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Bournemouth 1 West Brom 1 - Report and pictures

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A Matt Ritchie header eight minutes from time extended West Brom's winless run to eight games today, reports Matt Wilson from the Vitality Stadium.

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Salomon Rondon gave the Baggies the lead in the 16th minute with his ninth goal of the season, before goalkeeper Artur Boruc tipped a Craig Gardner penalty onto the bar at the end of the first-half.

It looked like that miss wouldn't matter as Albion closed in on their eighth 1-0 Premier League win of the season.

But having probed away at Tony Pulis's experienced defence for the majority of the match, Bournemouth eventually equalised from a simple long throw, inadvertantly flicked into Ritchie's path by Claudio Yacob.

Craig Dawson hit the post in the dying minutes as the search for a win continues into its third month.

The draw keeps both teams level on points, and leaves Albion needing a victory next Sunday at home to Liverpool if they're going to better last season's tally of 44.

Despite promising to make changes to his team, Pulis named an unchanged starting line-up to the one that lost 3-0 to West Ham.

There was no place in the squad for James Morrison, Stephane Sessegnon or Victor Anichebe ­- all of whom are out of contract at the end of the season.

Eddie Howe made four changes to his side from the 2-1 defeat to Everton, swapping both wingers and both strikers.

Bournemouth (4-4-2): Boruc, Francis, Cook, Elphick (c), Daniels, Stanislas (Ritchie 73), Surman, Arter, Gradel (King 61), Grabban, Afobe (Wilson 61).

Unused subs: Federici, Gosling, Iturbe, O'Kane.

West Bromwich Albion (4-5-1): Foster; Dawson, Olsson, McAuley, Evans; Leko (Sandro 85), Yacob, Fletcher (c), Gardner (Berahino 73), McClean; Rondon.

Unused subs: Myhill, Chester, Lambert, Roberts, Field.

Referee: Mark Clattenburg[/breakout]

Craig Gardner could have had a hat-trick in the opening stages last weekend and the midfielder nearly scored in the second minute of this match.

He diverted Craig Dawson's low long-range shot a foot wide of the post.The home side enjoyed most of the ball in the opening stage.

Max Gradel brought the first save of the match from goalkeeper Ben Foster at the near post, after nutmegging Dawson.

Bournemouth were well on top before Rondon gave Albion the lead in the 16th minute.

The Venezuelan gave Artur Boruc a warning moments earlier with a fierce long-range effort that whistled past the upright.

But when he scored his ninth goal of the season, it was with a trademark header.

Jonathan Leko - who was proving once again that he had the confidence to come inside off the wing - started the move off.

A driving run was punctuated with a couple of stepovers, before laying the ball off to Jonny Evans on the left.

The left-back curled in an inviting cross towards the six yard box and Rondon used his strength to get across Tommy Elphick before nodding the ball home.

Harry Arter was then lucky to escape a booking when he pushed Gareth McAuley, after the centre-back caught him on the thigh with a follow-through to a fair clearance.

That seemed to fire the Bournemouth midfielder up and he rasped a long-range drive just wide of Foster's post minutes later.

But Arter was then nutmegged by Gardner on the edge of his own box before the Baggies man curled a low left-footed effort towards the bottom corner, which Boruc did well to fingertip behind.

The Cherries goalkeeper covered himself in even more glory just before half-time.

When Elphick wrestled Dawson to the ground at the back post of a James McClean corner, referee Mark Clattenburg pointed straight to the spot.

Gardner and Rondon both wanted to take the penalty with Saido Berahino - the club's usual taker ­- sitting on the bench.

It was eventually the midfielder who stepped up, but Boruc guessed the right way. Not only did he tip the spot kick onto the bar, he then saved the rebound too.

The Baggies have failed to score from their last three penalties, after Watford keeper Heurelho Gomes saved both of Berahino's spot-kicks last month.

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Boruc's heroics sparked life into a sleepy Vitality Stadium and there was still time in first-half injury time for ex-Wolves striker Benik Afobe to put a bicycle kick inches wide at the other end.

Although Bournemouth had nearly three-quarters of possession during the game, they were well marshalled by Albion's experienced backline and rarely got in behind.

The Baggies' problem came - as it has done all season - with the ball. Rondon was too isolated up front and long punts forward from McAuley and Olsson were failing to stick.

Gardner was unable to exert any influence in the final third and once again, it was 17-year-old Leko who looked the most likely to create anything in blue and white.

Foster comfortably saved a Junior Stanislas effort at his near post after a one-two with Surman, before Howe rolled the dice on the hour mark, bringing on Josh King and Callum Wilson for Gradel and Afobe.

The substitutes gave Bournemouth fresh impetus. King's pace troubled Albion straight away and he was brought down by McAuley on the edge of the box, but Stanislas' free-kick was tamely hit straight into Foster's arms.

Next up it was Wilson who worried the Baggies, capitalising on a McAuley misjudgement before dragging his shot a foot wide of the far post.

Albion were retreating further into their own half as they tried to keep Bournemouth at arm's length.

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But in a rare foray up the pitch, McClean clipped a cross in for Rondon which the Venezeulan headed wide.

Sensing the need to help his striker, Pulis brought Berahino on for Gardner with 15 minutes to go and the pair combined straight away.

Rondon pulled the ball back to Berahino from the byline, but the 22-year-old's low shot was blocked by the retreating Simon Francis.

Considering all their attempted probing, Bournemouth's equaliser nine minutes from time was simple when it finally arrived.

A Steve Cook long throw was inadvertantly flicked on by Claudio Yacob straight into the path of the onrushing Matt Ritchie.

The substitute made no mistake from four yards out, putting his textbook header down into the ground and in.

The home crowd wanted a winner but it was Albion who looked more like scoring in the closing stages.

Dawson hit the post with a shot from the edge of the area before Berahino nearly played in Rondon in the six yard box.