I haven't wrote match reviews for about 3 weeks because of how utterly dispiriting the performances have been, I can't say I even cared anymore, it was so depressing watching that team play. But today was different, the magic of AFC Bournemouth had returned following a 15 month absence. The pre-game was focused around the return of Bournemouth legend Eddie Howe, who has been poached back from the club he departed to, Burnley. A rapturous applause from the largest home crowd of the season set the tone for what followed.
The Match
Bournemouth lined up 4-5-1, with Lee Barnard leading the line by himself, though Pugh and Grabban occasionally made it into a 4-3-3. Leyton Orient brought a decent following of 499 to the south coast, but their fans had little to cheer for as Russel Slade opted for the "park the bus" tactic. The opening 20 minutes was rather dull, with Leyton Orient's tactics of having ten men behind the ball constantly frustrating any attack Bournemouth tried to produce. However, with the atmosphere a bit flat, Bournemouth started to pick themselves up a little with some neat passing. Marc Pugh was a consistent threat down the left wing, reminding many of his dynamic performances when Eddie Howe was boss during the 2010-11 season. Even though players found themselves in space often, and an abundance of corners, Bournemouth simply lacked that cutting edge, with Grabban often being the culprit of bad control. Even though Bournemouth dominated possession, there were not many chances to talk about barring the many corners, though they were easily dealt with by Ben Chorley and Nathan Clarke in the Orient defence. Unfortunately, Richard Hughes pulled a muscle towards the end of the first half, and was replaced by Lorenzo Davids, a man with a lot to prove.
The second half started in much the same manner, but there was one vital difference from the first half. The crowd had awoken, "Eddie Howe's Barmy Army" was belted out from the fans in the north stand, who amazingly managed to keep the chanting going for around 20 minutes. Bournemouth began to look far more dangerous, the impressive Davids notably hit two superb long range cross field balls finding Grabban in space down the right side. Following around 4 corners in a row (I lost count) Bournemouth finally broke the deadlock, as Simon Francis' corner ricocheted around the Leyton Orient box, somehow finding it's way into the back of the net with Grabban seemingly having the last touch. This goal was significant, it symbolized a fresh start to the season and the joy on everyone's faces (Players and fans) was there for all to see. On the back of the momentum, Bournemouth quickly grabbed a second as Marc Pugh seized on a sloppy pass by Alsopp in the Orient goal, he teased the lunging Orient defenders before almost stumbling into the net along with the ball. Orient's extremely unambitious tactics had yielded them no return, Slade tried to switch things up, bringing on Ryan Brunt for the lethargic Symes and teenager winger Moses Adabujo in a hope to spark a comeback. Slade's substitutions returned nothing, their team struggled to string passes together and 90 minutes of chasing a ball is extremely tiring work. Bournemouth comfortably saw out the final 20 minutes with no defensive worries, but no real further chances that would have increased the winning margin.
My Thoughts
How nice it is to return home on a Saturday evening with 3 points in the bag. For the first time in a very long time the players can hold their heads high, knowing the deserved the win because of their effort throughout the match. Eddie and Jason's return is going to turn this club around, but credit to Dennis Rhodes and Chris Hargreaves for changing the team, installing some passion and belief in the short amount of time they had. The defence was very solid throughout, Elphick and Addison won everything while Daniels and Francis provided support down the wing. The midfield was lacking in the first half, but Davids changed the game in the second half with his calm touch and quality passing, while O'Kane looked far more comfortable (and far more effective) in a central attacking role. There was always an option out wide in Grabban or Pugh, though the delivery sometimes lacked in quality. Up front Barnard was far too often left isolated, his touch was first class but it wasn't often that he actually got involved in the game.
In summary, our ego-maniac chairman has eaten a healthy portion of humble pie and brought back one of the club's best ever managers. The crowds will begin to increase and the atmosphere will certainly return. We face a very tough test at home next week to league leaders Tranmere, who have flown out of the traps to start the season. Eddie has his first week now to assess and work with the players, and hopefully we will soon see the passing, attacking football that has been so dearly missed return to Dean Court once more.
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| Bournemouth's new management team are introduced to the crowd |
