Bournemouth 1 Barnsley 0: Tykes still looking for first point on the road

Eddie Howe’s men had been second best in a first half which saw Chris O’Grady and then Steve Dawson rattle the same post for a Barnsley side who are yet to take even a point on their travels this season.

But inspired by the introduction of record signing Tokelo Rantie, the home side upped the ante and Pugh lashed the ball home with his weaker foot to seal the points.

Barnsley boss David Flitcroft made four changes to the team narrowly beaten by Nottingham Forest on Saturday with Luke Steele, Chris Dagnall, former Cherry Martin Crainie and Tomasz Cywka all earning starts while Bournemouth remained unchanged.

In a half of very few clear cut openings at goal Barnsley had the two best opportunities to break the deadlock within a second.

First O’Grady’s drilled strike across goal cannoned off the inside of the post from where it fell straight to Dawson who could only return the ball to the same spot on the other post.

Tomas Cywka was inches away from adding his second memorable strike in four days before Dagnall drilled a right-footed volley wide minutes later.

Early in the second half Bournemouth should have taken the lead but Grabban somehow fired wide after being sent one-on-one inside the penalty area.

But the goal duly arrived in the 76th minute when Pugh drilled a low left-footed shot into the net.

Bournemouth: Allsop, Francis, Ward, Cook, Daniels (Elphick 52), Fraser (Rantie 55), MacDonald (Hughes 86), O’Kane, Pugh, Grabban, Pitman. Unused substitutes: Harte,Thomas,McQuoid,Flahavan.

Barnsley: Steele, Wiseman, Ramage, Cranie, Kennedy (Noble-Lazarus 80), Cywka (Jennings 64), Dawson, Dagnall (Scotland 72), Perkins, Etuhu, O’Grady. Unused substitutes: Mellis, Mvoto, Dibble, Rose.

Referee: B Malone (Wiltshire).