Sheffield United end losing run but blow two-goal lead to draw at Bournemouth

Bournemouth 2-2 Sheffield United: The visitors had to settle for a point that does little to help their dire situation

Bournemouth’s Illya Zabarnyi celebrates with Dango Ouattara during the Premier League match at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth. Picture date: Saturday March 9, 2024. (PA Wire)

Enes Unal came off the bench to score his first Premier League goal in stoppage time as Bournemouth fought back from 2-0 down to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to relegation-haunted Sheffield United.

Strikes from Gustavo Hamer and captain Jack Robinson looked to have earned the struggling Blades only their second away win of the season.

However, goals from substitutes Dango Ouattara and Unal in the final 16 minutes earned the hosts a point from a pulsating game in Dorset.

The Cherries were awarded a spot-kick with just 14 minutes played after Tom Davies clumsily swept Dominic Solanke off his feet.

Solanke stepped up in search of his 15th Premier League goal of the season but lost his footing just as was about to address the ball and ballooned it over the crossbar off his standing left foot.

The Cherries were then thwarted by an excellent 25th minute save from Ivo Grbic, who turned away Antoine Semenyo’s low shot from the edge of the 18-yard box.

The visitors took the lead against the run of play two minutes later courtesy of Hamer’s fourth goal of the campaign.

Hamer set Jaydon Bogle free down the right and when his initial shot was beaten away by Neto the former Coventry playmaker was on hand to fire the rebound into the roof of the Bournemouth net.

Croatian Grbic made another superb save to push Semenyo’s powerful close-range header from a Ryan Christie cross behind for a corner,

In first half stoppage time Neto saved awkwardly from Tom Davies’ header, before McBurnie nodded straight at the home goalkeeper from a corner.

Bournemouth started the second half on the front foot in search of an equaliser and Christie should have done better five minutes after the restart than firing over after good footwork from Marcus Tavernier had create the opportunity.

Neto had to be on alert to push wide Oliver Arblaster’s cross-cum shot but it was the goalkeeper’s mistake from the resulting corner that helped United double their lead in the 64th minute.

Neto punched the corner against Solanke’s back, sending the ball kindly into the path of Robinson at the far post and the Blades captain fired home off the inside off the post, with the goal decision system showing it had crossed the line before the Bournemouth goalkeeper clawed it away.

Bournemouth thought they were back in the game moments later but the luckless Solanke’s close-range effort was ruled out for a handball by the England international following a lengthy VAR review.

They did pull a goal back 16 minutes from time when Ouattara was left totally unmarked to head in Christie’s corner from four yards.

And after Ouattara missed a free header, Turkey international Unal rifled home at the far post in the first minute of added time to break the Blades’ hearts and deny them two points.