Goals from Lys Mousset, Ryan Fraser and Jordon Ibe saw Bournemouth ease into Round Three of the Carabao Cup with a 3-0 win over League Two side MK Dons. Bournemouth were in control by the break after Mousset’s tidy finish and Fraser’s half-volley, and the game was put beyond all doubt in stoppage time when Ibe drilled in from the edge of the area.
Bournemouth Ease into Round Three as MK Dons Are Outclassed at the Vitality Stadium
Quality Shines Through
Bournemouth were the dominant side from the first minute in this game as the Dons sat back and tried to soak up the pressure, shown mostly through their change in shape from their league games. Rhys Healey, making his first start since signing on-loan from Cardiff, was the lone striker, with Ouss Cisse playing behind him in an attacking-midfield role.
The Cherries, who made ten changes from their draw with Everton at the weekend, went on the attack straight away and could have gone ahead inside the first ten minutes. Ryan Fraser, a thorn in the Dons’ side all night, picked the ball up, strode forward and unleashed a brilliant strike which was sensationally tipped over by Lee Nicholls.
Fans may have thought that the night would be a struggle for Bournemouth such was the quality of the save from Nicholls, but it was only a few minutes later that they went in front. Fraser once again strode forward and played the ball to Lys Mousset, who twisted and turned his way past Baily Cargill before poking the ball beyond Nicholls into the far corner.
The Dons held out for a further 20 minutes, with Nicholls denying Fraser and Jermain Defoe in that time, but Scotland international Fraser made it 2-0 in the 37th minute. Jordon Ibe’s cross took a deflection and bounced to Fraser, whose terrific half-volley flew past Nicholls.
The second half saw much of the same attacking action from the hosts, just with little reward. Diego Rico, making his debut after signing from Leganes, saw his free-kick crash off the bar and Jefferson Lerma, another debutant and part of Colombia’s World Cup squad, had an effort well-saved by Nicholls. Bournemouth made the game safe late on, though, when Ibe received the ball, moved past Finn Tapp with ease and drilled past Nicholls.
Formation Change Brings No Reward
The slight change of formation that Paul Tisdale implemented was designed to get men behind the ball and try and pack any areas of space that Bournemouth could exploit. It worked to an extent, but Bournemouth’s Premier League capabilities were on full show against their League Two opponents as they moved the ball around smoothly with neat flicks and first-time passes.
The decision to play one striker helped with this, as it meant there were more midfielders occupying space, but it also meant that the Dons had very little threat when going forward. Healey was often isolated, being dominated by the centre-back pairing of Jack Simpson and Tyrone Mings. The young striker didn’t play badly, though, and often dropped back and ran the channels in order to receive the ball and try and fashion an opportunity, but the Bournemouth back four snuffed out any danger.
The Dons made a rally late on, bringing on youngster Sam Nombe and then Osman Sow to leave two up front, and Sow went the closest the Dons had gone all game, firing a shot wide of Artur Boruc’s post. The decision to have Sow on the bench, let alone to bring him on, raised a few eyebrows as it was reported last week that he had failed a medical at Hearts in regards to a loan move. However, there was enough on show from the Swedish striker to suggest that he could make an impact when playing against League Two opposition this season.
Next Up
Bournemouth travel to Chelsea this coming Saturday and will find out their opponents for Round Three of the Carabao Cup following the fixtures on Wednesday.
MK Dons will look to preserve their unbeaten status in the league this Saturday as they visit Swindon Town. Their next outing in a cup competition will be their first fixture of the Checkatrade Trophy when they host Peterborough United.
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