Watford 1-1 AFC Bournemouth: Chris Mepham cancels out Stipe Perica strike

Chris Mepham scored a stoppage-time equaliser at Watford to increase Bournemouth’s unbeaten begin to the Championship season.

Stipe Perica had scored what the winner after 12 minutes, assembly Ismaila Sarr’s inch-perfect cross on the far publish to slip house.

It was a brilliantly labored objective and one of many few moments of real high quality within the contest, with Craig Cathcart’s excellent cross to modify the play managed after which delivered into the field with actual class by Sarr.

However Bournemouth had been finally rewarded for his or her perseverance with a late leveller that preserves their unbeaten file – though the purpose was nonetheless sufficient to ship Watford second.

The 2 groups, each relegated from the Premier League in July, went into the match in good type, having misplaced simply as soon as between them to date this season.

It was the hosts who edged a primary half that was each tight and combative, the tone for which was set within the opening two minutes by Cherries defender Lloyd Kelly, who may simply have been despatched off for a studs-up problem on Sarr.

The match opened up after the break, with Sarr solely denied by a high-quality one-handed cease by Asmir Begovic to maintain it 1-0, whereas the spectacular Senegalese winger additionally later seemed to be dragged to the bottom by Kelly when by means of on objective – with Kelly once more lucky to flee and not using a straight purple card.

On the different finish, visiting ahead Dominic Solanke pressured a sensible save from Ben Foster after which fired narrowly huge of the publish throughout a full of life cameo off the bench.

It appeared as if Bournemouth’s clearest probability to equalise had been handed up when Joshua King’s header was tipped over by Foster proper at first of the seven added minutes.

Nonetheless, after the ensuing set-piece had initially been cleared, Mepham pounced to stop a 3rd Watford win within the house of eight days.