Bournemouth 3-1 Crewe Alexandra

AFC Bournemouth returned back to Dean Court for the first time in 10 days when they lost to Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup hoping to get another vital 3 points against Crewe Alexandra. Since the last home league match against Swindon, The Cherries lost their first match since early October in a disappointing 3-1 defeat at in-form Walsall, but Eddie Howe's men quickly recovered to win 2-1 away at Hartlepool last Tuesday. With the match at Crewe in December, it was the first time Bournemouth had come up against the League One new boys this season.

The Match

Bournemouth made two changes to the team that one at Hartlepool, with Brett Pitman and Steve Cook replacing Richard Hughes and Charlie Daniels respectively. With the ever present Daniels missing the match, loanee Daniel Seabourne shifted to left-back to fill the gap left, while Pitman started up front with Lewis Grabban. Bournemouth knew Crewe were a young side who like to play good football, but The Railwaymen also boast a surprisingly noticeable height advantage in their side.

The starting spot is now Jalal's to lose

Howe's men started our the game on the front foot, Josh McQuoid earned his side a corner early but despite neat play Harry Arter could only blaze the ball over the bar when given the ball just inside the area. Crewe however push on from there, Byron Moore was enjoying success down the right wing against Seaborne but couldn't provide any of the visitors front two with a chance to score. The deadlock was broken after only 8 minutes, when Marc Pugh received the ball inside the penalty box, a neat turn had seemingly found him a way through before he was (seemingly) tripped by a Crewe defender. Despite Lewis Grabban scoring from the spot in mid-week, Brett Pitman stepped up and his shot went in off the left post to give Bournemouth the lead. The home team soon retained the ball and when given the ball on the left wing, Pugh turned the right-back Mellor inside out numerous time before it seemed he was fouled once more, Arter picked up the loose ball and he too was tackled but the referee did not award The Cherries a second penalty in quick succession (it should be noted following this Pugh was limping and struggled throughout the rest of the game). The home side's positive play was then put to an end by a resolute Crewe team, The Alex ascended and took control of the game, displaying some of the football that has earned them their respected reputation. When Bournemouth managed to get hold of the ball possession was quickly given away, with Harry Arter the notable culprit of a few misplaced passes. Bournemouth's few chances came on the break, and Pitman glanced a header but the ball went just wide of the left post, inches away from hitting the net. Fortunately for Bournemouth, Crewe did not manage to carve our any clear cut chances in the half , with the big framed Matthias Pogba the player looking most dangerous on the ball. With the half in its final seconds Eunan O'Kane broke through with the ball and released Grabban through on goal, the forward took it past the goalkeeper Steve Phillips and as fans rose out of their seats in expectation, the ball hit the side netting!

Pitman grabbed the opener

The home team started out much brighter in the second half, Howe would state in his post match interview he was frustrated with negative passing in the first half, and his team were now much more forward thinking on the ball. With the visitors now having to push up a bit in search of an equalizer, it left more space for the dangerous Cherries' attack to do some damage. Newly confident Josh McQuoid went on a long run, speeding past numerous Alex defenders before laying off to Pitman, whose curling effort went high and wide into the North Stand. Crewe though managed to maintain hold of the ball well despite Bournemouth's improved performance, but still struggled to break through the Bournemouth backline. If anyone was going to worry the visitors it was McQuoid, and he floated in a a high cross for Pitman who seemed to hang in the air as he jumped, but his header was well saved by veteran Phillips. It was the trio of Pitman, Grabban and McQuoid that were constantly providing a threat to the visitors; neat link up play between the former two gave Grabban space in the area once more, but his shot was stopped by Phillips who at that point was keeping his side in the match. The second goal finally came when Arter found space just outside the box, his low shot was parried by Phillips, McQuoid quickly reacted to pounce on the ball, he turned and crossed for the waiting Pitman who hit the ball in the empty net. The scenes were jubilant and it seemed Bournemouth could now step out of first gear and see out another win at Dean Court, as the second goal usually kills a team off. The third goal should have come when Phillips parried out Simon Francis' stinging cross right onto Arter's head, but the ball went over the bar and into the stand. In face of all this pressure, the visitors suddenly burst into life and made a game of it when the visitors took advantage of a mistake by Francis; the Bournemouth right-back misjudged a header allowing Pogba to break into the box and drag a shot/cross across the face of the goal before Colclough tapped the ball into the net. It seemed the home team's momentum had been lost and we were in for a very nerve-wracking final fifteen minutes. Thankfully our worries were soon oppressed when substitute Wes Fogden strode into Crewe's box and was fouled by Abdul Osman, leaving the referee to point to the spot once more. Brett Pitman sealed his hat-trick and a win for The Cherries with his second penalty of the day.

