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Readers' survey: Forest game to live long in the memory according to poll results

Kieffer Moore's goal will live long in the memory (Pic: Richard Crease)
Kieffer Moore's goal will live long in the memory (Pic: Richard Crease)

IT IS cliché to refer to a finished campaign as being full of highs and lows – and fortunately for Cherries, their season ended on the highest of highs as they clinched a return to the Premier League.

Whilst there is objective evidence of £120 million swelling the club’s coffers to back that sentiment, the responses to our inaugural Daily Echo Readers’ survey gave a very strong insight to the memories Cherries fans will hold dear in the years to come.

Over 300 fans responded to our call, which asked an array of questions regarding the season just gone by – and the upcoming campaign.

When asked by fans for their game of the season, there was a clear winner that swept up over half the vote.

Outside the play-offs, it is very rare to see head-to-head matches with such high stakes as Cherries’ fixture with Nottingham Forest.

Postponed courtesy of Storm Eunice, the rescheduled fixture nestled nicely into the schedule as the penultimate match, with Cherries knowing that victory would send them back to rub shoulders with England’s elite once more.

Defeat, however, would see Forest seize initiative in the promotion race.

As the game neared its conclusion, it appeared that neither side would snatch all three points, a stalemate that would stretch the nerves even further into the final day.

Kieffer Moore made sure that the final game of the season would be a party when he slotted home in the 83rd minute, sending the Vitality Stadium into raptures.

That was the reasoning for 53.27 per cent of readers to opt for the victory over Forest as their game of the season – certainly understandable!

There was one curious selection for game of the season, with one reader believing defeat at home to lowly Hull City served as a catalyst for Cherries’ final push.

As they put it: “Losing 1-0 at home to Hull City – of course it wasn't until Scott Parker's post-game media chat, in which he made clear his feelings concerning the team’s performance!

“We were in the top two but consistently losing points, playing well for 60-70 minutes.

“This defeat broke the cycle, it was a catalyst for change we badly needed, justifying the numerous January signings permitted by the board.

“This defeat saved our season, with the team returning future league performances with greater control and concentration.”

Speaking of the Forest win – how about the goal itself?

As you would expect, Moore’s strike enjoyed a healthy majority in the voting.

In fact, it won an even larger share of the vote than the match, with 62.94 per cent of respondents selecting the brief moment of ingenuity from Phil Billing and Moore.

Despite playing just 83 minutes, Moore’s goals picked up nearly 70 per cent of the poll, with his late equaliser away at Swansea and Cherries’ final goal of the campaign earning another 4.06 per cent of the vote.

The finely-crafted goal straight from kick-off against Fulham also wowed readers, with Dom Solanke’s goal back in December earning 17.26 per cent of the vote.

But, as you can quite clearly see, only one goal was going to win it.

One reader felt that it encapsulated Cherries’ season, stating: “It represented everything about our season.

“Forest were flying, but they didn't really do much against us.

“We didn't go gung-ho, we showed patience, control, and the goal was typical of our entire season - getting the job done professionally.”

Job done indeed.