Four-midable Eugene helps Cherries progress against Pilgrims
Eugene Nyarko’s clinical four-timer spearheaded AFC Bournemouth to an emphatic 6-1 win over Plymouth Argyle, setting up the prospect of an enthralling second half to this season’s Premier League Cup campaign.
Nyarko inspired the Cherries to victory at Wimborne Town’s Wyatt Homes Stadium as they rocketed to the top of Group B on goals scored, drawing level on six points with Leicester and Cardiff at the halfway point.
And with the top two progressing to the knockout phase, Alan Connell’s team have everything to play for when they meet the Foxes, the Bluebirds and the Pilgrims in the coming weeks.
Ghanaian teenager Nyarko stole the show after the Pilgrims had taken the lead from the penalty spot through Frankie Maund midway through the first half.
His 25th-minute leveller was added to by a George Chubinidze strike as the Cherries reached the break leading 2-1.
Nyarko, spotted by Cherries’ head of academy recruitment Josh Dorlikar playing for Bracknell Town under-15s, netted three times in the space of 18 second-half minutes to ruthlessly take the game away from the visitors.
Fellow under-18 striker Leyland Waite replaced Nyarko late on and scored the Cherries' sixth goal just 60 seconds after coming off the bench.
Pilgrims goalkeeper Thomas Armytage raced off his line to beat Dane Ndimukum to Mack Allan’s huge clearance in the early stages.
Tegan Finn’s thunderous drive flashed past the post via a deflection before Malcom Dacosta Gonzalez’s fierce shot was parried by Armytage.
And after the ball had been recycled, Dacosta Gonzalez’s strike from the edge of the box was deflected for a corner.
Maund, shoved by Ethan Sills to earn a penalty, made no mistake from the spot, sending Allan the wrong way to open the scoring in the 22nd minute.
However, the visitors’ lead was short lived, the Cherries levelling just three minutes later following a great move, finished by Nyarko.
The young striker seized on the loose ball after Chubinidze, put through by a sublime pass from Charlie Stevens, had been foiled by Armytage.
Capped recently by England under-16s, Armytage then pulled off a top-drawer save to beat away Harold William’s venomous drive.
The Cherries took the lead through Chubinidze in the 33rd minute, the Georgia under-21 international applying the final touch to another sweeping move.
Started by Dacosta Gonzalez’s splendid crossfield pass to Ndimukum, Chubinidze arrived to touch home his teammate’s precision cross into the danger zone.
Ndimukum then went close to making it 3-1, his powerful 25-yard effort crashing back off the upright, with Dacosta Gonzalez again pivotal in the build-up.
Maund fashioned the first chance of the second half, the forward’s effort through a crowd of players saved comfortably by Allan.
The Cherries goalkeeper also pouched Tashall Sandhu’s shot before the Cherries extended their lead through Nyarko nine minutes into the second half.
Chubinidze’s pass found Max Lyall-Rajendra on the right and Nyarko was on hand to fire a stunning volley past Armytage from his teammate’s inch-perfect cross.
Nyarko completed his well-taken hat-trick with another finely-executed goal three minutes later, a lovely shot on the turn from Chubinidze’s pass giving Armytage no chance.
The 17-year-old added his fourth and the Cherries’ fifth when he rolled home the loose ball after his header had been saved by Armytage, with Chubinidze again having a hand in the goal.
Waite replaced Nyarko in the 83rd minute and added their sixth goal just 60 seconds after coming off the bench, his emphatic finish teed up by Chubinidze.
AFC Bournemouth: Allan, Lyall-Rajendra, William (Sutton, 83), Ali (Scafe, 70), Merritt (Arthur, 75), Dacosta-Gonzalez (Osazee, 74), Sills, Chubinidze, Stevens, Nyarko (Waite, 83), Ndimukum. Unused subs: Westcott (g/k), Spence.
Under-18s return to Premier League Cup action