Colclough scored for Crewe

My Thoughts

Today was a vital three points, having suffered our first set back in a while at Walsall the team has recovered to win two straight games. Crewe were certainly one of the better teams to visit Dean Court this year, had they been more lethal with the ball the scoreline could have been entirely different. That said, even if we had a bad first half we were vastly improved in the second half, and given the amount of chances missed we could have easily score 6 or 7 goals today.

 Josh McQuoid was almost a different player today, after Pugh's knock our left-side wasn't providing a threat but McQuoid really took the game to Crewe with his pacey runs. If his goal at Hartlepool has given him the confidence boost he needed, then hopefully he'll rediscover the form that made him sought after by Milwall in the 2010/11 season. Arter and O'Kane once more had good games, in the first half they let opponents run through too easily but whenever they have the ball it feels like they may create a chance soon. Brett Pitman also deserves praise, I get frustrated with his "style" sometimes, but the deal with playing him is that he can go 89 minutes without doing anything, then score the goal that wins the match. He seems to be striking a partnership up with Grabban too, hopefully something that they will continue to build upon going forward.

In defence, Seaborne stepped in well to replace Daniels at left-back and we now know we have a solid option if we ever need it. While he doesn't have the attacking threat (he is a centre-back), he defended well and nullified the threat of Moore in the second half. Steve Cook performed admirably considering he's been at court all week, while Tommy Elphick was his usual solid self. Francis covers a lot of ground, granted he needs to improve his distribution, but aside from the mistake he once more had a good game. This was the first time I've seen Jalal start in the league in a long time, and while some may disagree, he still does not fill me with confidence. David James had to be dropped, but if Jalal does not start dominating his area more I think it won't be long before we see Allsop starting.

Player Ratings

Jalal-7; Shwan did not have much to do today but I thought his distribution was much improved from before. My main concern is that he never comes for crosses or corners, he MUST learn to do this.

Francis- 6; As I said previously, he worked extremely hard and did well for most of the game. Sometimes he needs to just whip in the ball instead of trying to do that extra thing, and he made a bad mistake that led to the Crewe goal.

Elphick- 7; Calm on the ball and dealt with any threat that came his way, the Crewe front two never really seemed to take Clayton and Pogba (besides the goal) out of the game.

Cook- 7; See above.

Seaborne- 6; Playing in a position that is not natural to him he didn't cope well with Moore at first, but performed much better in the second half. He will never provide the attacking threat of Daniels though.

McQuoid- 8; My man of the match, he used his natural abilities to his advantage today and gave the left-back a tough time. His reactions to make the second goal were fantastic.

Arter- 7; Sloppy on the ball sometimes and earned another stupid yellow card, but he is a good tackler and is never afraid to take the ball up the pitch himself.

O'Kane- 8; When MacDonald is fit will he be dropped? I cannot see that he will yet, on numerous times he provided an outlet and also played good balls to create chances, a completely different player nowadays.

Pugh- 6; He started of brilliantly but after that tackle he faded and was clearly hampered by an injury, thankfully he managed to continue on and hopefully he'll be ready for next Saturday.

Pitman- 8; Can I argue with 3 goals? He never seems to actually play that well, but I suppose if three goals isn't a good match, then what is?

Grabban- 7; His pace provides a contrasting element to Pitman that always surprises opponents, had he been less selfish and more clinical he would have ended up with a goal and an assist.

Three In, One Out

Eddie Howe has today completed the signings of three players, making them the first players he has signed since his return to AFC Bournemouth as manager. He previously stated he was going to bring in a 'few quality addtions' and he has certainly delivered on that promise, though it is not certain whether his January dealings are finished.

Yesterday defender Daniel Seabourne joined on loan for the rest of the season from south coast neighbours Southampton for the rest of the season. Seabourne was a regular for Exeter City before he signed for The Saints in the 2009/10 season, where he helped contribute to their promotion the following season. A terrible accident kept him out for a long period of time last year, and he only managed to make 6 appearances, all coming in non-league competitions. This year he made 7 appearances on loan to Charlton in the Championship, while he was also on the Saints bench during their 2-2 draw at Chelsea. Seabourne certainly comes with a good history and will provide more quality depth to the Bournemouth backline, especially if Steve Cook is found guilty in his court case.

