Bournemouth 3-0 Fulham: Goals from Dominic Solanke, Justin Kluivert and Luis Sinisterra see Cherries cruise to victory… with Bernd Leno’s ball boy shove capping a day to forget for visitors
Bernd Leno didn't take Boxing Day quite literally but could still be in trouble after getting physical with one of the Bournemouth ball boys.
To cap off a day to forget for the Fulham goalkeeper, who was beaten three times and gifted Bournemouth one of their goals and almost another, Leno took exception when asked how long it took for the ball to be returned to him and pushed one of the young players helping around the perimeter of the pitch during a flashpoint in the second half.
In doing so, he made himself the pantomime villain at the Vitality Stadium, with his every involvement booed.
And his public apology to the ball boy shortly afterwards was proof that he realized his mistakes were wrong, not that it did much to stop the abuse coming his way.
Whether this will be enough to prevent the FA from taking retroactive action remains to be seen.
Justin Kluivert opened the scoring in another impressive performance for Andoni Iraola's side
A late screamer from Luis Sinisterra secured an impressive win for the home side
Bernd Leno could be in action after pushing one of Bournemouth's ball boys in Fulham's defeat
On the day itself, the referees responded by deciding to end the use of the multiball protocol in the closing stages and allowing the ball boys to watch the rest of the match from the stands one by one to prevent further incidents.
Fulham manager Marco Silva tried to defend Leno, insisting: 'I didn't see him pushing. He touched the ball boy and didn't push. They're different things. I'm not English, but I know the difference between one word and another.'
He was also convinced that Leno did not need to face any further punishment, saying after removing the ball boys: 'To the fourth official it is so clear that the ball boys slowed down the game. At this point it was already 2-0, but the rules are there.
'We wanted to play fast like Bournemouth before they got the chance to play fast. After they started leading the score, the ball boys did their job, probably with instructions, to slow down the game.
'For me it was difficult to understand the situation because if the multiball is there, it should be there until the last minute of the match.
“What the referee did at that point was we would finish the multi-ball to stop that situation, to avoid any problems.”
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola insisted 'there was no instruction that I can guarantee' that the ball boys had not been ordered to slow down the game, adding: 'I don't know exactly what happened but I think everyone is certainly careful should be because they are guys who are trying to help everyone, not just Bournemouth.'
Iraola did not see the Leno incident at the time, but from his seat high in the director's box, where he sat while serving a sideline ban.
But he did have a perfect view of another impressive performance from his side: their sixth league victory in seven, graced by a number of striking moments.
Cherries were hardly bothered by Fulham, who looked ragged and tired as the match progressed
In the second half, the team was rewarded with a long-awaited penalty under pressure from Bournemouth
Dominic Solanke buried the effort to double the home side's lead on Boxing Day afternoon
The first came from the summer signing of Alex Scott, a talented and versatile England under-20 midfielder, bought from Bristol City for £25 million, whose start at Bournemouth was marred by knee problems.
He can play further forward, but Iraola likes him further back because of his ability to run with the ball from deep.
Scott showed that in exciting fashion with a run from midfield past four Fulham players before setting up former Cottagers target Justin Kluivert to make it 1-0.
It was 2-0 on the hour mark when Dango Outtaro intercepted a wayward pass from Alex Iwobi and allowed Antoine Semenyo to take over before being bundled over in the penalty area by Joao Palhinha.
Dominic Solanke continued his strong streak by scoring from the spot, his eighth in his last seven and twelfth in the competition overall when he scored for the fifth match against Fulham.
Luis Sinisterra sealed the win in style for Bournemouth, driving in from the left flank before smashing the ball into Leno's top corner.
With each passing game, Bournemouth's poor start to the season under Iraola is becoming more and more of a distant memory.
And those at the Vitality Stadium whose faith in him never wavered can feel very satisfied right now.
Tensions rose briefly after the incident with Leno, who managed to avoid a second yellow card
Fulham had a difficult afternoon with few bright spots, which manager Marco Silva praised
The Portuguese head coach admitted Bournemouth deserved their Boxing Day victory
Bournemouth are now tenth after an impressive run of winter form under Andoni Iraola
Iraola smiled: 'I prefer to sit on the couch. I will try to improve my behavior and take control of it a little more as I did not enjoy the experience. Even though they may not need me that much, they have done a very good job.”
For Fulham, this was their third successive league defeat without scoring, a point which came after they scored 16 goals in the previous four league games, including consecutive 5–0 wins over Nottingham Forest and West Ham.
Silva warned: “It is no coincidence that we lost one of the best players in the attacking line. Raul was at a good time and Willian is a key player in the way we want to create.
'It is the moment for the others to intervene. They have the opportunity and they don't stand in the way as I would like.'