Bournemouth secured their place in the third round of the League Cup by romping to a 4-0 win over Hartlepool United at Victoria Park.
Yann Kermorgant opened the scoring for the Cherries on the half-hour mark when he slotted in from Junior Stanislas's pass.
They doubled their lead four minutes later as Dan Gosling crashed in a low drive from just outside the box.
Stanislas curled a free kick into the top corner to further extend their advantage, before he added a fourth goal after the break to seal the rout.
Find out how the action unfolded below.
Hello everyone! We've reached the second round of the League Cup and a number of Premier League clubs are entering the action. One of those teams is Bournemouth, who will be looking to avoid an upset away at Hartlepool United.
The pitch looks amazing ahead of tonight's @CapitalOne_Cup tie against Bournemouth. pic.twitter.com/vmtgiwjlOT
— Hartlepool United FC (@Official_HUFC) August 25, 2015
The first round saw a number of shocks, with a total of nine Championship clubs being dumped out of the competition. With a number of the big clubs facing potential banana skins, I just wonder if we can see a repeat of that tonight.
The Cherrries will come into tonight's match off the back of their first ever win in the top flight. A Callum Wilson hat-trick at Upton Park helped them to earn a 4-3 win in a thrilling match against West Ham United.
Meanwhile, Hartlepool have made a bright start to the League Two season with three wins from their first four games, although they did suffer a 2-0 defeat at Stevenage at the weekend to blunt their progress slightly.
I can tell you that the team news has arrived from Victoria Park, so without further ado, let's find out which players have made it into their manager's starting lineups.
HARTLEPOOL XI: Bartlett, Duckworth, Harrison, Boyce, Carroll, Magnay, Featherstone, Woods, Oates, Paynter, Bingham
BOURNEMOUTH XI: Federici, Smith, Distin, Cargill, Mings, Atsu, MacDonald, Gosling, Stanislas, Kermorgant, Tomlin
HARTLEPOOL XI: Denton, Jones, Walker, Oyenuga, Nelson-Addy, Fenwick, Smith
BOURNEMOUTH XI: Allsop, Surman, Ritchie, Ward, Butcher, Costa, Rantie
It looks as if Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has one eye on this weekend's Premier League match against Leicester City, as he has made 11 changes from the team that beat West Ham. Among those who come in are debutants Sylvain Distin and Christian Atsu, while one of last year's title winners Yann Kermorgant makes his first start of the season.
Meanwhile, the hosts have made two changes from the team that lost to Stevenage in their previous outing. Andrew Boyce and Rhys Oates are brought into the starting XI, but Matthew Bates is ruled out with an Achilles injury.
Gone are the days when Bournemouth would enter a cup tie as the underdogs, as they are now a Premier League club. It may take their fans some getting used to, and they have had mixed start to life in the top flight.
The Cherries began their campaign with an opening-day 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa. They also lost by the same scoreline in a controversial match against Liverpool at Anfield, that saw them have a goal ruled out and concede a strike that should have been given offside.
They then travelled to West Ham on Saturday in search of their first points of the season and a superb double from Callum Wilson saw them race into a two-goal lead at the break, after a first half in which they could have been even further ahead.
It threatened to go horribly wrong, as the Hammers fought their way back into the contest and levelled the scores at two apiece. However, a well-taken goal from Marc Pugh and a third for Wilson saw them take control as they eventually earned a 4-3 win.
© Getty Images
After not being able to find the net in their opening two games, it was certainly a return to form for a team who played such free-flowing football in the Championship last season. However, manager Eddie Howe will be wary of their defensive displays, as their openness at the back has cost them cheap goals.
Meanwhile, Hartlepool have made a strong start to their League Two campaign. They are currently sat fifth in the table, after winning three of their opening four games, which will be very welcomed after they narrowly avoided the drop last term.
Their three victories came in the first three games of the season, but their winning run was brought to an end at the weekend by Stevenage. They had slipped behind on the stroke of half time when Fraser Franks headed in from a corner and their fate was sealed when Brett Williams added a second in the closing stages.
Bournemouth actually reached the quarter-finals of the cup last season, where they paired against Liverpool. Many people were predicting a shock due to the poor form of the Reds, but the Merseysiders eased into the semis with a 3-1 win at Dean Court.
Huddersfield have not gone past this stage of the tournament in six years, when they faced West Brom in the second round. They managed to surprise their Premier League opponents on that occasion, with a 3-1 home win, and supporters would love to see a repeat of that today.
PREDICTION: Bournemouth will be full of confidence after their win at the weekend and they should have too much firepower for their opponents. Although Huddersfield will be buoyed by their start to the season, and despite the amount of changes made by the hosts, I'm going to tip the Cherries to claim a 2-0 win.