Seabourne joined on loan yesterday

The next signing was Ryan Fraser, a highly coveted 18 year old winger who signed from SPL team Aberdeen. He has only recently broke into the set up at Pittodrie, but has made 23 appearances and will surely be a great addition to Howe's squad. At five foot four he's on the small side, but he known to be a proper direct winger who will attack full-backs and whip in dangerous crosses. While at 18 he has plenty of potential yet to be reached, his style of play will add another element to a very dangerous Cherries' attack.

Fraser heads to the south coast with a growing reputation

Also signing today was goalkeeper Ryan Allsop on a free transfer from fellow League One side Leyton Orient. Previously of West Bromwich Albion, Allsop signed for Orient on a six-month contract in the summer and impressed at Brisbane Road, going to on to make 24 appearances for the O's. Eddie Howe was clearly impressed with his performance in their 2-0 defeat at Dean Court in October, and snapped up the 20 year old on a three and a half year deal. With 5 goalkeepers now on the books, Allsop clearly has competition for the starting spot, but with the help of playing alongside ex England international David James, the future is bright for him.

Allsop is Howe's latest capture

Meanwhile long serving midfielder Mark Molesley has joined League Two side Exeter City on a free transfer. Molesley played a pivotal role during our years in League Two but numerous injures have stopped him from getting a consistent run in the side during the past couple of years. Having impressed on loan at Plymouth, I have no doubt he'll turn out to be a fantastic signing for The Grecians, all the best Mark!

Molesley departs

Bournemouth 1-1 Swindon

Pre- Match

Saturday, the 12th of January saw two promotion hopefuls meet in an extremely important match that had implications for the rest of the season. In the previous meeting, Swindon had thrashed a dispirited and hopefully Bournemouth team 4-0 at the County Ground, but a lot had changed since then. Eddie Howe returned in October and the rest is history, Bournemouth, on the back of 17 games unbeaten, sat in 7th place 3 points behind their visitors. Their opponents were Swindon who had won their past four matches by an aggregate of 16-0, taking no prisoners as they seek a second straight promotion. With both teams in form and managed by highly talented (but very contrasting) managers, it was anyone's guess as to how the match would turn out.

Match Report

Bournemouth made three changes to the side that drew at Wigan in the FA Cup, with David James, Lewis Grabban and Brett Pitman replacing Shwan Jalal, Matt Tubbs and Richard Hughes respectively. Ex-Cherry Danny Hollands returned to Dean Court as he is currently on loan at Swindon, while former transfer target Matt Ritchie also lined up for The Robins.

Hollands returned to Bournemouth after leaving in 2011

The match started out with energy, both teams looked eager to impose their presence on the game and tried to gain control of the ball. The torrential rain pouring onto the pitch was clearly having an affect, players were slipping and numerous mis-kicks were made. Bournemouth tried to find success down both wings, but any crosses were dealt with by Joe Devera and Darren Ward in the heart of the Swindon backline, while right back Nathan Thompson seemed to have Marc Pugh under control. Almost against the run of play, Swindon nearly broke the deadlock as a powerful shot from veteran Tommy Miller was met with a great reaction save from David James in the Bournemouth goal. Swindon began to press and summer signing Andy Williams could only head straight at James from a Matt Ritchie cross, while Bournemouth were let off when Swindon could not take advantage of James having to let go of the ball as he slid out of the box trying to hold it. Back the ball went to the other end, Brett Pitman turned and fired straight at Thompson while inside the Swindon penalty area, but the ball found its way to Harry Arter who found enough space on the edge of the box to fire a left footed shot right into the goal, with Wesley Foderingham leaping in vain to prevent it going in. Then, in what is the worst miss I have ever witnessed at a football match, James Collins managed to shoot the ball into the stand when a defensive error had left the goal empty. The rain began to increase and the conditions became exceedingly worse, but both teams managed to battle it out for the rest of the first half, with neither side able to carve out any clear cut chances.

