Bournemouth cruise past St. Pauli in comfortable friendly win

Bournemouth made light work of their German visitors in a pleasant summer afternoon on the south coast. The home side's attacking intent was evident from the opening stages, and they had the majority of the ball against a St. Pauli outfit still working their way into match fitness. The visitors showed they would not roll over when Mats Kaars fired them ahead in the 22nd minute, catching the Bournemouth defence napping with a well-taken finish.

The goal failed to dampen Bournemouth's spirits for long. Ben Doak levelled matters just three minutes later with a sharp finish that showed the clinical edge the hosts would maintain throughout the afternoon. Harry William restored Bournemouth's advantage shortly before half-time in the 37th minute, putting the home side in firm control heading into the break. Yellow cards were shown to both sides around the same time, keeping the match competitive if not particularly bad-tempered.

Bournemouth picked up where they left off after the interval. Dan Jebbison made it 3-1 in the 47th minute with an early second-half strike that effectively settled the contest. Bojan Diakité added a fourth just five minutes later in the 52nd minute, with the home crowd's patience rewarded by a goal-fest that suggested Bournemouth's pre-season preparations are progressing nicely. St. Pauli tired visibly as the match wore on, unable to stem the flow of Bournemouth attacks.

The Cherries' comfortable 4-1 victory will provide plenty of encouragement ahead of the new season. Eddie Howe's side showed enough creativity and movement to suggest they will carry a genuine threat in the top flight. St. Pauli, by contrast, will head back to Germany knowing they still have some work to do before their competitive campaign begins.