Dominic Solanke brace boosts Bouremouth’s automatic promotion hopes

Dominic Solanke took his season’s tally to 27 goals after his double strike saw Bournemouth close in on a return to the Premier League following a 3-0 victory at Coventry.

The ex-Liverpool striker put the outcome beyond doubt after Jamal Lowe had opened the scoring in a clinical display by Scott Parker’s men that re-established their four-point advantage over the play-off chasing pack.

That cushion had been reduced to one following Huddersfield’s victory at Middlesbrough in the lunch-time kick-off but the Cherries ended a mini blip of three games without a win to get their top-two quest back on track.

With the hosts still in play-off contention, Coventry’s players had earlier matched the exuberance of a raucous Coventry Building Society Arena during the opening exchanges with 16-goal top-scorer Viktor Gyokeres firing across the face of goal after sprinting on to Todd Kane’s ball through the right channel.

On-loan Chelsea midfielder Ian Maatsen also cleared the crossbar from 20 yards after another positive Sky Blues raid.

But, having ridden out the early storm, it was the Cherries who forged in front with their first shot of the game on 12 minutes.

Adam Smith made an excellent overlapping run down the left and lifted a cross perfectly onto the head of Lowe who headed in off the underside of the bar from inside the six-yard box.

The goal failed to turn the tide, though, with Coventry still the more energetic and enterprising side.

Good work down the left by Gyokeres soon afterwards teed up Kane for a volley that he dragged disappointingly wide and Callum O’Hare shot weakly at Bournemouth keeper Mark Travers after being sent clear on goal by Gustavo Hamer.

The latter then went close with a deflected 25-yard drive, while