Right, the two teams have made their way out onto the pitch and they receive a warm welcome from the home supporters. We are now just a couple of minutes away from the start of the match, and let me remind you that it could go all the way if the scores are level after 90 minutes.
KICKOFF! We are underway at Victoria Park!
The hosts are given an early chance to test their opponents when Atsu gives away a free kick inside his own half for clumsy foul on Carroll. The set piece is thrown into the box, but Federici comes out to claim inside a crowded box.
OFF THE BAR! Atsu has certainly had a mixed start to the night and he comes within inches of scoring on his debut. The Ghanaian cuts inside from the right and gets the ball onto his left foot, before firing in a superb strike that crashes off the bar and bounces back out to safety.
CHANCE! Bournemouth are looking good in these opening minutes and they have another good chance to open the scoring. Smith picks up a pass from Kermorgant and continues his run forward. It opens up for him and he drives into the box, before firing a strike just wide of the near post from a tight angle.
Even though Bournemouth have changed their entire starting XI this evening, you would not realise it by the way that they have started. They are playing the ball around neatly and are pushing lots of men forward whenever they get the chance.
It's quite clear to see what Hartlepool's gameplan is this evening. They are not concerned by putting together a number of passes, and instead are getting the ball into their opponents' box at every opportunity. It is sure to be a physical challenge as the League Two side look to push the Cherries all the way.
At this early stage, a set piece looks like the best chance of Hartlepool opening the scoring. They have already won a number of free kicks in decent positions, but so far the visitors have cleared everything that has come into their box.
It looks as if Mings is going to see a lot of the ball down the left this evening, and on a couple of occasions he has eased past his marker. He has not made an appearance in the league since his move from Ipswich and he will be desperate to impress here.
Hartlepool are coming under intense pressure at the moment, as the visitors look to turn the screw. They threaten again as Stanislas sees his effort from the edge of the box blocked, before Mings curls in a great cross that is just beyond any of his teammates.
There is certainly no lack of effort from the Hartlepool players and Oates does well to win a corner by putting Smith under pressure. The resulting set piece comes to nothing, but Moore will be pleased by the spirit and character his team are showing.
Atsu and Smith are linking up really well down the right and Hartlepool are working hard at shutting them down. You can hear the shouts of the hosts telling their left back not to allow Atsu to cut inside, as he has already shown his danger this evening.
SAVE! Another good move from the visitors sees Stanilas found inside the box with plenty of space. He then looks to curl a low strike towards the bottom corner, but Bartlett gets down well to push the ball behind.
GOAL! Hartlepool 0-1 Bournemouth (Yann Kermorgant)
Bournemouth have been the better team so far this evening and they finally have a deserved lead. It's a well worked team move, as Kermorgant slips in Stanislas down the right, before continuing his run into the box to meet the return pass from the winger and guiding a low shot past Bartlett.
GOAL! Hartlepool 0-2 Bournemouth (Dan Gosling)
The visitors have played some great stuff and they quickly score their second goal of the evening. Gosling is the man who finds the net, as he receives the ball just outside the box and works some room, before crashing a low drive into the corner and beyond the reach of the keeper.
SHOT! Bournemouth are in complete control and they almost score a third goal when Stanislas picks the ball up around 20 yards out from goal. He then drills in a low strike, aiming for the bottom corner, but his effort heads narrowly wide of the target.
This has been an impressive first-half display from the Cherries, who have looked dangerous every time they have come forward. They have put together some wonderful team moves and I would not be surprised to see them find the net at least a couple more times this evening.
SAVE! One Hartlepool player who has played well this evening is Bartlett, who makes his second important save of the match. It's Atsu with the effort on goal, as he fires in a powerful strike from range, that requires the keeper to dive across his line and push the ball behind for a corner.
GOAL! Hartlepool 0-3 Bournemouth (Junior Stanislas)
It's surely all over now, as Bournemouth score their third goal of the first half. This is probably the pick of the bunch, as Stanislas curls a wonderful free kick into the top left corner from just outside the box. Bartlett managed to get fingertips to the ball, but there was too much pace on that for the keeper to handle.
There will be just one minute added on before the break.
HALF-TIME: Hartlepool 0-3 Bournemouth
We've reached half time at Victoria Park and Bournemouth are absolutely cruising. They have raced into a three-goal lead and have played some outstanding football. The gulf in class has been evident, and you have to fear for the hosts in the second half.
The statistics at the midway point in this match sum up just how dominant have been. They have seen 55% of the possession and have had eight shots on goal, with five of those finding the target. However, Hartlepool have not had a single attempt and have shown no threat at all in the final third.
Let's take a look at how some of the other matches are going in the cup this evening. Incredibly there has been six first-half goals in Sunderland's tie with Exeter City, as the League Two side have come from behind to take a 3-3 draw into the break! There is another potential shock on the cards, as Aston Villa are currently 2-1 down at home to Notts County.