Harry Arter got the opening goal

It was clear that the pitch was being cut up by the rain and an announcement was made saying half time would be extended by five minutes in order for the groundsmen to attempt to make it playable. Thankfully, thanks to their fantastic efforts the second half was able to proceed, although it's debatable whether that was the correct decision. Only a few minutes into the second half Arter went on a mazy run through a few Swindon defenders only to have his shot superbly stopped by Foderingham. Bournemouth had three corners in a relatively quick amount of time but could not manage to score that all important second goal. Paolo Di Canio, whose dramatic antics suggested he was not happy with some of his players at the time, realized that he needed to make changes in order to get something out of the match and he threw on Norwich loanee Chris Martin in place of Collins. The pitch was deteriorating everywhere, the ball noticeably slowed down in certain areas and water was spraying all around. Truthfully, both teams showed fantastic determination and effort as they both gave 100% throughout, even though they were limited in what they could actually do with the ball. A cross drifted in from the Swindon left side right across the face of the goal and Ritchie ran onto it but his left footed shot was saved by James once more. Following this, James' goalkeeping counterpart Foderingham was called into action once more, as he made another great save to deny Lewis Grabban's header. The ball was flying from end to end, and it was clear there was at least one more goal left in the match, the big question was just which team would score that goal. Brett Pitman almost sealed the win as he hit a speculative effort from far out with Foderingham out of position, but the Swindon goalkeeper once again stopped Bournemouth. Then just as Bournemouth fans began to think that the 3 points might be staying in Dorset, David James showed everyone why he has garnered the nickname 'Calamity James'. Unfortunately I wasn't actually looking as he took the kick, because I wasn't expecting him to hit it straight to a Swindon player- when I did look up I saw James rushing out of his area to deny Chris Martin, but despite bodies being thrown in an attempt to block it, the ball came to Andy Williams who shot past Steve Cook on the line and into the goal. Bournemouth were rocked by the goal, a team that had looked reasonably comfortable before were now edgy and it was now Swindon who seemed the only team likely to get the win, though ultimately the could not get the second goal and the match ended in a fair 1-1 draw.

Andy Williams scored the equalizer

My Thoughts

Walking away from the ground today I was gutted, not because we necessarily deserved the win, but it certainly felt liked we had gifted Swindon the goal. David James had been brilliant all afternoon and was the only reason Swindon hadn't scored up to that point, so it was really disappointing for him to make that mistake. That said, the team truly deserves credit for their performance today, it wasn't their best but it was still good and on another we would have won, but these things happen all the time in football. Swindon are the team that have impressed me the most this season, I think (similar to us) they are better than their position suggests, so on the face of it a point it is certainly not a bad result. Our awful start has us at a severe disadvantage in the promotion race, but the fact that we're still only 3 points behind 5th place today shows how far this team has come, and the how far they can go. Yes we are now 10 behind the automatic spots, but we've beaten the top two teams and Sheffield United lost at home today to a team we beat 3-0,  so there is no reason for us not to keep believing.  It is games like these that truly test what our team is all about, and while I would have liked the win, we can make up for it next Saturday when we face Walsall.

Player Ratings

David James: 6/7- I am stuck here, I think he was a runner for our man of the match up until he made the mistake that ultimately cost us the win, but without him we wouldn't have been in the position to win the match. He'll recover from this and continue to perform as well as he has all season.

Simon Francis: 7- Bad crossing today but it's forgivable in the conditions and he deserves to be recognized for keeping Gary Roberts quiet all game, there are not many better right-backs in League One than him.

Tommy Elphick: 8- Solid throughout and managed to win the ball a lot, even though James Collins provided a physical attacking presence we haven't faced in a while.

Steve Cook: 7- Another good game for him, though I've marked him slightly lower than his central partner because he seemed to suffer more from the conditions, though he was not at fault for the goal either.

Charlie Daniels: 7- Swindon seemed to be finding success down his side early on but he kept Ritchie quiet for the rest of the game while also adding an attacking threat. His runs forward provide another option whenever we have the ball.

Marc Pugh: 6- Though arguably our best player he wasn't at the races today, and Nathan Thompson defended against him very well. He did manage to create space and chances sometimes, but I've seen him played significantly better.

Harry Arter: 8- What a player he is turning out to be, his stamina is endless and he is always pressuring the opposition or on the ball for us. His goal was a great shot and I think he's our most important player right now.

Eunan O'Kane: 7- Despite being smaller physically he is not weak and he fought hard in the middle of the park. He's forming a good partnership with Arter and as with most of the team, his game is not suited to the weather today.

Josh McQuoid: 6- Replicated the hard working nature of Fogden and helped Francis out but he did not have much success going forward and took a little too long on the ball sometimes. I'm not convinced right midfield is his best position.

Lewis Grabban: 7- Once again put in 100% effort despite being said to be a major doubt for the game due to illness. He found space and has great pace, but apart from the header he didn't have a chance to get on the scoresheet.

Brett Pitman: 7- I haven't been very impressed with his performances since his return but his work rate today was improved and he was more intelligent in possession. His style of play is odd but as he proved with the long range shot he is always capable of producing something special.

Subs

Wes Thomas: 5- Made his return today following a loan spell at Blackpool and he hasn't changed at all. Looked thoroughly disinterested and was rarely near the ball, we were worse once he came on.

