There have been some dark days at Bournemouth in recent weeks — through injury and tragedy — and their misery continued on the pitch in a draw against Watford they really should have won.
Having taken the lead and dominating the first half through Glenn Murray’s header, goalkeeper Artur Boruc passed straight to Odion Ighalo to allow the visitors to level. Then, in the final 10 minutes, Murray, making his first start for the club, had a penalty saved by Heurelho Gomes to prevent them taking a vital three points at home.
Long-term knee injuries have stolen from them their top-scorer, Callum Wilson, and two most expensive players, Tyrone Mings and Max Gradel at a combined cost of £15million in the summer.
Last Sunday, in the early hours, they lost Mick Cunningham, a 55-year-old who spent almost 20 years working for the club as programme editor and photographer after he suffered a brain haemorrhage in their defeat to Stoke.
A sombre mood shrouded the training ground in the past week. Tributes were paid to him that afternoon, but the most fitting for a man who took some of the most iconic pictures of the club’s wonderful rise up the football pyramid would have been a deserved victory here.
Murray marked his full debut, following a £4million move from Crystal Palace in the summer, with his first goal for the club in the 28th minute. Matt Ritchie sent in an in-swinging cross from the right corner of the penalty box, Murray moved free of his marker and headed past Gomes.
Bournemouth comfortably strolled through the first half, yet out of nowhere the visitors levelled on the stroke of half time. Boruc misplaced a pass straight to Ighalo, who embarrassed him further by putting the Pole on his backside with a feint before rolling the ball in. Manager Eddie Howe, however, laid no blame on his goalkeeper afterwards.