Watford 6-1 Bournemouth

Bournemouth's first away match of the season provided a reality check for Eddie Howe's team, who had come in to the match unbeaten since March and full with confidence. However, despite a magnificent first half that ended 1-1, in the second half everything went pear shaped for The Cherries and both fans and players were left to ponder just how it had all gone so wrong in the last 45 minutes.

There's a lot of differences between The Championship and League One, with most Championship clubs boasting proud histories and very large fanbases. That was evident as I walked through Watford town centre to the game, the bars were packed with fans in yellow and red and black, all enjoying a customary drink before heading off to Vicarage Road. Compared to a lot of clubs in this division, Watford are not actually a huge club, but with all due respect it was a bit different to playing at a grim northern town with an attendance just over 4,000. Watford had sold out before Saturday and there was definitely a buzz in the air, with most Hornets fans likely expecting their team to trounce their newly promoted opposition. Most Bournemouth fans likely did not expect much out of the game, but little did we know what was to come...

Vicarage Road

For 45 minutes at least, I'm sure many Watford fans were slightly worried whether their team were going to get a result. In usual Bournemouth fashion, The Cherries started off in panic mode as usual when we play in front of a big crowd and showed too much respect to Watford. Bournemouth looked nervy on the ball and were backing off the Watford players and they started the game on the back foot. Unfortunately awful defending at a corner let the ball roll through to Gabriele Angella who duly smashed the ball home from 6 yards. But after conceding, Bournemouth suddenly took control of the match and for the remaining 30 minutes of the half were dominant over their hosts, with Lewis Grabban having a (seemingly) stonewall penalty appeal turned down by the consistently awful referee. Harry Arter was once again controlling the midfield and Ryan Fraser was constantly enjoying success down the right wing, most fans in the away end thought we had equalized when Grabban's close shot rolled past Watford goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and into the side netting. Thankfully, the equalizer the visitors deserved finally came on the 30 minute mark; quick thinking from the free kick resulted in a through ball to Fraser down the right who crossed along the floor to Grabban who slid in and scored, cueing wild celebrations in the away end. Bournemouth continued in the ascendency for the rest of the half, with all the noise coming from the away fans, but they could not grab what would have been a vital second goal.

Bournemouth players and fans celebrate Grabban's equalizer

Similar to Chris Powell last week, whatever Gianfranco Zola said to his players at half-time worked. I knew Watford would come out all guns blazing and if we held out for ten minutes, their fans would get restless and the players would start to become frustrated too. Unfortunately, that man Angella scored his second when  powered home a header from a set-piece only 7 minutes into the half, yet again Bournemouth's poor marking was costing them dearly. Full of life and with all the momentum, The Hornets quickly made it three when Deeney was played in down the right and his deflected shot beat Ryan Allsop and nestled in the goal.

Deeney makes it three

 It was obvious by this point that unless we were careful, there was a very real chance of Watford thrashing us. It was pure naivety from all the players to keep pushing forward at this point, they should have shut up shop and remained calm, sometimes it's just not your day. But Bournemouth insisted on going forward which wasn't helped by the players constantly giving the ball away. Lewis McGugan grabbed the fourth with a goal replicating Deeney's as substitute left-back Ian Harte decided he ought to play right-back for a bit. Obviously the game was over by this point, but the hosts were still keen to inflict further punishment on Bournemouth who just couldn't put a foot right by this point. Watford's fifth came when Elliott Ward tried to control an incoming cross with what looked like a ballet dance move and Deeney picked up the ball, ran around 3 or 4 defenders and rifled the ball past the helpless Allsop once again.

The final whistle could not come soon enough

Then the referee decided it was his time to take centre stage and awarded a penalty to Watford, a completely baffling decision, but it was almost irrelevant by this point, and Deeney converted it to complete his hat-trick. The Bournemouth fans continued to sing and back their team, clapping them off the pitch, while Watford's mascot banged a drum to try and get some noise out of the home fans sitting near us.

In truth, Watford taught us a bit of a footballing lesson yesterday. We were terrific in the first half and arguably unlucky to not go in at the break with the lead, but Troy Deeney and co. showed us what happens when you lose concentration and shape. Watford are one of the best teams in this league, and thankfully most weeks we will play teams not equal to them, but it's clear survival will still be a tough task. Both Eddie and the players will have learned a lot, but they should remember how well they did in the first half and try to build upon the positives from that. It's difficult going from League One where we knew we were one of, if not the best team in the league, to now playing teams with large budgets and international footballers.It's easy to panic now, but if we had drawn our first two games most of us would say it'd been a great start, but we have 3 points on the board still!  Next week we face Wigan, another extremely tough task, so as fans we have to stay grounded and not expect too much, but we do know how good this team can be, and it was just a week ago we were celebrating a comfortable win against Charlton. Onwards and upwards.

Thank you for reading, and please follow the blog on Twitter @EastStandViews. 

Watford vs Bournemouth Match Preview

Only 3 months ago Watford were 90 minutes away from reaching the Premier League, but due to an unfortunate 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace The Hornets are welcoming Bournemouth, Doncaster and Yeovil to Vicarage Road and not Manchester United or Chelsea. However, despite the clubs spending most of their recent history in different leagues, Watford and Bournemouth actually have more in common than one would think.Both clubs are owned by wealthy foreign owners who have significantly boosted the fortunes of their respective clubs. Watford's owners are The Pozzo's, whom are also involved at Udinese and Granada, while Bournemouth are owned by the Russian Maxim Demin, with fellow Russian directions who have business at Fortuna Dusseldorf. In addition, both teams have arguably two of the brightest young managers in English football right now in Gianfranco Zola and Eddie Howe respectively.

Vicarage Road: Home of Watford FC

All the ingredients are there for this match to be an exciting and dynamic affair. Bournemouth are still riding high off their promotion and have won their first two matches this season against Charlton and Portsmouth., The Cherries have not actually lost a competitive match since the 9th of March, with their win over Pompey on Tuesday extending that run to an impressive eleven matches. The main worries for Bournemouth continue to be injuries, with the fitness of stars Matt Ritchie, Mohamed Coulibaly and Brett Pitman still unknown, although the latter looks set to be involved on Saturday.

Their opponents, Watford, have opened their campaign with wins over Birmingham and Bristol Rovers, and The Hornets looked set to be once again involved in the race for promotion. With a sell-out home crowd and confidence flowing through the home team, this looks set to one of the toughest matches Bournemouth will have all season. While long term absentees Nyron Nosworthy and Tommy Hoban will miss out, winger Ikechi Anya is set to return in time for the match.

Watford beat Leicester to reach the play-off final last season

Two Watford fans, James (@JamesxStelzer) and Richard (@truehornet) , were kind enough to answer some questions for me about their club so Bournemouth fans could gain some insight into their opponents. 

Although it ended in heartbreak, Watford had a brilliant season last year. What was it like for Watford fans?