Wes Fogden: Didn't have much of a chance to impact the game as we were defending most of the time while he was on but he was reliable as always.

Richard Hughes: Not on for long enough to really do anything.

Brentford 0-0 Bournemouth

The Match

For most people around the world, New Year's day is probably spent either nursing a hangover from the night before or a day to spend with family. But some crazy people choose to battle the cold of January and watch a game of League One Football. In all seriousness, the two form teams in League One met each other in a very important match for both sides. Brentford, sitting on 45 points, had gone 11 unbeaten, while their opposition Bournemouth had 41 points but were on the back of a 15 match unbeaten run. Having drawn the return fixture at Bournemouth earlier in the year, both teams likely fancied their chances of taking all three points today.

A large Bournemouth contingent made the relatively short journey to Griffin Park, with approximately 1400 fans packing the terrace and seating in the away end. Eddie Howe made one change to the side that beat Crawley 3-0, opting to start the defensively stronger Wes Fogden in place of Josh McQuoid on the right wing. The first half was a timid affair with both teams (understandably) cautious to take too many chances, though that did not mean there was a lack of determination amongst the players. Adam Forshaw came close early on, as he hit a half-volley after a corner but saw his shot flash just wide of David James' left post. Each team worked hard and put their opponents under pressure, though The Cherries probably had the better of the early exchanges. However, Brentford soon came more into the game, Harry Forrester provided trouble for Simon Francis, and Clayton Donaldson provided an outlet for many long range passes. The Bees started to push a bit more, and when Steve Cook afforded Marcelo Trotta too much space David James made a quality reaction save to deny Brentford the opening goal. Both teams have garnered reputations for prefering to play passing football, but neither team gave each other enough time to do so, resulting in a tough battle to maintain possession or build up any kind of move. Bournemouth tried to find space down the wings, with a few crosses being whipped in that were eventually dealt with by a resolute Brentford defence. Truthfully, there was not much to the first half and both teams were probably happy to go in level.

The Bournemouth fans today

It was Brentford who started out the second half looking more inspired, The Bees had a succession of corners that were defended against well by Bournemouth but the visitors seemed to keep giving the ball away cheaply. Uwe Rosler then decided to use the skills he had learned from footballing genius Paul Groves and made a substitution that played right into Bournemouth's hands; Lee Hodson came on in a straight swap for Shaleum Logan, who I thought had Marc Pugh in his pocket. As a result of this Bournemouth began to take control of the match, with Pugh now finding success down the left hand side, but the killer final ball seemed to be lacking. Bournemouth had the chance to break the deadlock, a cross went all the way across the six yard box and found its way to Wes Fogden, who hesitated before knocking it to substitute Josh McQuoid who had his shot saved by Simon Moore. From the resulting corner Bournemouth once more almost took the lead, as a header went into the ground before hitting the underside of the bar, bouncing on the line and then being duly cleared by a relieved Brentford defence. Howe threw Matt Tubbs in place of Lewis Grabban in an attempt to freshen up the Bournemouth attack, but the change did not provide the spark The Cherries needed. Despite controlling the ball and playing at a high tempo, Bournemouth just couldn't manage to unlock a strong Brentford defence, led by a fantastic performance from centre back Harlee Dean. As the match drew to a close a draw seemed almost inevitable, although the spotlight was stolen by an argument between Uwe Rosler and Eddie Howe (though it was hard to tell what happened).


My Thoughts

Before the game I would have been very happy with a point away at a team fourth in the league and currently on an 11 match unbeaten run, but I can't help feeling a little frustrated. I think we could have (and should have) won the game in the second half, as a couple of our players missed some very easy chances to score. Had we been a little more attacking, or pushed on more I believe we would have scored, but it's understandable that Eddie did not want to risk losing. Regardless, it was still a very good point away to a strong team, and if you win at home and draw away you will gain promotion.

The players understandably seemed a little tired from having 3 games in 6 days, I thought Pugh was off his game and O'Kane kept giving the ball away at the end, though I cannot fault the effort of both players. Even if the quality was lacking at times, there is a motivation to succeed within this squad that is evident every time they step on the pitch. Our defence was rock solid once more, making it 4 clean sheets in a row, a very impressive achievement. Despite being outnumbered our midfield was tireless, with my pick of the four, Harry Arter, winning tackles everywhere. Unfortunately we lacked in our forward play today, Grabban ran himself into the ground once more but did not shine, and Pitman never really got the chance to even have a shot.  That said, on another day we would have buried those chances and be celebrating another win, but it the end it was a well earned point.

