Jordon Ibe turned in a star performance from the bench, setting up both goals as Bournemouth got off the mark in the Premier League this season with a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Brighton and Hove Albion.
Bournemouth’s spluttering, pointless start to the campaign had been masked by higher-profile malaises at the likes of Crystal Palace and Arsenal, whose 3-0 thrashing of Eddie Howe’s men last week laid bare the Cherries’ flaws.
But they avoided matching the relegated 2005-06 Sunderland and 2009-10 Portsmouth, who had both lost their first five games of the season, Bournemouth saved by goals from Andrew Surman and Jermain Defoe at the Vitality Stadium.
Solly March put Brighton ahead, with the Seagulls’ sharp counter-attacking initially looking to pay dividends.
But Surman’s maiden Premier League goal, and Defoe’s first Bournemouth strike since a teenage loan spell 18 seasons ago, secured precious points for Howe and vindicated the decision to sign the former Sunderland marksman.
The performance of Ibe, however, was one to savour as he turned in the best showing of his timid Bournemouth career to date – providing his first two assists in a Cherries shirt.
Bournemouth’s need for incision was evident as Anthony Knockaert hit the game’s first chance wide from 25 yards, with the hosts’ domination of possession only resulting in long-range half-chances for Josh King and Marc Pugh.
Davy Propper’s delicate chip cleared Asmir Begovic and the crossbar – while Defoe kept Mathew Ryan honest at the other end with a swivelling snapshot that fizzed past the far post.
Bournemouth enjoyed 81 per cent possession in the first half’s final 15 minutes, another blocked King effort all to show for it, and that profligacy ought to have been punished as Brighton somehow failed to score from a pair of corners shortly after the interval.
Surman was required to clear Duffy’s looping header off the line, with Propper’s follow-up scrambled behind, only for Dale Stephens to crash another header off the crossbar and watch in frustration as the ball bounced off an unwitting Begovic, but not over the line.
Perhaps sensing a weakness from out wide, Brighton returned to that avenue as they took the lead.
Pascal Gross kept up his run of having a hand in every Brighton goal this term, twisting past Charlie Daniels and crossing to the back post, where March rose above Adam Smith to nod back across goal and in.
Howe wore an ashen expression after conceding, but an inspired substitution turned the game 12 minutes later as Ibe’s first meaningful contribution was to play a smart back-heeled return ball to Surman, who sat Dunk down and rolled home.
Another flying intervention from Dunk was more successful soon after as Ibe controlled Duffy’s clearance and lashed goalwards, but the former Liverpool man was key in turning the game around, beating two players and sliding through a pass for Defoe, who flashed a low effort beyond Ryan before the goalkeeper could move.
Ibe almost provided the cherry on a particularly sweet outing, drilling a free kick wide, but victory was safely seen out to kick-start the season for player and club alike.
