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