As we head into January, Howe will have the chance to fine tune his squad, selling those surplus to requirements and bringing in an extra dose of quality into the lineup. On October 6th when we sat 21st in League One, and now on New Year's Day we are on equal points with fifth place. There will be tough tests, and it will be difficult, but there is no reason why this team cannot win promotion.

Will Marvin Bartley return in January?

Bournemouth End 2012 In Style

Bournemouth 3-0 Crawley

Following a comprehensive 3-0 Boxing Day victory over Yeovil Town, Eddie Howe's team headed into the match as the most in-form team in League One, having gone undefeated in their past 14 matches. Their opponents were Crawley Town, who after two promotions sat one point behind Bournemouth in their first season in League One. In the return fixture in October Crawley won 3-1 in what turned out to be Paul Groves' last match in charge of Bournemouth, leaving many Bournemouth fans hungry for revenge. Returning to Dean Court for the first time since he left in the summer was Shaun Cooper, a Bournemouth regular from 2006-2012. Despite a congested fixture list, Eddie Howe only made one change to the side that won on Boxing Day, with Josh McQuoid replacing Wes Fogden on the right wing.

It's fair to say that Bournemouth don't always start matches at their best, as evident in the home matches against Oldham and Yeovil. However The Cherries came flying out of the gates today, putting the Crawley players under lots of pressure and Marc Pugh enjoying notable success down the left wing against David Hunt. For all the possession, Bournemouth could not muster a clear chance, and the first real opportunity fell to Shaun Cooper who almost scored on his return with a half-volley from outside the penalty area that just went past David James' left hand post. Crawley began to come more into the match, looking towards the in-form Nicky Adams for inspiration, but fine Bournemouth defending halted any Crawley attack before they had the chance to develop. The opener came after 16 minutes, when centre back Steve Cook whipped in an inswinging cross from the left side and Crawley captain Gary Alexander headed a finely place header into the top corner of his own goal. The weather once again proved an obstacle for both teams as heavy rain poured down for a good twenty minutes, but Bournemouth managed to maintain control of the game, with a few brief Crawley purple patches in between. Slick passing left The Cherries' leading scorer Lewis Grabban through on goal from a tight angle, but he could only drag his shot wide of the goal. Thankfully, the second goal came when innovative thinking from Brett Pitman resulted in him shooting in a free kick in off the post before Crawley were ready. Crawley manager Richie Barker and his players were clearly far from impressed, venting their frustrations to the officials, ultimately to no vaial. Half-time came at the perfect moment for Barker's men as Bournemouth were in full attack mode and it seemed that they would grab the killer goal at any moment.

Gary Alexander scored an own goal

Barker clearly gave his players strong words at half-time as Crawley began to work much harder, making it increasingly difficult for Bournemouth to regain their first half momentum. Both sides worked and fought for little reward, with Crawley substitute Billy Clarke in the thick of any attack for the Red Devils. Bournemouth almost killed the game off when Steve Cook was left unmarked from a corner, but he could only head the ball straight at the Crawley goalkeeper. With time ticking down, it seemed like Bournemouth were going to grab yet another win, but their opposition were not going to let the game go without putting up a fight. With around 15 minutes left the dangerous Clarke found himself one on one with David James, but the veteran goalkeeper made a fantastic save to maintain the clean sheet, and probably ensure the 3 points went to the Dorset outfit. With the game in its final ten minutes, and the Cherries making a few changes it seemed that Howe's men were happy enough to let the game slowly filter away. Then Lewis Grabban, who had shifted out to the right wing, hit a stunning diagonal pass over Claude Davis to Eunan O'Kane, whose first touch was weighted to perfection and he placed the ball under Jones and into the net. At 3-0 any chance of a Crawley revival was gone, and Bournemouth secured their twelfth win in fifteen games.

Eunan O'Kane grabbed the final goal

My Thoughts

Today we faced a strong team that were notably better than our opponents on Boxing Day, but yet again we managed to defeat them without ever leaving first-gear. Admittedly at times there were worries in my mind, but it must be said that for all its attacking prowess this team also has an incredibly strong backbone. When Crawley pushed forward we could rely on our defenders to make crucial tackles, or as mentioned, David James consistently makes good saves. There is an abundance of confidence in this team, and the spirit is there once more that links the player together, thus making them want to work hard for each other. Our central midfielders today worked unbelievably hard, no matter where the ball was Harry Arter or Eunan O'Kane would be somewhere near it, and the whole team fed off of their energetic style. Even Brett Pitman was sprinting around the pitch and making tackles, if that doesn't show the commitment in the team then I don't know what does! It's noticeable how comfortable each player seems on the ball, from Elphick to Pugh, each of them is composed and aware of the options around them, resulting in an attractive but efficient style of play. Today we also threatened (and scored once) from set-pieces, I don't remember the last time we scored from a corner, but today we actually looked like we might do so. In conclusion, it was another great all-around team performance, and once we took the lead it never really seemed like victory was in doubt.