J: We as fans referred to the experience as a 'Zolacoaster' (in reference to our fantastic manager). We suddenly found ourselves to be one of the bigger clubs in the division with some of the most talented players we'd ever had. However, as this whole experience was new we had no idea what to expect and we were as disappointed with every bad result as we were ecstatic with every good result.Hopefully, as this season we know what to expect from the club and the players, we may have a much smoother ride as fans

R: It was a poor division last season in reality & there's no doubt we missed a real chance to go up but, despite that, it was a fantastic season - one of my best ever supporting Watford. We played some great football (us Hornets are not used to playing such stylish football you know!), scored a ton of goals and had an absolute ball! It was definitely a 'Zolacoaster' of a season (sorry, couldn't resist it!). We didn't turn up for the play-off final but it was still a great season, one that will live long in the memory.

The Pozzo's ownership and Watford's links with Udinese and Granada have been criticized by many. Do you think this criticism is unfair, given what the club achieved last season?

J: While I can understand where the criticism stems from, no rules have been broken by the club. I feel the criticism of the club and its ownership, especially from other managers, is more of a way to cover up or excuse another clubs short comings and poor results.

R:  It's fair to say that many of us were unsure how the new ownership would pan out this time last season. A year on & we certainly believe - there is little doubt that the Pozzo's have football at heart. You won't see us being called Watford Hornets any time soon! ;-) The criticism we received was, in many instances, unresearched and ill-informed and that was, and still is, frustrating. We broke no rules with the loans last season - any club in the FL could have loaned players like we did. It was easier for us of course with the links with Udinese and Granada, but nothing stopped any other club doing the same. And it was never a long-term strategy, it was always our intention to buy players permanently as we have done this summer. Many clubs have invested silly money to try to progress & move forward. This feels like a much more sensible strategy to try to achieve the same thing. I'd rather be us than see what's happened to the likes of Pompey, Coventry, Leeds, QPR & more...

Are you satisfied with your club's summer transfers?

J: Very very satisfied. All of our important loans have been tied down to permanent contracts. We've also cleared out all of the clutter to lower league clubs with many players who were obviously not good enough for ambitions moving on with their careers. We've also managed to bring in McGugan from Forest on a free transfer, along with a few more players from Udinese and Grenada giving us fantastic squad depth.The only disappointment from the transfer window is the loss of Hogg (to Huddersfield) and Britt Assombolonga (to Peterborough). While neither of these players were vital to our success next season, it was disappointing to see us lose Assombolonga who had been very promising in the preseason, and Hogg who was fantastic

R: Without a doubt. Obviously it remains to be seen how the new players gel but there seems little doubt we've brought some real quality in. We have competition in every position and a very strong team spirit. We're certainly hopeful of a good season!

 Which players should Bournemouth fans be worried about on Saturday?

J: Acuna and Deeney are a lethal strike force, while Foresteiri (if he starts) has thousands of tricks up his sleeve.
Anya's pace is frightening, while Abdi is a midfield maestro. Last year we had a habit of leaking goals, however the acquisition of Angella and Irriney should ensure that we're solid at the back

R: Where do I start?! ;-) If he's fit, Anya has pace to burn & was improving with every single game last season. He's my early bet for player of the season this year. Deeney is always a threat, he's a real handful for any defender. Then there's Forestieri, who has a bag full of tricks, things always seem to happen when he's on the pitch. The fans love Forestieri, he's fast becoming a legend already! And I haven't yet mentioned our player of the season from last season, Almen Abdi, a regular goal scorer and creator from midfield. I could go on I promise but I'll stop there!

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 Where do you hope Watford will finish this season?

J: I'd like to hope we finish in the top 2, or finish comfortably in the play off places as promotion is definitely the goal this season, however the championship is a  tough and unforgiving league so there will be no room for cockiness and consistency is the key

R: There's a danger that last season has driven expectations too high for this season. I think top 6 is a realistic target and once we're there, we can see where in that top 6 we might be able to get to.

Thanks for reading! A reminder to follow the blog on twitter @EastStandViews

Bournemouth 2-1 Charlton

On the dawn of the new season fans of all clubs have the right to be optimistic. In this case, Charlton had just finished a very impressive 9th in their first season back in The Championship, while Bournemouth had just been promoted to England's second tier for the first time in 25 years. Both sets of fans could naturally be excited before this match, which was the third time the two clubs had played each other on the opening day in four years.

Walking towards the stadium, I could feel the buzz already. While in previous seasons our first home match would draw between 4-6 thousand, over 10,000 tickets had been sold already. Seeing hundreds of fans in red and black streaming towards the stadium from different directions displayed the direction that the club is headed. With a new stand, a new club shop and a fantastic squad on the books it felt like we had a proper football club. I took my  new seat in the East Stand for the first time and it was great to see how excited all the fans around me were, most of whom had been waiting their entire lifetime to see The Cherries play in The Championship. It was quite hard to believe that a year ago our first home game was a 1-1 draw with MK Dons in front of 5,407 people.

The Ted MacDougall stand completes the ground

However, despite Bournemouth's excitement and anticipation, it was obvious that Charlton were not opponents to be underestimated at all, especially with new signings Marvin Sordell and Simon Church set to be involved for The Addicks. The home side started on the front foot passing the ball neatly around the midfield and defence, trying to utilise their strength on the wings. But the visitors were also looking dangerous, with most passes aimed at trying to get the speedy Calum Harriott in behind the Bournemouth defence. Marvin Sordell had a great chance to head in a cross but seemingly miss the ball entirely, while Mohamed Coulibaly could only curl his shot wide of the post down the other end. Bournemouth had most of the ball with midfielders Harry Arter and Shaun MacDonald linking the team with incisive passing, but the aerial threat of Yann Kermorgant was keeping the Cherries' defence on their toes. The opening goal came on the 26th minute mark: Bournemouth won a corner and Arter sprinted over, he was duly given the ball and quickly whipped in a cross which found Lewis Grabban who headed the ball back across Ben Hamer and into the net.

Grabban heads home for Bournemouth

It was hard to believe that the Charlton defenders had left Grabban so wide open in the penalty area but nobody cared, it was a dream start for Bournemouth. They took the front foot straight away and it looked like a second goal was coming, with Wes Thomas coming close a few times, but the visitors saw off the Cherries attacks for the rest of the half.

Whatever Chris Powell said at half-time clearly had the desired effect on his team. The Charlton side that came out for the second half were suddenly a lot more active, efficient and dynamic on the ball, causing Bournemouth numerous problems. I could see that the equaliser was coming, although the circumstances in which it did were surprising and spectacular. With the ball down the left wing, the ball was hit but deflected off MacDonald's foot as he tried to block it, it reached Kermorgant who left his feet and hit a magnificent left-footed volley past the helpless Ryan Allsop, the score was level and it was game on.

