Bournemouth 5-0 Swansea: Cherries guide their spot in FA Cup fifth spherical

This was as ruthless a gap to the FA Cup‘s fourth spherical as will ever be seen – a efficiency so merciless to Swans that there have been followers at half-time questioning if this constituted treason.

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola might solely giggle in his seat upon seeing his facet take a 5-0 lead earlier than the break, Dominic Solanke scoring their fifth on the finish of these cruel 45 minutes.

It had been a wonderful show of the soccer Iraola desires to implement as Championship Swansea discovered the arduous method how little time you’re afforded on the ball by Premier League opponents.

Iraola took two totally different groups to the Spanish Cup semi-finals on shoestring budgets – Mirandes in 2020 and Rayo Vallecano in 2022. Bournemouth at the moment are within the FA Cup’s fifth spherical for under the sixth time of their historical past, and the way they might welcome a visit to Wembley Stadium alongside Premier League survival.

‘I advised the gamers – the perfect recollections I’ve in soccer are within the cup competitions,’ Iraola mentioned final night time. ‘I take into consideration these semi-finals as a supervisor with ‘small’ groups. We will see what the draw is. I’d like it.’

Thursday night time was an uncommon alternative for an FA Cup tie. The purpose was its choice for Welsh-language tv channel S4C, with Swansea solely of their third week underneath Luke Williams. It was unlucky for the brand new supervisor that this battering was broadcast for all to see again residence.

‘I mentioned sorry to them,’ Williams revealed what he advised his workforce at half-time. ‘I’d set them up in a method too formidable, too aggressive, too courageous. They brought about us horrible issues with urgent.’

It was Iraola’s excessive press which led to the opener inside seven minutes. Luis Sinisterra gained the ball off Nathan Wood, solely to be yanked again. Yellow card for Wood, free-kick for Bournemouth. David Brooks whipped it in and Lloyd Kelly scored after being abandoned by his marker Kyle Naughton.

‘One nil to the England,’ sang the house supporters. Not for lengthy, because it was 2-0 after 10 minutes when Brooks drove inside from the best wing, leaving Bashir Humphreys in his mud. He squared the ball to Alex Scott, who made no mistake from 10 yards. VAR Paul Tierney checked it, however Brooks was onside and the Wales worldwide had two assists in opposition to the Welsh guests.

It was 3-0 after 14 minutes and, once more, it got here courtesy of their excessive press. Swansea goalkeeper Andrew Fisher tried to move out from the again however Scott intercepted the ball earlier than teeing up Sinisterra, who discovered the far nook by way of the legs of Wood.

Swansea had the possibility to provide their supporters who made this depressing seven-hour spherical journey one thing to have a good time, however the submit denied Naughton and Mark Travers saved Wood’s try.

West Ham supervisor David Moyes was on the Vitality Stadium, doing his homework forward of dealing with Bournemouth this Thursday. He watched because it turned 4-0 when Brooks gained the ball excessive up the pitch, exchanged a one-two with Solanke, and beat Fisher when one-on-one.

Then the inevitable occurred. As we approached half-time, Solanke helped himself to a objective by tapping in Sinisterra’s help. 

Solanke eliminated his shirt. ‘RIP Donna,’ revealed a message on his undershirt in a tribute to his team-mate Jaidon Anthony’s mom, which earned him a yellow card from ‘rules are rules’ referee Darren England.

Some Swansea supporters had seen sufficient as they exited at half-time. Bournemouth’s biggest-ever win was 11-0 over Margate within the FA Cup in 1971, when Ted MacDougall scored 9. In the tip, Iraola’s males settled for the 5 from their unforgiving first half.