Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola applauds the fans after the Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester. _(Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)_
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ANDONI Iraola said the [Cherries](http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/sport/cherries/clubnews/?ref=au) were hoping to keep their game against Manchester City close for as long as possible as they are fast finishers and they felt they could get something – but conceding the third goal ‘killed’ the game.
Bournemouth trailed 2-1 at halftime and had done well to keep the deficit at one goal, with Djordje Petrovic making some good saves as the team stuck well in the game.
They showed good character to first draw themselves back level after Erling Haaland’s opening goal, Tyler Adams scoring from a corner, and were firmly in the game come the interval.
They had chances to draw themselves level after the break, too, with a pair of chances falling to Junior Kroupi, before the hosts made it three on the hour mark through Nico O’Reilly.
That goal, Iraola said, killed the game off and made their task much harder and allowed City to control the game better.
He told the Daily Echo: “We are a team that normally finishes quite well the games.
“So we were hoping, okay, we need to arrive to the last minutes with the game there, because normally we finish strong and I was trusting ourselves and probably, even with the 2-1, we were playing well, we were arriving, we were having our chances.
“But the third goal killed you a little bit because after you have more of the ball you can arrive, but you are already 3-1, it becomes really, really difficult.”