FORGET busy roads and standstill traffic, the real Christmas chaos this weekend came at City Ground as Cherries played out a pulsating 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest.

A controversial red card for Forest’s Willy Boly did not give the home crowd reason for good cheer, before three goals in the first 13 minutes of the second period saw Forest lead through Anthony Elanga, until a Dominic Solanke brace.

Chris Wood levelled for the home side to set up a grandstand finish, and Solanke delivered when he glanced home in injury time for his first Premier League hat-trick.

With Milos Kerkez joining Lloyd Kelly on the sidelines with a knock picked up in training, Andoni Iraola turned to an unorthodox solution at left-back.

Winger Dango Ouattara started in the berth, the day-to-day winger’s first start since a 3-0 defeat to Everton.

The first half was an end-to-end affair despite not much to show for it in terms of shots on target.

Boly earned his first booking for a tactical foul on Solanke after four minutes, the defender unfairly halting the attacker on the half-way line.

And Forest fans were left incensed when referee Rob Jones produced a second yellow for Boly.

The defender clearly won the ball with an outstretched tackle on Adam Smith, but the referee felt the follow through merited a second yellow.

After the protestations from the hosts dissipated, there was quiet concern for Cherries as Lewis Cook was replaced by Alex Scott, the former heading straight down the tunnel seemingly for medical attention.

There was another flashpoint that aggrieved the home faithful, Smith appearing to block a cross inside the area with his hand.

Whilst replays showed that the right-back had hit the ball with his arm, VAR was unable to determine whether the contact was inside the box, giving Cherries a reprieve.

Cherries enjoyed the lion share of possession in the opening 45, but were unable to create much of note.

Allowed time and space on the edge of the area Antoine Semenyo sent a curling effort narrowly wide, wrapping the ball around the wrong side of the post for the half’s best chance.

Moments after the break, the hosts would lead. Striker Wood pickpocketed Scott in the Cherries half, allowing the forward to slip in Elanga.

At an acute angle, the winger opened up his body to curl an effort into the far corner and past the grasp of Neto.

But Cherries had a near-instant response up their sleeve.

Although Forest dealt with the initial cross from Ouattara, the ball only went as far as the feet of Marcos Senesi.

The centre-back whirled up a curling ball into the box, finding Solanke, who still had work to do loop his header over Matt Turner and restore parity minutes after the home side had opened scores.

Fittingly for the time of year, Forest’s defence were in a charitable mood to allow Solanke to score his second six minutes later.

Although the initial corner was somewhat dealt with, Forest failed to fully clear their lines. That allowed Philip Billing to nod the loose ball back towards the six-yard box.

Only Solanke was alert, Nottingham defenders watching on as the striker merrily plundered his 10th of the season.

But an advantage both in terms of score and players would not be enough for Cherries.

Nearing the final 15 minutes, Cherries made a meal out of defending a corner. That allowed Wood to pop up and head home an equaliser.

Makeshift defender Ouattara would produce an intervention any wily veteran would appreciate.

The Burkinabe appeared almost out of nowhere to clear Morgan Gibbs-White’s curled effort on the goal line, keeping the score locked at 2-2.

Iraola turned to his bench to find a winner, with Welsh duo David Brooks and Kieffer Moore introduced.

Brooks almost became the hero with one of his first touches, the attacker ghosting into the area before striking the post at close distance.

That looked as close as Cherries would get to a winner - until the dying moments of five added minutes.

Smith's inswinging cross found Solanke, the 26-year-old stabbing the ball with his head past Turner, who got a hand to the effort.

Nottingham Forest: Turner; Murillo, Boly, Mangala (Hudson-Odoi, h-t); Williams, Yates, Gibbs-White (Danilo, 90+2), Toffolo (Aina, 86); Elanga, Wood, Origi (Niakhate, 27).

Unused subs: Tavares, Kouyate, Dominguez, Montiel, Vlachodimos (g/k).

Booked: Boly x2.

Sent off: Boly.             

Cherries: Neto; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Ouattara (Brooks, 82); Cook (Scott, 28 (Rothwell, 70)), Christie, Billing (Moore, 82); Tavernier, Semenyo (Sinisterra, 70), Solanke.

Unused subs: Mepham, Greenwood, Kluivert, Travers (g/k).

Booked: Iraola, Scott, Semenyo, Christie.

Referee: Rob Jones.