On Tuesday we face arguably our toughest challenge since we played Doncaster away in Brentford. They are on an eleven match unbeaten run and currently reside in fourth place, one above us. With the way this team is playing we should head to Griffin Park with the intention of taking all three points, but Brentford are obviously going to provide an extremely tough test for us, so I would be very happy if we came away with a point. Anyway, when we last played Crawley we were 21st in the league, and now we're fifth, these are very promising times for AFC Bournemouth. Here's to a great 2013.

Next Up: Brentford FC

Bournemouth 3-0 Yeovil Town

Belated Christmas Present For The Cherries

For the first time since 2007, Bournemouth had a Boxing Day match at home to look forward to with Yeovil Town making the short journey to the Goldsands Stadium. Since Eddie Howe's return Bournemouth were unbeaten for 13 games, but Yeovil headed into the match only 2 points behind the Cherries, having beaten Oldham 4-1 on Saturday. Highlighting the importance of the match, it was announced before the game that all home seats had been sold.

In front of an unusually packed Dean Court it was Yeovil who actually started the brighter team with their midfield winning the battle against the Cherries midfield which seemed to be missing the injured Shaun MacDonald. Bournemouth seemed to be struggling to get into a groove, as the hard working nature of the Glovers stopped the Cherries passing the ball around. Adding to this was the adverse weather conditions arguably working in Yeovil's favour, as a strong wind swept towards David James' goal, James also let the ball slip out of his hands twice, but Bournemouth's defence cleared before Yeovil's forwards had the chance to put the ball in the net. Yeovil's only real chance of the first half fell to the in form Paddy Madden who was let through after the ball went straight over the Bournemouth backline, but Madden mishit the ball and it rolled far and wide of the goal. Bournemouth tried to exploit the wings, particularly with Marc Pugh down the left, but Eddie Howe's men only looked dangerous when they whipped in crosses; Grabban and Pitman worked hard but couldn't manage to get on the end of any. Pitman did almost break the deadlock, but despite being merely yards out from the goal he could only hit a tame left footed shot right at Marek Stech. Bournemouth also had a major penalty claim turned down when Steve Cook was blatantly pushed by a Yeovil player in the penalty area as he tried to attack a free-kick, the referee did not agree and ordered play to continue. However the breakthrough came after half an hour, Grabban's pace got the better of the Yeovil defence as he released Pugh down the left, and he in turn crossed the ball across the face of goal for the onrushing Grabban to blast the ball home. The lead did not bring Bournemouth much joy and Yeovil probably felt slightly aggrieved to head into half time facing a 1-0 deficit.

Lewis Grabban grabbed the opener

Eddie Howe's men usually seem to transform in the second half, likely due to attacking the noisy home fans in the north stand. Bournemouth did manage to gain control of the match but still found it difficult to breakdown the Yeovil team, and they did not create any clear cut chances. Yeovil then had a brief purple patch, when it began to seem as if Bournemouth would struggle to hold on to the lead for the rest of the half. Dominic Blizzard found space on the edge of the area to fire at shot but David James made a good save to preserve the Cherries' lead. Following this, the visitors should have been killed off when a suicidal backpass left Grabban one on one with the goalie, but instead of passing to open team mates the increasingly confident Grabban took a shot, but it was saved by the very reliable Stech. Thankfully, the wasted chance would not come back to haunt Bournemouth as questionable Yeovil substitutions helped Bournemouth take complete control of the game. The second goal came when two Yeovil defenders let a Simon Francis cross go straight through them, leaving Harry Arter on the edge of the box to control and smash the ball home into the top corner. The second goal is always extremely important, and it seemingly killed off the hopes of the resilient visitors. More chances came Bournemouth's way, notably when at full stretch Pitman could only slide and just miss an open goal from substitute Josh McQuoid's cross. With ten minutes left Yeovil tried in vain to spark a revival when they had 3 corners in a row, but thanks to superb heading from Steve Cook and co. David James was not tested. Almost inevitably the third goal came when a penalty was awarded due to handball after the ball hit Luke Ayling's outstretched arm. Brett Pitman grabbed the ball and claimed the penalty as his despite the passive protests of designated penalty taker Charlie Daniels. Thankfully Pitman cooly slotted the ball home; 3-0, thank you and good night. Knowing the game was over almost half the visiting support left the stadium to gleeful chants of 'cheerio' from the home fans.