Kermorgant got Charlton's equaliser

 But the expected push from the visitors never really came, despite the momentum being on their side. The introduction of Ryan Fraser who replaced the injured Coulibaly changed the game dramatically. Thomas had another good chance to score when he shrugged off a Charlton defender and found himself wide open in the box, but his shot was deflected and comfortably saved by Hamer. Fraser was causing ex-Cherry Rhoys Wiggins trouble down the right as he provided a constant outlet for Bournemouth's attacks with Marc Pugh doing the same down the left. Bournemouth took the lead when Arter found the inspired and transformed Grabban who turned Andy Hughes on the edge of the box before firing a rocket past the diving Hamer.

Grabban's second sealed the win

Bournemouth continued to attack with Fraser being the victim of numerous cynical fouls, although the consistently incompetent Andy D'Urso failed to book anyone for them. Then came the dreaded last fifteen minutes when a team has a one goal lead where the trailing team throws everything possible at them in search of the equaliser. Charlton abandoned playing the ball on the floor and shoved centre-back Michael Morrison up front, adopting the aerial bombardment approach more commonly seen in the Conference than the Championship. Their efforts almost paid off when Allsop rushed out of his goal to claim a cross but misjudged it, meaning Elliott Ward had to clear Bradley Pritchard's header off of the line and save The Cherries. That was to be Pritchard's last impact on the game when he was sent off for a late challenge on Fraser, an incident that looked a lot worse at the time but still probably worthy of a red card.
 From there Bournemouth were able to see out the game relatively comfortably, with the sending off really ending Charlton's hopes of drawing level.

Pritchard saw red

In summary, the match could not have gone much better for Bournemouth. They deserved to win and had the better chances, but Kermorgant's goal was proof of the quality many players in this division at have. Charlton had their spells of pressure but I'd bet that most of their fans went home disappointed in their side's display, with many players clearly not performing to their level. For Bournemouth, the defence played well and dealt all the long balls in the air superbly, and in fairness not even Joe Hart or Petr Cech would have stopped Charlton's goal. The midfield was brilliant, especially in the first half, although they clearly tired towards the end. The most encouraging display of the afternoon was Grabban's who was a transformed player, not bearing one trait of the man who suffered a long goal drought last season. Wes Thomas also made a much improved performance especially regarding his work ethic, but he really does need one to go off of his backside.Most importantly, this victory takes the pressure off as we have two tough games in Watford and Wigan next. A loss today would make it important to take points off of those two very strong teams, but thankfully for now, we can relax.

See you at Watford! 

Bournemouth vs Charlton Match Preview

And here we all are once again, the beginning of the football season; 10 months of spending our Saturday's often in towns across the country watching a bunch men kick a ball around. However this year, for Bournemouth fans at least, will be different.  We will all be watching our team in uncharted territory: The Championship. To begin life in the second tier of English football, The Cherries will begin the season against Charlton Athletic for the third time in four years. Charlton finished champions of League One in the 2011/12 season with an impressive 101 points and finished 9th last year in The Championship, meaning this is no easy match for Eddie Howe's men. The past four times the teams have met have resulted in 3 victories for Charlton and one draw- so Bournemouth definitely have a point to prove this Saturday.

Charlton were Champions in 2011

It's safe to say Eddie Howe has plenty to be concerned about ahead on the dawn of the new season. Bournemouth have suffered numerous injuries in pre-season, with star players Matt Ritchie and Brett Pitman the notable concerns for Howe's men. Although The Cherries boast a few quality replacements for Ritchie in Ryan Fraser and Mohamed Coulibaly, no Pitman would leave the home team worryingly toothless up front. While when on form Lewis Grabban and Wes Thomas are dangerous players, both have been firing blanks for a significant amount of time. New signing Mohamed Coulibaly is versatile and has been excellent in pre-season, meaning he could fill Pitman's void should it be needed, but it seems wide or attacking midfield is his natural position. Arguably, Howe's biggest decision will be which defenders he chooses for the starting line-up. Should he opt for his usual 4-4-2 formation, only two out of Cook, Elphick and Ward will start, but he could also choose to begin with 5 at the back, a formation that has been seen in pre-season. Howe has to decide whether to opt for the pairing that led us to promotion, or to choose new signing Ward. While winning this match will not decide the fate of our season, getting off to a good start could be invaluable by the time May comes.

Could Coulibaly be the difference maker on Saturday?

To me, Charlton are somewhat of an unknown quantity. I last saw them when they beat us 3-0 in August 2011, meaning it has been two years since I`ve seen them play. I`ve no doubt though that their squad has changed over that time, due to their promotion to The Championship. However, The Addicks are still managed by Chris Powell, who has had an extremely impressive stint as manager at The Valley.The Addicks also boast two former Bournemouth players in Rhoys Wiggins and Danny Hollands, who both left for the south coast for London after the 2010/11 season.

Wiggins is sure to receive a hostile reception on his return

To help us gain some insight to our opponents on Saturday, three Charlton fans- Dan Fincy (@MiniFinchy), Scott Wilkes (@TheAddick95) and James Vogle (james_vogle) were kind enough to answer some questions for me.

Charlton finished a very respectable 9th place last season, and were only 3 points off the play-offs. How did you view your first season back in the Championship? 

DF: Our first season back was exceptional, very proud of how we did and if a few results went in our favour it might have not been Palace in the play-offs and it would have been us. I cant complain really we did very well and beat expectations which was very important for the fans and for the players we knew we had a good squad

SW: Incredible! Shaky start but had some great results (E.g. 5-4 win vs Cardiff and 6-0 win vs Barnsley) and finished the season the league's form team and only like 3 points from the top 6. We only spent 500k in the summer and finished a couple points off teams like Leicester and Bolton with virtually our league 1 team.

JV: Incredible! Shaky start but had some great results (E.g. 5-4 win vs Cardiff and 6-0 win vs Barnsley) and finished the season the league's form team and only like 3 points from the top 6. We only spent 500k in the summer and finished a couple points off teams like Leicester and Bolton with virtually our league 1 team.

Are you satisfied with the club's summer transfers?

DF: erm...in a bomb shell no. We only have 1 forward and only managed signings of Mark Gower and Richard Wood. Wood gives us a good back line again since we lost defender Taylor. Gower we had last year on loan and slotted in nicely so it was good to get him full time.

SW: What transfers? Only signed Mark Gower and Richard Wood, both on frees. The owners aren't giving Powell a penny to spend this summer which means we can't improve the squad and only have one senior striker. Starting the season without a no. 9 or 10.  

