Bournemouth Manager Eddie Howe Says He Supports VAR After Late Penalty Drama Denies Cherries Win

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has praised his side's attitude and effort during their 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon, before stating that the decision to award Wolves a late penalty has made him a fan of VAR.

Joshua King's fourteenth minute penalty gave the Cherries the lead at the Vitality Stadium, which lasted until seven minutes from time, when referee Roger East awarded the away side a penalty for Adam Smith's challenge on Wolves full back Matt Doherty, which allowed Raul Jimenez to equalise for the midlands club.

Howe said (via Bournemouth's official website) of East's decision to award the away side a penalty: "There was a tangle of legs for our first penalty, but the one I have the biggest opinion on is the one awarded to Wolves.

"You rarely see them given. Adam Smith had committed to his challenge before Matt Doherty got his shot away. I really wasn’t expecting a penalty to be given."

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Howe then claimed that the decision against his side has made him support the introduction of next season's introduction of VAR to the Premier League.

"Initially, I was very hesitant on VAR, but now that I’ve seen it, I think it would be a good thing. The only danger with it today would have been that many of the incidents weren’t clear-cut, so it’s still ultimately someone’s interpretation that decides it."

Despite Howe's grievances surrounding the performance of the referee, the 41-year-old praised the performance of his side, who gained a point from the game despite the absence of several key players such as Jefferson Lerma, David Brooks and Callum Wilson.

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"The players gave everything to the match, and I was very pleased with our attitude to the game. Considering how many players we have out injured, those who were available today really stepped up.

"That shows the strength of the squad we have, and our new players showed exciting promise for the future. Overall, there are a lot more positives than negatives."