to it with a fine save.
The next chance fell the way of Colombian Jefferson Lerma but the recovering Jason McCarthy did well to divert his powerful close-range shot over the bar.
Wycombe have found life difficult since their promotion to the second tier but they were dogged and resilient in the first half and restricted the Dorset club to just those two opportunities.
They showed more purpose at the start of the second half, with Adebayo Akinfenwa winning plenty of the ball in attack.
Nick Freeman had the visitors’ first shot on target, with his driven effort forcing Asmir Begovic to turn the ball round the post.
Bournemouth were struggling to get going but Stanislas did go close with a 25-yard free-kick which dipped narrowly over.
Wycombe then went within a whisker of scoring as Garath McCleary bent a shot towards the far post which Begovic saved with his fingertips.
Just as Wanderers were gaining a presence in the game, they were reduced to 10 men when Alex Pattison was rightly sent off for a late, high lunge on Lewis Cook.
As Gareth Ainsworth looked on with concern, he soon saw his side fall behind as David Brooks, newly crowned as Championship Player of the Month, raced to byline and pulled the ball across for Stanislas to stab it home.
Wanderers did not fold and Begovic was again called upon to prevent Akinfenwa scoring after he rose to head McCleary’s cross at goal.
Bournemouth went in search of more and Allsop was forced to scramble away Cook’s swerving strike but one goal proved enough.
Elsewhere in the Championship, Sean Maguire’s opener wasn’t enough for Preston as they fell 2-1 at Barnsley, while Troy Parrott was an unused substitute in Milwall’s 2-0 win at Bristol City, for whom Callum O’Dowda came on with just over half an hour remaining.
In League One, meanwhile, former Clonea hurler CJ Hamilton netted a stoppage-time winner for Blackpool against league leaders Hull in a 3-2 victory. Leixlip native and former Ireland U21 international Olamide Shodipo was also on the mark in Oxford United’s 4-0 win at home to Northampton.
Former Derry and Cork City midfielder Stephen Dooley bagged one for Rochdale, the onetime Northern Ireland youth international notching in a 5-0 win away to Lancashire rivals Wigan.
Championship results
- QPR 0-0 Stoke
- Bristol City 0-2 Milwall
- Nottingham Forest 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday
- Bournemouth 1-0 Wycombe
- Barnsley 2-1 Preston
- Watford 1-1 Brentford