JV: I am not satisfied at all with our summer transfers, releasing so many players which we could of got a decent amount of money for, releasing danny haynes was a big shame as it is not his fault however he is injury prone and a club like us with our financial stability he is not worth keeping especially as 'apparently' he was demanding higher wages. The best bit of our transfer activity this summer was us releasing Ricardo Fuller, scoring 5 goals in 31 games and hardly playing at all due to lack of fitness and injuries, with him being our highest earner aswell getting 20k a week I am glad to see the back of him! However he is now re-training with us which I do not think I have ever seen before. The worst worry for me is that we now only have one striker which is our fan favourite Yann Kermogant, as good as he is, when we played a 4-5-1 last season with Yann up top on his own just simply did not work, personally I do not think a 4-5-1 ever works due to the fact that the striker is always isolated. I think that if we get another striker who is proven to score a lot of goals then I will be happy.

Are there any specific players that Bournemouth fans should be worried about?

DF:  We have a few Chris Solly our right back and Wiggins,ex Bournemouth, are both very dangerous going forward and like to create chances and are very quick. Yann Kermorgant too, he's big and and wins headers all the time.

SW: Chris Solly - Best RB in the football league

Rhoys Wiggins - Phenomenal going forward and will up his game when he's getting booed :-)

Johnnie Jackson - Captain, always likely to score

Bradley Pritchard - Never stops running, and finally adding goals to his game

Callum Harriott - Will destroy Francis (Who is the worst RB i've ever seen play for Charlton)
Yann Kermorgant - Already a Charlton legend, will win everything in the air no matter who' he's against. Warrior

JV: You should be worried about our young tricky winger callum harriott, he came through the ranks at Charlton and has had a cracking pre season almost scoring in every game, bearing in mind he is only 19 and featured regularly towards the end of last season, a very exciting prospect for the future.

How are ex-Bournemouth players Danny Hollands and Rhoys Wiggins faring at Charlton?

DF: Danny Hollands had a great season in League One and played brilliantly all season but went out on loan last season to Swindon and didn't really feature last season at all. But in pre-season Hollands has been on fire for us and has scored 3 goals. Rhoys has been unbelievable when fit. He missed a big part of last season but when he was playing you knew he was there.

SW: Hollands was class in league 1 but couldn't adjust to the league last year so went out on loan, only a back up player now. Whereas Wiggins was class in league 1 and in the championship, had a couple injuries last year though. Probably our best LB since the legend Chris Powell. 

JV: Rhoys Wiggins in my opinion is one of the best signings we made. Featuring every week and giving 100% every week, us as a club could not ask for any more, however he did miss quite a bit of last season due to a injury, but he came back more determined than ever and has come straight back in to the starting 11. Danny Hollands had a cracking first season for us being a key player in our promotion up to the championship, however last season he did not feature as he was not part of our plans due to other players playing better than him, although I do not think we gave him a big enough chance to prove himself at this level. He was loaned out to swindon playing 10 games and scoring 2 goals until it got ended shortly due to him getting injured and came back for treatment.

Finally, will you be making the trip to the South Coast on Saturday?on Saturday

DF: No Sadly not. I am on holiday but I would love to be going down, first game of the season are always brilliant and every club loves them. I am jealous of the fans going down! COYR!

SW: Wanted to, tickets sold out before I had a bit of cash on the hip. Went last time though when we won 1-0.

JV:  Yes, I will be making the trip to the South Coast saturday, I missed out on it 2 seasons back due to me being on holiday, but I can not wait for it as we always seem to play a good game of football and I like Bournemouth, they are a nice club, I simply could not miss a season opener down the sea side! Come on you reds!

Ian Harte

Last week Ian Harte became Bournemouth's second signing of the summer, joining fellow defender Elliott Ward on the newly promoted club's books. Aged 35, Harte is certainly a very experienced footballer, boasting a career that has seen him play in the Premier League, World Cup and La Liga. Harte has earned 63 international caps in his career and The Cherries are his 7th club since he began his career at Leeds United.

Harte scoring vs Spain in the 2002 World Cup

To gain an insight into the player we have signed, I found a Reading fan (@Jamie_Hodder21) who was kind enough to answer a few questions for me about Ian Harte.

Firstly, could you briefly introduce yourself?

Hello, my name is Jamie Hodder im 21 and I'm a Reading Season ticket holder. Been a life long fan of the Royals. My Grandad took me to my first ever game and since then I've been hooked. The last 7/8 years have seen us become a stronger side and promotion contenders year after year. Just hoping the next 7/8 years we can see ourselves cement our place in the Premier League. 

Ian Harte spent 3 seasons at Reading, would you consider his spell at the Madjeski successful?

Over the 3 seasons Harte spent at the Madejski I think the majority of Reading fans would definitely see his spell as a successful one. Brian McDermott took a risk bringing him to Reading as many people doubted him at this level considering his age. While at Reading he saw himself get to a Play off final, become a League Winner and obviously make a return to the premier league which showed all doubters he could do it. He quickly became a fan favourite and his performances were fantastic. 

Harte is a veteran of the game now, but do you think he is still capable of playing at this level?

Ian Harte as you said is a veteran of the game. He has been around a very long time and probably knows the game better than anyone. As he is approaching the later years in his career it is obvious to see his lack of pace which will be seen as a weakness and many wingers may try and exploit this. Having said that, his experience can make up for it and you may see him give himself a few yards to position himself then make the tackle. In the Premier League where the wingers and forwards are world class, his positioning couldn't help him. He was torn to pieces in some games he just couldn't keep up, but looking at the championship this season, I could still see him doing a very good job. But only time will tell! 

Are his set-pieces as good as they say?

Ian Harte's set pieces. They talk for themselves. They are probably not AS good as they used to be, but if you have a decent striker on the end of it, he will put the ball in the right place every time. In our promotion winning season in 2011/12, his set pieces were vital, he came up with many balls into the box that caused alot of trouble for defenders, not to mention the goals he scored straight from free kicks (Middlesbrough away a personal favourite). His penalty taking is also a highlight although i do remember him missing a few! Give him the chance to put a ball in the box and he will punish you. I think you'll be surprised at the amount of chances you'll make from his magical left foot. 

Finally, will you be making the trip to Dean Court this season?

Yes I definitely plan on coming down for the Game at Dean Court. Sadly many of our fans are annoyed that its on a night, many of us wanted a weekend at the beach! But that aside I think you'll see a good atmosphere when we come down. Looking forward to it as I've never been to Dean Court before. I'm sure Harte will get a superb Reception both times we play you! Good luck for the season!! 

Welcome to Bournemouth, Ian.

Elliott Ward

The time between the last match of the season and the first friendly is a very difficult time for any dedicated football fan. A lack of events and news resorts fans to get their excitement off any rumour floating around on the internet, regardless of its source and how realistic it is.That's why when Elliott Ward became Bournemouth's first signing of the summer on Tuesday, many Bournemouth fans were happy to enjoy some real news. There were hundreds of rumours as to whom Eddie Howe might sign in preparation for life in The Championship, but I don't think anybody had even suggested the idea of Elliott Ward making the move to the south coast.

Welcome to AFCB, Elliott.

