Eddie Howe Admits Bournemouth's 1-0 Defeat to Already-Relegated Fulham Was 'Tough to Take'

Eddie Howe has admitted Bournemouth's 1-0 defeat to Fulham at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday afternoon was a tough one to take. 

The Cherries came into the game off the back of a 5-0 thrashing of Brighton in their previous match and they dominated the early stages of the game, but were unable to take their chances. Fulham then began to grow into the match and finished the first half as the better side.

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The visitors then won a penalty in the early stages of the second half which Aleksandar Mitrovic duly dispatched, and that proved to be enough for Fulham as they were able to see the rest of the game out and earn a 1-0 win.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Howe admitted his side lacked a clinical edge in front of goal. He said: "Tough one to take.

"We were so good last week, so clinical in front of goal, some of our passing and movement was of the highest quality. Today, that was missing.

"We created the opportunities today, we got into the positions, but we didn't quite execute the finish right or the final pass, and it'll be a frustration because we felt we could have won that game today."

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The defeat was Bournemouth's third in their last four games and has left them five points off a place in the top half of the Premier League table with just three games left to play.

They'll be desperate to get back to winning ways when they travel to St Mary's Stadium to take on Southampton on Saturday afternoon.