RESTART! The visitors take the kick off and get the match back underway!
SUB! Hartlepool have made a change at the break, with Fenwick coming on for Paynter.
Bournemouth have started the half as they ended the first and they are quickly on the attack with Smith being freed down the right. He then drills a low ball across the six-yard box, but there was nobody there to convert his teasing delivery. Moments later Stanislas tried to grab his second of the match, but he could only drag his effort wide of the far post.
SHOT! At the other end of the pitch the hosts win a free kick in a promising area and Carroll goes across to take it. He then whips a cross into the box that is met by Boyce, but his header is comfortably saved by Federici.
You just get the feeling that Bournemouth are able to turn up the quality when they need to. They are still passing the ball around with ease and keeping a firm grip of their possession, with the hosts unable to get anywhere near them.
CHANCE! Big chance for the visitors to score for the fourth time, as Tomlin latches onto a ball over the top from Kermorgant and is faced with just the keeper to beat. However, Bartlett is off his line quickly and does well to block the effort from point-blank range.
YELLOW CARD! Cargill is shown the first booking of the match for a foul on Fenwick.
OFF THE POST! Once again the woodwork denies Bournemouth another goal. Kermorgant flicks the ball to Stanislas on the edge of the box and the winger hammers an effort goalwards. However, his shot takes a slight deflection off the outstretched leg of Harrison and crashes against the outside of the post.
CHANCE! How on earth has this not found the net? Tomlin bursts through the midfield and exchanges pass with MacDonald, before getting into the box. He then cuts back onto his left foot and curls in a strike that takes a slight deflection and somehow goes wide of the target.
GOAL! Hartlepool 0-4 Bournemouth (Junior Stanislas)
The Cherries do score a fourth and it's from another fantastic move. Atsu plays a wonderful ball through to Stanislas, who takes a touch past the keeper, before sliding into the unguarded net. He has deserved that goal and he could now be in line for a start at the weekend.
SUBS! The hosts are going to make a double change, with Smith and Walker coming on for Oates and Woods.
SUB! Bournemouth are also making a change, as Rantie comes on to replace Kermorgant.
Aside from the two goals that Stanislas has scored, his overall play has been brilliant this evening. He also set up the opener for Kermorgant and he has just whipped a great free kick right across the six-yard box, that none of his teammates could take advantage of.
GOAL DISALLOWED! This is a really tight call by the linesman, but it has gone against Bournemouth. Rantie thought that he had scored just minutes after coming on, when he broke through the defence, before rounding the keeper and slotting in, but the flag was raised against him for offside.
SAVE! Hartlepool almost manage a consolation as Walker curls in a free kick that looks as if it will just drop under the bar. However, Federici gets a strong hand to the ball and tips it over the bar, with the hosts unable to profit from the corner.
CHANCE! Atsu has surely put himself in contention for a start at the weekend with a good display tonight. He also comes close to scoring again, as he is found by Tomlin just inside the box, before curling a strike just inches wide of the far post.
SUB! The visitors make their final changes of the evening, as Ritchie and Butcher are on for Atsu and Smith.
SHOT! Ritchie is almost involved straight away as he exchanges passes with Tomlin and gets onto the return ball. He is at a tight angle and tries to poke an effort into the bottom corner, but Bartlett was well placed and makes a simple stop.
SHOT! This is about as close as the hosts have come. Bingham is found inside the box and fires in a first-time strike, that ends up heading just wide. There have been promising signs from Hartlepool in recent minutes, as they continue to look for a late consolation.
SAVE! Bingham has looked lively in these closing stages and he has another chance when he is played in down the right-hand side of the box. He then drives in a powerful effort towards the near post, but Federici is down well to turn the ball behind.
I'm sure that Howe will have some problems picking his side at the weekend, after some good displays from his team this evening. Mings has looked good all evening at left-back, while Stanislas has enhanced his reputation with two very good goals.
CHANCE! Yet another decent opening for the hosts as a deep cross into the box is completely missed by Federici. Boyce is at the back post and has a free header, but from a tight angle he can only head wide of the post.
MISS! Hartlepool really should have scored here, as Bingham is slipped through and has just the keeper to beat. However, he fluffs his lines at the vital moment and scuffs the ball straight into the keeper's arms.
There are going to be at least two minutes of stoppage time.
FULL-TIME: Hartlepool 0-4 Bournemouth
The referee finally brings the match to an end and it has been a comfortable night for Bournemouth, who have cruised into the third round of the cup. They could have scored even more than the four goals they managed, as many of their fringe players gave fine accounts of themselves.
I'm afraid that's all we have got time for this evening after a good night for the Cherries. Make sure you stick with us for all of the reaction from today's matches and the latest breaking news. Until next time, goodbye!
Written by
Alex Meyers
Alex Meyers