Ward joins Bournemouth boasting an impressive career to date. He started out his career at West Ham, where he made 18 appearances, including three in the Premier League, with a loan spell at Plymouth Argyle in between. Following this was a 1 million pound move to Coventry City where he played 116 times, while also having loan spells at Doncaster Rovers and Preston North End. In 2010 he joined Norwich City, where he became a regular in a team that won promotion out of the Championship, but Ward spent the majority of last season on loan at Nottingham Forest. Standing at an impressive 6 foot 3 inches, he has scored 21 goals over his career, and has appeared in 245 games since his debut in 2004. He has been a part of two teams that have won promotion into the Premier League, has played in said league for two teams and has never played below the Championship in his career; quite an impressive signing for a club that only 3 years ago was banned from signing anybody.

Ward helped Norwich gain promotion in 2011

Where Ward fits into the side is another matter though. No Bournemouth fan can dispute the superb performances of Tommy Elphick and Steve Cook last season, and both deserve their chance in the Championship. However, Ward will have come here for first team football and I'm sure that is why Eddie has brought him to the club. This means we have (at least) 3 quality centre-backs, with question marks surrounding the others in the squad. At the very least Ward will provide competition for Cook and Elphick, but it seems we have signed a player good enough to start for most in this league. We also should not underestimate the value of his height- he scored 3 times for Forest last season and while be a dangerous weapon attacking corners, and very helpful when defending them. In a league that will no doubt be more skilful, but also tougher physically adding imposing players will certainly aid our cause.

Ward spent last season on loan at Notting Forest

As I've never seen him play, I asked around on twitter and a few kind Nottingham Forest fans were kind enough to tell me about our new signing.

Sean Trowell @trowelly87

He started off playing like Bristol Rovers manager John Ward and only ever thumped it long, however he was much improved after xmas. For someone with a head as big as his (literally) he should score and win more headers, overall a useful Championship defender.

JJ Miller @Miller10

I thought he was class, started off slowly and a lot of fans didn't rate him but he won them over by the end. Not the quickest player but he's as strong as anything and a very good defender, reads the game well and can tackle. Very, very good in the air both defensively and from set-pieces. Very good signing for you especially on a free. Surprised we didn't try and get him.



Based off these opinions of fans who watched him over all of last season it seems we have an impressive signing joining the team. Thanks for reading!

Ryan Fraser- Next Big Thing?

Due to his small size, it's sometimes hard to distinguish as to whether Ryan Fraser is a Bournemouth player, or rather a ball-boy who has managed to sneak on to the pitch. However, even at the young age of 19 his record is extremely impressive.

His January 2013 400,000 pound transfer from Scottish Premier League outfit Aberdeen was a big move for the young Scot, although so far it looks like it is paying off. Born and raised in Aberdeen, Fraser rose through the ranks at his local club and went on to make 21 first team appearances for The Dons, although many of those came from the subs bench. A small, tricky winger Fraser was almost certainly unheard of by most Bournemouth fans when he made the long move to the English south coast aged only 18.

In an interview with the Scottish Sun, Fraser explains some his reasoning behind deciding to join The Cherries: 'I went down and met Eddie. He showed me to the stadium, the training ground and took me on a two-hour tour of Bournemouth.The people were nice to me and everything was perfect. I thought ‘This is definitely for me'. Fraser added: 'I see League One as a challenge that will push me. I thought about it when I first came down and I reckoned this is really good club which has got a really good chance of getting promoted to the Championship. And I could be getting a regular game to improve myself.'

However, life at Bournemouth has not been a breeze for Fraser. He has only made 5 appearances so far, although injuries and the form of Marc Pugh and Matt Ritchie have limited his chances to established a starting spot. But this summer at the 2013 Euro Elite competition Fraser was a regular for the Scotland U19 team, with coach Ricky Sbagria labelling his performances as 'outstanding'. Although Bournemouth's promotion to The Championship provides a challenging step up for a young player like Fraser, it is easy to see him becoming a key part of the team next season. As we found out this year, a few injuries to key players can have a seriously detrimental impact on the performance of the whole team. If Matt Ritchie or Marc Pugh suffer an injury or loss of form, there's no doubt that Fraser will be ready to take his chance. It's also possible that Ritchie may move on, with many clubs rumoured to be interested in the former Swindon player.

Fraser in action for Aberdeen

I think that we'll see a lot more of Ryan next season. Wes Fogden is not a natural 'winger' meaning that although he's ideal to bring on when you need a tireless worker, Fraser is a more obvious fit into Eddie Howe's style of play. His speed and direct style may have more of an impact in The Championship, where Bournemouth are no doubt going to utilise more counter-attacking play than before. It's noticeable that all 3 teams promoted from The Championship (probably out of our reach) had dangerous wingers at their disposal, such as Craig Noone, Wilfried Zaha and Robbie Brady. It's important that Ryan is developed with patience, but I hope, and think that he will become an important player for us next season. 

Eddie Mitchell- Hero or Villain?

It cannot be denied that when Eddie Mitchell took over control of AFC Bournemouth in June 2009 the club was on its knees. Admittedly, in the face of extreme adversity rookie manager Eddie Howe had led an unbelievable campaign on the pitch which saw of the threat of relegation for the Conference for the first time. However, off the pitch the club's finances were still in a mess and the long-term future of the club was still in question.

Sitting here in May 2013, after Bournemouth achieved promotion to the Championship for the first time since 1987, it's fair to say the club has never looked back. Since taking over, Eddie Mitchell has been the face of much controversy, but his four seasons at AFC Bournemouth have seen two promotions, one play-off campaign and one mid-table finish- could any, even the most optimistic Bournemouth fan have predicted that back in the summer of 2009?

Survival in 2008-9 was only the beginning

Of course, it has not always been rosy for Mitchell as Bournemouth chairman. Many believe his intrusion into the dressing room during an FA Cup defeat to Notts County in 2010 was a major factor in Eddie Howe's decision to take up the managerial post at Championship team Burnley. This began a downward spiral, as a terrible start to the next season (2011-2012) under Lee Bradbury saw Mitchell take to the pitch in a drunken state in an embarrassing affair after yet another home defeat. The club seemed in turmoil at this point, with relegation looking a real threat after many star players had been sold. Mitchell's often poor press relations, such as telling fans "If you don't like it, go and support Southampton" often created significant negative publicity for a club that once praised for it's family and community driven attitude.

Mitchell took over in June 2009

However, halfway through the 2011-2012 wealthy Russian benefactor Maxim Demin took up co-ownership of the club alongside Mitchell. Demin's money has since allowed the club to build up a quality squad and bring back Eddie Howe from Burnley, resulting in promotion to the Championship in last month. Admittedly, without Demin's investment none of the recent success would have been possible and the club would likely be languishing in League One after another mid-table finish, but Mitchell's role in bringing Demin to the club should not be undervalued. The hiring of Paul Groves to begin this season was a tragic mistake, especially as his record as caretaker manager was atrocious, but Eddie Mitchell ate a large slice of humble pie and made the best decision in Bournemouth's recent history to bring back Eddie Howe. In truth, without Demin there would be no promotion, but without Mitchell, there would be no Demin. One can question Eddie Mitchell's character, but convincing Howe to return was a determined and admirable move.

