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In a thrilling encounter at the Racecourse Ground, Bournemouth claimed a 2-1 victory over Wrexham thanks to Mitko Petrov's dramatic 95th-minute winner. The late goal crushed Wrexham's hopes after they had battled valiantly throughout the match.
Bournemouth drew first blood in the 31st minute when Giovanni Reyna produced a moment of magic. After receiving a delightful ball from Wout Faes, Reyna watched the ball carefully before executing a sweet half-volley that flew past Angus Gunn in the Wrexham goal.
The home side responded quickly, however. Just four minutes later, Said Benrahma levelled the score with a spectacular finish that sent the Racecourse Ground into raptures. The goal came after excellent work from Eliesse Ben Seghir, who found Benrahma with a quick pass under pressure.
Both teams created numerous opportunities throughout the match. Ollie Watkins was particularly dangerous for Wrexham, forcing Illan Meslier into several important saves. In the 76th minute, Watkins came agonizingly close to giving his side the lead when his curling effort struck the inside of the post.
At the other end, Bournemouth's Joshua Zirkzee also hit the woodwork before blasting the rebound over, while Angus Gunn made a series of crucial stops to keep Wrexham in the game.
Just when it seemed the match would end in a draw, Bournemouth struck in the 95th minute. Fabio Di Mariano, who had earlier received a yellow card for a rash challenge, provided the assist for Petrov, who swung in an unstoppable shot beyond Gunn's reach.
The statistics reflected the even nature of the contest, with possession split exactly 50-50 and Wrexham recording 20 attempts on goal to Bournemouth's 16. However, the visitors were more accurate with their shooting, putting 11 of their 16 attempts on target compared to Wrexham's 9 from 20.
Petrov's performance earned him the Man of the Match award, while Ben Seghir was named as Wrexham's standout player despite ending up on the losing side.
The defeat will be tough for Wrexham to take, but for Bournemouth, the late winner provides a significant boost as they leave Wales with all three points in dramatic fashion.
Bournemouth drew first blood in the 31st minute when Giovanni Reyna produced a moment of magic. After receiving a delightful ball from Wout Faes, Reyna watched the ball carefully before executing a sweet half-volley that flew past Angus Gunn in the Wrexham goal.
The home side responded quickly, however. Just four minutes later, Said Benrahma levelled the score with a spectacular finish that sent the Racecourse Ground into raptures. The goal came after excellent work from Eliesse Ben Seghir, who found Benrahma with a quick pass under pressure.
Both teams created numerous opportunities throughout the match. Ollie Watkins was particularly dangerous for Wrexham, forcing Illan Meslier into several important saves. In the 76th minute, Watkins came agonizingly close to giving his side the lead when his curling effort struck the inside of the post.
At the other end, Bournemouth's Joshua Zirkzee also hit the woodwork before blasting the rebound over, while Angus Gunn made a series of crucial stops to keep Wrexham in the game.
Just when it seemed the match would end in a draw, Bournemouth struck in the 95th minute. Fabio Di Mariano, who had earlier received a yellow card for a rash challenge, provided the assist for Petrov, who swung in an unstoppable shot beyond Gunn's reach.
The statistics reflected the even nature of the contest, with possession split exactly 50-50 and Wrexham recording 20 attempts on goal to Bournemouth's 16. However, the visitors were more accurate with their shooting, putting 11 of their 16 attempts on target compared to Wrexham's 9 from 20.
Petrov's performance earned him the Man of the Match award, while Ben Seghir was named as Wrexham's standout player despite ending up on the losing side.
The defeat will be tough for Wrexham to take, but for Bournemouth, the late winner provides a significant boost as they leave Wales with all three points in dramatic fashion.