THE Cherries will play Europa League football next season after they secured a sixth-place finish in the Premier League at the end of a remarkable, record-breaking term for the club.
A final day draw at Nottingham Forest was enough to confirm their place in the top six and to ensure clubs from the second tier of continental competition will visit Dean Court next term.
The hosts at the City Ground had the halftime lead after Morgan Gibbs-White’s strike from a free kick as they held Bournemouth at bay and limited their visitors to efforts from range.
But the Cherries started the second half well and levelled the game through Marcus Tavernier after 54 minutes.
Andoni Iraola’s men were guaranteed a sixth-place finish as Brighton were beaten by Manchester United.
But results didn’t quite fall their way to qualify for the Champions League, and it was a Europa League spot that was the reward at the end of a record-breaking campaign.
Iraola bid farewell to Bournemouth after guiding them to a record points haul and their highest-ever finish, after a sensational 18-game unbeaten run at the end of the season.
The Cherries were unchanged from their draw with Manchester City in the week that confirmed European qualification for the very first time, but they were hit with a late blow as Alex Scott was ruled out after the warmup, replaced by Alex Toth.
Bournemouth made a fast start at the City Ground and their press brought its rewards early on as they pressed their hosts into their half.
Toth fired over the bar from the top of the box, before Tyler Adams did the same after Adrien Truffert won the ball deep in Forest territory.
Marcus Tavernier powered a free kick in a good position into the defensive wall, and Evanilson shot over the bar with Bournemouth having the better openings in the first 15 minutes.
The hosts held firm and defended their box well, limiting the Dorset side to efforts largely from range, and they began to create opportunities of their own.
Gibbs-White shot off target from the top of the Cherries area and Evanilson shot over the bar following good work from Truffert on the left.
Junior Kroupi had three efforts blocked from the edge of the area in quick succession and the young Frenchman volleyed over the bar from a corner when unmarked, as Bournemouth created openings for shots but failed to test Matz Sels in the Forest net.
Igor Jesus drew a save out of Djordje Petrovic, before the hosts should have taken the lead when Chris Wood hit the post with a header from a corner.
Forest did take the lead minutes later, though.
James Hill fouled Gibbs-White and from the resulting free kick, the Englishman was teed up and he powered into the bottom corner from the edge of the D.
The Tricky Trees threatened from a corner next as Neco Williams powered towards goal, but it was blocked, as the home side took their lead into the break.
As with the first half, the second half began well for Bournemouth but without too many chances.
But the Cherries were level nine minutes after the resumption. Excellent work from Truffert on the left saw him get onto a pass in behind and keep it in play, before cutting back to Tavernier who powered past Matz Sels.
Tavernier shot over as he received the ball from substitute Ben Gannon-Doak, who replaced Toth shortly before the hour mark.
The young Scot looked lively after his introduction and the Cherries threatened when he headed a Rayan cross back across goal, but Forest got it clear.
Sels then denied the winger when he was played in one-on-one, before the Forest keeper kept a curling Kroupi effort out at full stretch.
Gannon-Doak curled over the bar after cutting inside from the left.
Iraola introduced Justin Kluivert, Amine Adli and Enes Unal for Kroupi, Rayan and Evanilson with 17 minutes to play.
Adam Smith denied Gibbs-White with a superb block at the far post, and at the other end, Kluivert had an attempt stopped after a neat one-two with Tavernier.
Smith was replaced by Lewis Cook in the final minute of the 90, before Sels denied well Unal from a free kick.
Neither side was able to find a winner at the death and the game ended 1-1, with that sealing a record sixth-placed finish, a best-ever points haul of 57 and a superb 18-game unbeaten run to close the campaign as Iraola bowed out on a high.
Nottingham Forest: 26, M. Sels; 3, N. Williams; 31, N. Milenković; 4, Morato; 23, Jair Cunha (Netz 63’); 10, M. Gibbs-White (c); 8, E. Anderson (Yates 65’); 6, I. Sangaré (Dominguez 65’); 21, O. Hutchinson (McAtee 78’); 11, C. Wood (Awoniyi 62’ (booked, 67’)); 19, Igor Jesus.
AFC Bournemouth: 1, Đ. Petrović; 3, A. Truffert; 5, M. Senesi; 23, J. Hill (booked, 33’); 15, A. Smith (c)(Cook 90’); 27, A. Toth (Gannon-Doak 57’); 12, T. Adams; 16, M. Tavernier; 22, J. Kroupi (Kluivert 73’); 37, Rayan (Adli 73’); 9, Evanilson (Unal 73’).