Howe took over for his second spell in charge in October, 2012

Though t's not just on the pitch that AFC Bournemouth has transformed in the past four years. As I had moved to Canada in February 2008, the first time I returned to Dean Court since moving was in August of 2010. To me, Dean Court seemed almost an entirely different place. The ground was smarter, more professional and suddenly (in my opinion), felt like a growing football club. Many football grounds, especially in the lower leagues feel very bleak, but Dean Court feels like an exciting, dynamic place to be. Some many disagree, but even factors such as the signs and advertisements outside the stands can alter the look and feel of the whole stadium. Dean Court (especially when the fourth stand is built) is a ground that Bournemouth fans can be proud of. Wisely, unlike other clubs with rich backers who simply spend everything on the playing stuff, the club is intelligently spending money on the infrastructure. Moves such as expanding the club shop, open a cafe and improving the club's corporate methods build useful new revenue schemes for the club that even if the backing disappears, will still be in place for the club's usage. In addition, building a new stand and training complex simply makes the club more attractive to any potential signings. Portsmouth provide a good example of how not to spend money; Of course, we can only dream of the FA Cup and the Premier League, but had they invested wisely they may have a new stadium and still be playing in the Premier League. If Demin decides to pull out, the club would have to naturally sell players and cut costs, but all the infrastructure would still be in place.

The new training complex is only part of the club's ambitions

So while AFC Bournemouth is currently operating at unsustainable costs, Eddie Mitchell has clearly had a extremely positive effect overall. I often hear fans of other club's stating: "it will all end in tears". But I question that; We're moved up a division, our fan base is growing, the stadium is growing and every aspect of the club is improving at the moment. Establishing ourselves in the Championship could help Bournemouth reach it's potential. It's easy to forget that the South East Dorset conurbation has a population of around 400,000 people- Brighton (who have the highest crowds in the Championship with an average of 30,000), have a local region population only 60,000 bigger than that. It's important that the club stabilizes and looks to consolidate in the Championship, but Eddie Mitchell has helped lay the foundations for what looks to be a very bright future at Dean Court. Love him or loathe him, I don't think many Bournemouth fans can question the progress that has been made. 

AFC Bournemouth Summer Strengthening

With Bournemouth's promotion to the Npower Championship for the 2013/2014 season, it's no doubt that boss Eddie Howe will be busy planning how to build a team capable of holding their own next season. Although the Cherries finished second in League One this term, they were arguably the most technically proficient and skilful team in the league. While undoubtedly the quality of football in the Championship is higher, teams also cannot rely on purely being based on physicality, a la Sheffield United. To ensure survival (and maybe more) Howe will know that he must make a few quality additions to his team for next year to build on the promising group already at Dean Court.

It's fair to say that the nucleus of the Bournemouth team is likely good enough for the step up, making this summer more about fine tuning rather than whole sale changes. In goal the team are settled, with Ryan Allsop making the number one shirt his own towards the end of the season, while Shwan Jalal and/ or Darryl Flahavan will back up the young stopper. Yes, Allsop is inexperienced but he was calmness personified during the run-in, making a few brilliant saves too, so we can feel comfortable with the twenty year old donning the gloves next season.

However, the same cannot be said for defence. In Simon Francis, Tommy Elphick, Steve Cook and Charlie Daniels we have four quality defenders that are reliable and trustworthy. But the depth at full-back is non-existent, and only Stephane Zubar and Miles Addison provide cover for central defence. I have my doubts over whether Zubar and Addison are good enough for the next level, and would not be surprised to see at least one of them depart. Our lack of depth in defence was worryingly exposed in February and March when injuries to Daniels and Elphick resulted in a five match losing run that almost derailed the season. After Daniels returned against Oldham, and Elphick against Colchester, Bournemouth won 7 matches in a row, only letting in five goals during that span. Not many possible additions have been linked with a move, but a couple of weeks ago there were whispers of Tranmere left-back Zoumana Bakayogo making the move south this summer.

Could 'Zoom' be playing in red next season?

Moving on to the engine of the team, the midfield is extremely unbalanced, a lasting mark of the Paul Groves era. The number of wingers at the club is incredible (I count six) and there is no need for such a high amount to remain. Marc Pugh, Matt Ritchie and Ryan Fraser are all certain to stay at the club- barring any stupendous offers- leaving Josh McQuoid, Wes Fogden and Donal McDermott as the 3 in limbo. Ritchie and Pugh combined for a total of 11 goals and 13 assists, while the latter three's total amounts to 8 goals and 7 assists. Personally, I would let McQuoid and McDermott leave as both need regular first team football, but keep Fogden for his unbeatable work ethic. There are some exciting wingers available, such as Alan Judge and Febian Brandy, but will Eddie feel the need to strengthen this position? In the central midfield Shaun Macdonald, Harry Arter and Eunan O'Kane all had fabulous seasons, and while their overall contribution cannot be accounted for, the trio produced 13 goals and 12 assists, despite all suffering injuries at some point this season. Richard Hughes provides top-level experience, but I'm doubtful he will play a huge role on the pitch next season. This means we could likely do with one quality addition here, Simon Ferry and Marlon Pack are noticeable names on the market, but I think we could do with an energetic, determined ball-winner coming in. Undoubtedly next season we'll have to put on a few 'backs to the wall' performances, hence why a player of this sort could make a difference.

A better version of Marvin Bartley would help

Lastly the Bournemouth front line, is possibly the area of the team that needs strengthening the most. Pitman's quality cannot be denied and he is a lock to be starting the first game of the season, leaving one spot (depending on the formation) up for grabs. Lewis Grabban was fantastic this season, he contributed 13 goals and 8 assists, but his constant running and ability to split defences provided a different element to the Cherries' attack this season. While Lewis certainly deserves his chance next season, I believe that quality competition is certainly needed if only at least to challenge him and Brett. Unfortunately, I do not think Matt Tubbs is good enough and would be better off getting first team football elsewhere, because he's good enough to start at other clubs. The situation with Frank Demouge is a mystery, but perhaps his form on loan at Roda JC will convince Eddie to give him a second chance, while we'll hopefully never see Wes Thomas in a Bournemouth shirt again. Obviously, every team needs a good forward and it's not easy to find quality goal scorers without laying out a huge fee. Rumours have linked us to Westbourne's own Charlie Austin, but that seems extremely far-fetched. There are numerous quality players out of contract this summer that I think could improve the team; Will Grigg, Harry Forrester, Davide Somma and Will Hoskins are just a few of those.

