ANDONI IRAOLA must be wondering if he has made the right decision to quit Bournemouth.
His replacement, Marco Rose, certainly will not have any complaints about what he finds on the south coast – as Rayan’s rifle kept The Cherries’ European charge on course.
It also helped to brighten a rotten weekend for the club.
The club’s incredible run towards a potential Champions League spot had been clouded by Friday’s revelation that defender Alex Jimenez had been dropped from the squad due to an investigation into messages allegedly sent to a 15-year-old girl.
A shocking 48 hours looked to be taking its toll early on, but a chaotic end to the first half – with both Ryan Christie and Joachim Andersen sent off, revived the Cherries, who kept a tight hold on sixth place with just two games to go, stretching their unbeaten run to 16 games.
Iraola needs everyone focused on football if he is to end his tenure by delivering Champions League football – which could end up with the team in sixth if Aston Villa win the Europa League this month.
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And after a rocky start by the river, his side certainly did that. Fulham were making the better of a first half which was lacking in any real bite for the most part.
Craven Cottage was packed out in the spring sunshine, though they were watching two sides playing as if it was a summer friendly early on.
But an opening 45 minutes which looked to be meandering to a close ignited with six minutes to go thanks to two foolish challenges and some VAR assistance.
First, despite Timothy Castagne posing little threat out wide, Christie opted to fly through the back of the full-back with his studs up.
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Referee Andy Madley initially showed only a yellow card, but replays showed the midfielder had planted his boot on Castagne’s calf.
Christie’s booking was upgraded to a red, and Andersen crashed a header against the bar from the resulting free-kick.
Fulham had just about made the better of a quiet afternoon to that point and now had a real advantage. One which was given away minutes later.
Andersen, a veteran of almost 200 Premier League appearances, came rushing out from the back and dived in at Adrien Truffert with both feet.
The Dane appeared to have taken the ball, but Madley blew up and took out another yellow.
Andersen was furious a foul had even been given, but Madley was sent to the screen again and had little choice when he saw that the defender’s boot had rolled over the top of the ball and connected with Truffert’s shin.
He too was sent down the tunnel, with Rayan almost converting at the far post with the final touch of the first half from the free-kick.
Bournemouth had looked pretty abject with 11 men, in real danger with 10 but now had a lifeline thanks to Andersen’s loss of focus – needless when the Cottagers have European ambitions of their own.
Andersen’s dismissal gave the Cherries life after the break. Marcus Tavernier won the ball high up and quickly shifted it to Eli Junior Kroupi on the edge of the box, the Frenchman bending an effort onto the bar.
The young striker looks another success story for Bournemouth’s ever impressive recruitment department, as is the Brazilian to his right, January arrival Rayan.
It was the towering winger, picked up from Vasco da Gama to replace Antoine Semenyo, who broke the deadlock and revived the Cherries’ Champions League push.
Adam Smith, brought in for the absent Jimenez, laid back to the teenager, who shifted onto his left-foot and let fly, his effort taking a slight deflection off the shoulder of Calvin Bassey, evading Bernd Leno and into the bottom corner.
The travelling fans in the Putney End were in full cry and Bournemouth looked to add to their lead, Leno twice stopping Tavernier in quick succession.
Marco Silva called on his own January additions, Oscar Bobb and Kevin, to liven things up and the Norwegian almost delivered a leveller with his first involvement, drifting in from the right, exchanging a smart one-two with Sasa Lukic but firing over.
Bobb then had a powerful drive blocked by Marcos Senesi before Kevin’s dipping strike was tipped over by Djordje Petrovic.
Fulham were putting up a fight, but Bournemouth – especially Rayan – remained dangerous.
Advantage was waved when Kroupi was upended in his own half. Rayan raced from there right into the Fulham box, but could not quite get his strike away before Josh King blocked Truffert’s effort on the rebound.
Amine Adli should have wrapped it up in added time but made a mess of a tap in, which could have had serious consequences given King rocked the bar moments later.
