Super-sub Siriki Dembele came off the bench to score a stunning solo goal as Bournemouth beat Bristol City 3-2 to move another step closer to a Premier League return.
Dembele slotted in from close range following a brilliant mazy run to claim what proved to be the winning goal to help the second-placed Cherries open up a six-point lead over their automatic promotion rivals.
Dominic Solanke and Lewis Cook were also on target for the hosts, who had to come from behind and then see off a potential late City fightback.
The Cherries found themselves 1-0 down after only four minutes from a corner won when Nat Phillips headed Alex Scott’s dangerous delivery behind when facing his own goal.
From the resulting set-piece, Matty James floated the ball to the back post and home goalkeeper Mark Travers got a hand to Rob Atkinson’s towering header but could not keep it out.
It was Atkinson’s first goal in City colours.
Bournemouth responded well to the early setback and captain Lloyd Kelly had a chance to equalise when he nodded over from a Ryan Christie corner.
It was proving to be a frustrating first half for Bournemouth despite having 78 per cent possession, summed up by Phil Billing side-footing wide from Jordan Zemura’s cut-back on the half-hour mark.
The Cherries finally made their territorial advantage tell five minutes before half-time when Solanke slid in to turn Zemura’s cross into the bottom corner from six yards for his 25th goal of the season.
Solanke came close to putting Bournemouth in front moments later after being put through by Billing and lifting his shot over the onrushing Dan Bentley only for Atkinson to get back and divert the ball away from goal.
Bournemouth picked up in the second half where they left off in the first and within two minutes of the re-start, Solanke’s goal-bound shot was cleared off the line by Atkinson following good interplay between Jefferson Lerma and Billing.
The hosts took the lead in the 52nd minute as Christie picked out Cook from a corner and the former England midfielder squeezed a long-range shot beyond Bentley at his near post.
It was only Cook’s second Bournemouth goal and his first since November 2020.
City boss Nigel Pearson felt his side should have had a penalty in the 65th minute after Chris Martin went down under a challenge from Kelly but referee Stephen Martin waved away the visitors’ appeals.
Jaidon Anthony had the chance to seal the points with 22 minutes remaining after finding himself one-on-one with Bentley but the City goalkeeper did well to spread himself and make the save.
Bentley’s opposite number Travers made a superb save with the legs to keep out Martin’s 74th-minute shot from point-blank range after the City striker had raced onto Jay Dasilva’s low left-wing cross.
Dembele looked to have put the result beyond doubt nine minutes from time with a close-range finish after jinking his way past three City defenders.
Andreas Weimann gave City hope of staging a dramatic late comeback by tucking in Tommy Conway’s cross in stoppage time but Bournemouth held firm for the win.
