Bournemouth launched their inaugural Premier League 2 season with a remarkable 2-1 triumph against Chelsea at Wimborne Town.
Alan Connell’s outfit fell behind during the opening period but demonstrated resilience to equalise prior to half-time before snatching victory at the end, courtesy of Jonny Day’s double.
The result meant Bournemouth began their debut PL2 campaign with maximum points, having secured Category One academy status during the summer months.
The win carried extra significance given Chelsea had finished at the summit of the PL2 standings last term, despite subsequently being eliminated at the quarter-final stage by Tottenham Hotspur.
The contest began on equal footing as both teams sought their opening goal of the campaign, though it was Chelsea who broke the deadlock six minutes prior to the interval.
Reggie Watson was the scorer, converting from twelve yards to hand the Blues the advantage.
Yet Bournemouth were not trailing for long as Malcom Dacosta Gonzalez released Day with a ball over the top, and the striker controlled before dispatching a composed finish to restore parity.
Following the restart, neither outfit could find the back of the net and the fixture appeared destined to end level, though Day had alternative plans.
Zac Christie threaded the ball through for the forward and once more he applied a confident finish to put Bournemouth ahead as the match moved into stoppage time, and that proved the final score as the Cherries commenced their inaugural PL2 season in ideal fashion.