Will Grigg bagged 20 goals for Walsall this year

In short, if I were Eddie Howe my shopping list would consist of two forwards, a central midfielder, a full-back and a central defender. Thankfully, Bournemouth fans know how successful Howe has been in the transfer market regardless of funding available, so hopefully a few exciting additions will be wearing the famous red and black stripes next season.

If you were manager, what positions do you think Bournemouth need to strengthen, and are there any players worth looking out for?

Bournemouth 2-0 Portsmouth

5 years ago AFC Bournemouth were in administration and had been relegated to League Two after a late revival couldn't help the Cherries stay in League One. Meanwhile, their south coast neighbours Portsmouth had just won the FA Cup with a squad filled with names such as Sol Campbell, Glen Johnson and Sulley Muntari among others. Fast forward to February 2013 and the Cherries were 4th in League One, 4 points off the automatic places and on an incredible run of form. In contrast, Portsmouth following years of turmoil sat second bottom of League One, without the impending points deduction.

Bournemouth's 3-0 win at MK Dons the previous weekend was incredibly important for Howe's men and it was almost expected that they would defeat their struggling opposition. Portsmouth came into the match having lost 8 on the bounce and a loss would set the club's worst losing streak in their history. With Charlie Daniels and Tommy Elphick out, Matt Ritchie came in at left-back for The Cherries and Southampton loanee shifted along the backline to partner Steve Cook in defence. Pompey had made 3 signings in the week- Therry Racon, Patrick Agyemang and John Akinde- and all of them lined up for their debuts on Saturday, meaning Pompey had used an incredible 51 players so far this season.

Therry Racon made his debut for Pompey

The game started out as most expected with Bournemouth keeping all of the possession and controlling the match. Surprisingly, Portsmouth didn't seem to want anything other than a draw and placed all 10 men behind the ball, and when they won possession it would be hoofed to their big forwards, usually resulting in nothing. Bournemouth were frustrated by an organized team devoid of any ambition to attack and despite having lots of time on the ball, they could not create any clear chances. The ball was often played to Marc Pugh down the left who kept beating the Portsmouth right back but his deliveries ultimately found nobody. Too many times the home team would play the simple option instead of taking a risk and their just wasn't any energy about the performance. Portsmouth's only shot of the half came from Adam Reed whose relatively tame curling effort was theatrically saved by Shwan Jalal, when really he should have caught it. The away fans could be heard throughout the game in the East Stand, unfortunately part of this noise was aimed at calling Steve Cook a rapist. Near the end of the half Lewis Grabban was played in by a long ball and used his pace to touch it past Pompey goalkeeper Simon Eastwood only to hit the ball over the bar from a tight angle with the goal gaping. A fizzling Simon Francis cross from the right resulted in Brett Pitman smashing his header against the crossbar, and home fans would be forgiven for thinking it should have been 2-0. But the teams headed into the break level after a timid affair somewhat resembling an attack vs defence training game.

Pitman had The Cherries' best chance of the half

Portsmouth had won the toss so Bournemouth were unusually attacking the empty end which the home players do not favour. The away side came more into the game in the second half and John Akinde was only denied by Jalal who rushed out of his goal to tackle the debutant. Brett Pitman met another Francis cross but his shot just went wide of the post, as it began to seem that Bournemouth may not win yet another match against local opposition. It was arguably the worst the team had played at home since Eddie Howe's return but the Bournemouth manager refused to make any changes. Portsmouth's best chance of the match came when the left-back Butler's long range drive was tipped over the bar by Jalal. However the breakthrough finally came for the home side after 63 minutes when Josh McQuoid's control and neat pass found Grabban unmarked in the box, the in form forward sidestepped his marker before cooly slotting the ball into the net. It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off the home side's shoulders but in truth, they still took more time to really get going, until the goal Portsmouth's game plan had worked effectively. Despite now being a goal down Guy Whittingham made no chances to his tactics and Portsmouth never really pushed on in search of an equalizer. The second and killer goal came on 77 minutes, an acrobatic pass from Pitman left Pugh through on goal and The Cherries' winger placed his shot across Eastwood and into the corner of the goal. Towards the end of the match substitute Matt Tubbs could/ should have made it 3-0 when he was placed through but Eastwood's outstretch arm denied him, Shaun MacDonald also made a brief appearance from the bench, marking his return from a long time out injured.

Pugh made it 2-0

My Thoughts

If I'm truthful I thought we were far from our best today, but the most important thing is that we got the three points and now sit one point behind the top two, and we still have to play them both. It was a strange game, as aside from literally getting the 3 points, Bournemouth couldn't win; If they lost it was a disaster, and if they won, it was expected. With Portsmouth only trying to defend we should have been more positive and attacking in our play in the first half, it's not like Akinde or Agyemang had pace to burn on the counter attack either. Too often instead of pushing on we'd turn around and go back to Cook/ Seabourne. That said, it could have easily been 2-0 at half-time and then it would have been a completely different story, though we cannot fault Portsmouth's organisation in defence that made it extremely difficult to break them down. One of our problems is that our wide play is good but the distribution is lacking, and we don't often look like scoring from crosses. On Tuesday we have a tough game at Crewe, followed by another away match at Preston on the Saturday.

Player Ratings

Jalal; 7- Made a couple of good saves to stop Portsmouth's only chances and was pretty reliable throughout. Please someone teach him to come for corners sometimes.

Francis; 7- Tireless and constantly running up and down the flank, I just think his crossing isn't very good most of the time, and if he improved that he'd becoming another attacking weapon.

Cook; 8- Calm, cool  and  collected proving he deserved the captain's armband with Elphick out injured. Nobody will know what he's gone through recently, and in the face of mindless abuse all game, he led by example.

Seabourne; 7- He dealt with the two big lumps up front well but his distribution was sometimes a bit erratic. A good player, but I'd rather have Elphick playing.

Ritchie; 8- Played brilliantly once again in an unusual position from him , one of few who consistently moved forward and played with energy, what a buy he might be.

Pugh; 7- Started off looking like he was going to have a field day but as is becoming common he faded badly, however that is 2 goals in 2 games so even when not at his best he contributes.

Arter; 7- Worked extremely hard as per but his passing was off and a little erratic, despite not performing to full high standard he drove the team on with his ethic.

O'Kane; 6- I might be being a tad harsh but I thought it was his worst performance since he became a regular in the starting line-up. He worked hard but he gave the ball away too often and just didn't establish his presence in the game.

McQuoid; 6- Unfortunately Josh has managed to build off of his superb display against Crewe, he drifted inside too often for a winger, can't help but think there's something we haven't discovered yet.

Grabban; 8- Great finish for his goal and is always an outlet for the team with his pace, never given the defence a moment's rest. If he improves his composure in front of goal he might even hit the 20 goal mark.

Pitman; 6- The problem with Brett is that he's either absolutely superb or pretty lacklustre. He did not have his best game but his assist for Pugh's goal was an example of what he can provide.

