11th August, 2018
Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson were on target as Bournemouth kicked off the season with a 2-0 win over newly-promoted Cardiff at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
Sky Sports reports that Fraser opened the scoring midway through the first half with a close-range finish, although Bournemouth should have doubled their lead minutes later.
However, Cardiff goalkeeper Neil Etheridge did brilliantly to keep out Wilson’s penalty, only for the striker to make up for that miss with an injury-time strike to seal the points.
As a result, Bournemouth won their opening match of a Premier Season for the first time ever, while after a five-year absence, Cardiff made a losing return to the top flight
After an evenly contested opening quarter on the south coast, the home side took the lead after a well-worked move.
Josh King’s incisive through-ball sent Wilson clear in the box and the striker then pulled the ball back for the unmarked Fraser to coolly side-foot home from 10 yards out.
Eddie Howe’s side should have been further ahead just past the half-hour mark when referee Kevin Friend decided Bruno Ecuele Manga had tripped Wilson in the box.
However, Etheridge – the first Filipino to play in the Premier League – guessed right and dived full length to his left to keep Wilson’s well-struck penalty out.