Josh King’s late strike seals win for Bournemouth over Burnley

Josh King’s late winner ensured Bournemouth will finish the season with their highest points tally in the top flight.

Sam Vokes’s 83rd-minute equaliser looked to have mathematically secured Burnley’s Premier League status but King fired home two minutes later as Bournemouth claimed victory in their final home game of the season.

The Norway forward has proven to be a revelation in 2017, with 12 of his goals coming since the middle of January. “Once you start scoring, it builds,” King said. “This is my first season where I have scored like this. Next year I need to prove myself and do it again before you can talk about me with Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku.”

The result sees Bournemouth climb up into 10th after reaching a record 45 points, while Burnley stay 14th and await Hull’s result at Crystal Palace on Sunday, that could confirm their fate.

Both sides remained unchanged from last weekend’s round of Premier League fixtures, with the previously ever-present Michael Keane missing a second consecutive game due to a knock as rumours of a summer move away from Turf Moor intensify.

Prior to kick-off there had been at least two goals in 12 of the last 13 league games at the Vitality Stadium and the hosts went on the front foot from the off. After a patient passage of play the Bournemouth captain, Simon Francis was in acres of space outside the area but the defender’s effort from 20 yards out skied way over the bar and the stand.

Burnley were aiming for their second win on the road this season, following their 2-0 victory at Crystal Palace, but their defence was beaten with the first shot on target after 25 minutes.

Junior Stanislas controlled Lewis Cook’s long ball on his chest before the forward showed composure and pace before calmly slotting past Tom Heaton. Conceding seemed to wake Burnley up after a subdued start to the game and they came close to finding an equaliser.

A slick interchange of passing saw the ball fall to Scott Arfield, who found space on the edge of the box but could only fire his left-foot effort wide of Artur Boruc’s post.

Eddie Howe’s men started the second half brightly as Lys Mousset failed to get firm contact on the ball following Marc Pugh’s cross.

Burnley went up the other end and went agonisingly close to drawing level with Arfield’s long-range strike, beating Boruc but going inches past a post.

The tireless King was next to try his luck and he could only find the side-netting from a tight angle after outmuscling Kevin Long on the left side.

Bournemouth were punished for their missed chances when Vokes, a former Bournemouth striker, climbed highest to head home Johann Berg Gudmunsson’s cross with seven minutes to go.

Burnley fans thought that was the goal to rubber-stamp Premier League safety, but King had the final say. Ryan Fraser’s low cross found King in the box, where he struck past Heaton to score his 16th goal of the season, clinching all three points.

Howe was optimistic that he could hold on to King. “We love working with him, hopefully he feels the same. We need to keep our best players and we will do everything in our power to do that.”