MK Dons 0-3 AFC Bournemouth

The Match

As the teams entered the fray I think both sets of fans understood the importance of this game, and the opening stages reflected this; Milton Keynes had most of the possession without really threatening, while Bournemouth seemed dangerous on the break but struggled to get a hold of the ball. However, good teams want the ball, they will run and they will chase, which is exactly what Lewis Grabban did and his effort paid off as he seized on a terrible Jon Otsemobor backpass to round David Martin and slot the ball into the back of the net. From the away end it felt like the ball took days to finally go in, but when it did the celebrations duly began. It seemed like a dream start for The Cherries, taking the lead only 9 minutes into an away match at promotion rivals was perfect for Eddie Howe's men.

Grabban 'grabbed' the opener

 The rest of the half was extremely similar to our home match against Crewe, as while the opposition maintained control of the ball, we were never threatened and MK's only chance came when Shwan Jalal parried Ryan Lowe's shot from the edge of the area. Bournemouth were trying to frustrate the home side and hit them fast on the break, but often the ball was given away cheaply with some players opting against the simple option. As it seemed the teams would go into half-time with the score remaining 1-0, everything changed. Ryan Lowe got in a scuffle with Tommy Elphick, then Steve Cook, then Elphick again, with the Bournemouth defenders obviously getting under the veteran forward's skin. This showed when as MK cleared a Bournemouth corner, Elphick went for the ball only for Lowe to jump in two footed, it was later put by Howe as 'a disgusting tackle'. Lowe was rightly sent off but still found the time to start a scrap on the field and kick Bournemouth right-back Simon Francis. I don't usually offer my opinion in the match report, but  Karl Robinson ahad the nerve to say our players were saying stuff about Lowe's family as he went off, an astoundingly stupid claim. Justice was served as The Cherries got a second goal straight after, Grabban beat the Dons' defenders once more and his shot was saved by Martin only for Marc Pugh to tuck in the rebound. In a matter of minutes Bournemouth had gone from on the back foot to being in cruise control, and heading into the break a man and two goals up.

Pugh scored the second

MK Dons introduced Izale McLoed in the second half as despite being a man down they knew that in order to salvage something from the match, they had to go for it. Oddly, the home side seemed more energised and broke with more pace, though they found their options limited once they got further up the pitch. When they stalled the MK attack Howe's team attacked with force and pace, numerous cross field balls were played to the dangerous Pugh and Ritchie down the left side who were causing a lot of problems. Lewis Grabban continued his hard work getting in behind, while Brett Pitman squandered numerous chances, notably a free header from six yards out. Although the home side did not look like scoring, there was always a possibility. As Bournemouth went forward with Josh McQuoid on the ball, defender Shaun Williams made a superb tackle to win the ball and start a counter attack, their best chance came soon after; Izale McLoed pounced on the rebound of a shot that hit the post only the miss an open goal from steps away. I'd later learn he was offside (for about the tenth time) but regardless it was a truly abysmal miss that summed up the day for MK. The killer goal finally came in the 84th minute; clever play from Pugh won a free-kick on the edge of the area, with players still preparing the ball was laid to Arter who smashed a rocket into the top corner. It was a wonderful finish that capped off a great day at the office for the away team and their was pandemonium amongst the travelling Cherries' faithful. 'We want four' was the cry of some Bournemouth fans and that almost came when Pitman hit the crossbar, but the game ultimately ended in a deserved 3-0 win for The Cherries.

Arter's goal sealed the win

The home fans flocked quickly but all 1446 away fans stayed after the final whistle as the players came over to join in with the celebrations, the delight on their faces showed what the win meant to everyone associated with the football club. Ei ei ei o...

My Thoughts

What a day, what a win, what a season. Before the game I thought we'd win, but to go to a promotion rival away and win 3-0 is remarkable, and today was the kind of game that can define a season. We were second best in the first half, but the encouraging thing was that despite have little of the ball, it never looked as if we would concede. This team can play with flair and creativity, but when a strong backbone is needed we become extremely hard to break down. On another day, the match could have gone another way but our tactics paid off and I think you'd struggle to find someone who could contest the result. On behalf of every Bournemouth supporter, a special mention to Izale McLeod who put in one of the worst single performances in recent memory; he missed an open goal, he fell over himself (twice) and I don't think he did one thing to help his side when they needed it the most.

Unfortunately the game was marred by Lowe's disgraceful tackle and we can only hope Elphick turns out alright- he could have easily had his season/ career ended by that tackle. Thankfully both teams managed to continue the match as the professionals they are meant to be, but there certainly are times you question what a player is thinking. . I'd also suggest to Karl Robinson instead of banging on about how much money we spent, his club should spend money on their team instead of an outrageously ridiculous stadium. He made ludicrous claims in his post-match interview that were almost disrespectful to our club, we have spent a lot, we made have got decisions in our favour, but to say our players 'conducted themselves' badly is a bit much, what evidence do you have? I think you've been eating a few too many sour grapes.

Shut up, Karl.

Player Ratings

Jalal; 7- Didn't have much to do but the one time he had to make a save he was there, kept his concentration and distributed well.

Francis; 7- Once again he worked very hard and he improved in the second half, sometimes he needs to just whack the ball up the pitch instead of playing it out.

Cook; 9- A rock. With so much on his mind he performed admirably once again, MK's forward didn't get the better of him and he consistently won the ball, a great performance.

Elphick; 9- Exactly the same as Cook, he is a leader of men and if he is injured it will be a major blow to us, lets pray for a quick recovery.

Seaborne; 7- Much better performance than against Crewe, MK got in a few times behind him early on but it's clear that he's much better at centre-back, he seems to also be building chemistry with the team.

McQuoid; 7- He's found his confidence which is the most important thing, his runs across the face of the penalty box are dangerous and while he did not always make the right decision, he was a constant presence.

Arter; 8- In the first half he gave the ball away cheaply but it's hard to fault his performance overall. A absolutely sublime goal and no matter where the ball is, he'll be chasing it, he has more energy than a Duracell battery.

O'Kane; 7- It wasn't Eunan's best game but even though his impact was not huge, he kept the team ticking and never halted nor stalled any attacks. Despite his small stature, he's turning into quite a strong player.

Pugh; 8- Almost back to his best today, Marc turned the right back inside out a couple of times and really stretched their defence in the second half, his combination with Ritchie was lethal.

Lewis Grabban; 8- This man is becoming the definition of determination. With all due respect to Lewis, I think he's not 'technically' the most gifted, but his pace and effort provides the team with a constant outlet and his goal was key to the win.

Brett Pitman; 7- Chicken had an abundance of chances today and unfortunately didn't manage to take advantage. His finishing was off today but his link up play was great, most memorable was the one-two that put Grabban through on goal.

Matt Ritchie; 8- He's ours! Matt did fantastic to come in at left back on his debut and still play so well. He added another element going forward and his crossing was superb, I can't wait to see more of him.

Matt Tubbs & Richard Hughes; N/A