Bournemouth’s Moore seals promotion to Premier League and frustrates Forest

With seven minutes left of normal time in a fractious, frayed encounter that they had dominated, Bournemouth were close to squandering their first chance to confirm automatic promotion. Then Kieffer Moore, a substitute who has largely been sidelined through injury after his move from Cardiff, finished a cunning free-kick routine with panache and the celebrations could begin; Nottingham Forest, so hopeful of taking three points that would tilt the race in their favour, did not ultimately do enough and will seek to atone in the playoffs. It is a triumph for Scott Parker, relegated with Fulham last season but now able to lead Bournemouth back into the big time after two seasons away.

If Bournemouth had needed an extra boost at the outset, it came through an announcement from their midfielder David Brooks that he is clear of the stage two Hodgkin lymphoma with which he was diagnosed in October. Brooks is a talent worthy of the Premier League and it will be a joy to see him back on the pitch; above all, though, the Wales international’s good health was worth celebrating.

Forest would happily face him in the top flight next season. This had been billed as their biggest game in the 23 years since their relegation in the Premier League: it was not hard to see why, given their lack of dalliances with automatic promotion in the interim. Steve Cooper’s side were seen off from their training ground on Monday by several hundred fans and a smog of red flares; they were raucously backed here, too, by a contingent who sensed the shedding of all those disappointments.

Their players began as if encumbered, Bournemouth settling quickly and coming close when Brice Samba pawed away Philip Billing’s curled effort. Steve Cook, the centre-back