Enes Unal’s stoppage-time equaliser rescued a point for Bournemouth and denied Sheffield United a precious three points in their fight for Premier League survival.
The 26-year-old Turkey international, on loan from Getafe, sidefooted in his first goal for the club in the first minute of added time, moments after having a header from a similar position cleared off the line.
The goal was harsh on Sheffield United, who were much improved from Monday’s chastening defeat at home to Arsenal and had led 2-0 until the 74th minute at Vitality Stadium.
Gustavo Hamer opened the scoring in the first half after Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto had parried Jayden Bogle’s low shot into his path, his goal coming 13 minutes after Dominic Solanke had saved an early penalty for the Cherries.
Solanke won the spot-kick after being caught late by Tom Davies but slipped in the run-up, the ball sailing high over the crossbar after hitting the striker’s standing foot.
The visitors were gifted a second goal midway through the second period when Neto punched a corner into the back of Solanke and the ball fell into the path of Jack Robinson, whose close-range shot struck the inside of the post on its way over the line.
Solanke had a goal disallowed by the video assistant referee after handling the ball on the edge of the six-yard area, and Dango Ouattara’s emphatic header gave the Cherries hope before Unal completed the fightback.
The point lifts Sheffield United above fellow strugglers Burnley in the relegation zone but they remain 10 points adrift of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.
“There are mixed emotions,” Blades boss Chris Wilder told BBC Match of the Day. “The players were putting bodies everywhere.
“We all had to stand up. This has been one of the hardest weeks we’ve had in football after what happened on Monday night.
“We’re off the bottom. We’ll enjoy that, but I’m not jumping through hoops, and no medals are being handed out for being off the bottom. We have to show consistency.”
Eventful afternoon for Bournemouth and Solanke
Solanke has enjoyed an outstanding campaign in front of goal this season, but it had looked like a day to forget for the striker and his team until Unal’s last-gasp equaliser.
The former Chelsea and Liverpool frontman came into the game looking to match Joshua King’s Bournemouth record of 16 Premier League goals in a single campaign, but after earning his side an early penalty, the striker lost his footing at the crucial moment.
Solanke thought he had pulled a goal back for the Cherries after the visitors had failed to clear Ouattara’s hopeful shot from the edge of the box, but the video assistant referee ruled that the striker had handled the ball in the build-up and disallowed his close-range finish.
Bournemouth fans, who had seen Antoine Semenyo, Ryan Christie and Milos Kerkez go close in the first half, could have been forgiven for abandoning all hope at that stage – but Andoni Iraola’s team had other ideas.
Half-time substitute Ouattara rose highest to head home at the near post and set up a frantic finale, before Unal opened his account for the club at the end of a period of sustained Cherries pressure.
Luis Sinisterra went close to snatching all three points for Bournemouth – who registered 32 shots over the course of the 90 minutes, but his left-footed effort trickled wide of the far post.
Positives for Blades despite late leveller
Wilder had said before the game that there was “still some life left” in his beleaguered side despite their perilous position at the bottom of the Premier League – and the Blades certainly delivered a spirited performance on the south coast.
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, given the manner of Monday’s 6-0 humiliation at home by Arsenal, the visitors looked short of confidence in the early stages as Bournemouth started on the front foot.
However, Solanke’s penalty miss appeared to breathe new life into Wilder’s men, who were rewarded for their efforts when Hamer beat Neto for his third Premier League goal.
Sheffield United had conceded 18 goals in their previous five top-flight matches but defended resolutely in the first half, with goalkeeper Ivo Grbic pulling off smart saves from Semenyo and Kerkez.
They appeared on course for three valuable points after Robinson capitalised on Neto’s lapse in concentration to double their advantage, but it was one-way traffic after Ouattara halved the deficit with just over a quarter of an hour of normal time remaining.
The visitors’ defence was breached a second time by Unal, but Wilder will be heartened by his team’s display as he prepares to meet club owner Prince Abdullah in Riyadh next week.