AFC Bournemouth 3 - 1 Leyton Orient
Coca-Cola League One
ORIENT'S promotion push was dealt a Boxing Day blow by struggling AFC Bournemouth at Dean Court.
The visitors were well beaten all over the park and they could have no complaints to be making the journey home pointless.
Goals either side of half time from Max-Alain Gradel and Sam Vokes put the home side in a strong position, and although Brian Saah pulled one back, James Henry made sure of the points in the last minute.
There was little festive cheer for the visiting supporters, who saw their team put in their most abject performance of the season - one which got exactly what it deserved.
Adam Boyd was presented with an opportunity to give Orient a ninth minute lead when Stephen Purches' cross took a touch off a defender and cannoned into goalkeeper Gareth Stewart. Boyd was well-positioned for the rebound, but he couldn't force the ball past Stewart from close range.
At the other end Brett Pitman shot wide from 25 yards as Bournemouth looked to make light of their miserable home record.
But Orient were equally keen to make a strong start and Stewart had to keep his eyes on the ball to field Jabo Ibehre's effort after it bounced up off the turn in front of him.
Bournemouth were first to strike, though, ending a decent spell of possession with the opening goal. Alex Pearce knocked a ball over the top which Charlie Daniels failed to reach, and home winger Gradel got in behind to finish precisely from an angle.
Orient almost hit back immediately, Stewart reacting well to block from Ibehre after he stretched out a leg to connect with Sean Thornton's deflected shot
The visitors weren't playing with a flow to their game and Stuart Nelson had to dive to his right to save from Pitman after Tamika Mkandawire had dithered over a clearance and lost out to Jem Karacan.
Orient's sloppiness almost proved costly five minutes before the break when Mkandawire gave the ball away to Gradel, whose shot was deflected over the bar.
Martin Ling's men needed a vast improvement after the break, but their hopes of taking anything from the game were dealt a hammer blow on 54 when Saah didn't deal with a long pass forward from Cummings, allowing the ball to bounce and then not getting enough on his header back to Nelson. Vokes was lurking and he was left with the simple task of lobbing home.
Gradel then drilled over from an angle as Bournemouth looked to inflict further misery on the visitors.
The O's brought Andy Barcham off the bench and went with three up front in a bid to put the hosts under pressure and Ibehre found space in the box to poke a shot straight at Stewart with 67 minutes on the clock.
But still Orient were second best and Danny Hollands came within a whisker of making the points safe two minutes later when he hooked a volley onto the crossbar after Brian Saah blocked Karacan's fierce shot.
However, the O's gave themselves a lifeline 17 minutes from time when Saah cracked a fantastic 20-yard half-volley past Stewart's dive after Paul Terry's cross was only cleared to the edge of the box.
Ling's side made little headway after their breakthrough though, and a corner in the final minute saw Nelson come forward in one last desperate attempt to draw the O's level.
The flag kick was cleared, and with the O's stopper out of his goal, Kuffour held off Stephen Purches and fed sub Henry to finish the job.
Bournemouth: Stewart; Young, J Pearce, A Pearce, Cummings; Gradel (Henry 89), Karacan, Cooper (Christophe 40), Hollands, Pitman; Vokes (Kuffour 76)
Subs: Pryce (GK), Bradbury
Goals: Gradel (19), Vokes (54), Henry (90)
Booked: Cummings, Vokes, Pitman
Leyton Orient: Nelson; Purches, Mkandawire, Saah, Daniels; Thornton (Corden 64), Terry, Chambers, Demetriou (Barcham 57); Boyd, Ibehre (Echanomi 73)
Subs: Palmer, Sylvester
Goal: Saah (73)
Booked: Chambers
Referee: Clive Penton (Sussex)
Attendance: 5,356 (497 away)