Brett Pitman got his first goal on home soil since his return

Thoughts

I was surprised by how well Yeovil played in the first half as they were terrible when we played them earlier in the season, but I thought they more than matched us for the opening 45 minutes. The first goal made a huge difference as it meant Yeovil had to push up, leaving their slow defenders exposed to the pace of the tireless Grabban. What worries me is that the loss of MacDonald leaves us very lightweight in the midfield, and if I was Eddie I'd be very tempted to drop either Fogden or O'Kane, as Yeovil's midfielders seemed to overpower them in terms of physicality. Against the top teams in this league sometimes it is necessary to have a ball-winner in the middle.

Enough with the negatives, in tough conditions we managed to resoundingly beat a good team, and if not for the fantastic efforts of Marek Stech it could have been 6 or 7-0. Though Addison was getting better, Steve Cook played fantastically and he seems to have built a very solid partnership with Tommy Elphick. When the pitch is in better condition, the technical ability of our players will become more prominent, as some of the balls being played are pure class. My man of the match today was Lewis Grabban, yes he did make some bad decisions but he ran his socks off for the team. His pace was a constant worry to the Yeovil defence and his confidence has skyrocketed since Eddie's return. If Brett rediscovers his old form then I think we could have one of the best forward lines in the league, especially with McQuoid and Tubbs coming off the bench. 14 games unbeaten is an amazing record, especially when we've won 11 of those and drawn only 3. We now are one point off the play-offs and 7 off the automatic places, so there is no reason why we can't push on even further. Yes, the run has to end at some point but there is no reason why that has to be in the near future.  Next up we face another tough outfit in Crawley, who beat Portsmouth yesterday after going through a barren spell of form.

Ex-Cherry Shaun Cooper and his Crawley side are next for Howe's team

Grabban Goals For Fun

Pre-Match

Following a fantastic 1-0 away win at Doncaster last Saturday, Bournemouth returned to the Goldsands Stadium with the aim of getting their 5th home win in a row. Standing in their way were Oldham, currently in 17th place and managed by former Premier League forward Paul Dickov. Since Eddie Howe's return last month, Bournemouth had drawn one match and won the other 6, having only had 8 points before.

Match Report

Howe made one change to his lineup from the win at Doncaster, with Simon Francis recovering from injury and returning to replace Steve Cook in the right back position. Oldham were missing Dean Furman and James Weselowski, captain and vice-captain respectively. Bournemouth started out the match slowly, with the visitors Oldham having the best of the opening period. With relatively well known names such as Lee Croft and Matt Derbyshire in the lineup, Oldham were showing the confident home side that they were not going to be pushovers. Bournemouth had little of the possession, but broke fastly when they got the ball with Josh McQuoid making a couple of speedy runs down the right.  The Cherries found it hard to maintain possession against a hard working Oldham side, who constantly closed down and pressed Howe's men. Despite controlling portions of the half, Oldham didn't trouble the resolute Bournemouth defence, with Cristian Montano appealing in vain for a penalty. Bournemouth had a couple of half chances and corners, but the final ball seemed to be lacking all over the pitch. The first half slowly faded out, with both managers likely keen to get across a motivating message in the dressing room.

Since Eddie Howe's return, there is something about the second half that completely transforms the team. Kicking towards the home end adds fire into the players bellies, and once more The Cherries' came out after half-time with all guns blazing. In the 53rd minute the ball came down the left wing, and found its way to Harry Arter who moved towards the edge of the area and shot, but Lewis Grabban ran onto it and hit the ball into back of the net, leaving Dean Bouzanis stranded. Bournemouth didn't stop there, as a minute later good work down the right resulted in Simon Francis hitting a low cross across the area, and that man Grabban popped up once more with a perfectly placed shot right across Bouzanis and into the bottom left corner. A previously comfortable and composed Oldham team had been rocked and seemed unable to cope with the Cherries pressure. Dickov threw on two subs in an attempt to get a foothold in the match but they had little impact as Bournemouth continued to maraud down the flanks. Having had a solid penalty shout turned down earlier buy the referee, Bournemouth were awarded a penalty in the 71st minute after Mvoto took out Arter just inside the area. After a civilized debate as to who took the penalty between Arter and Grabban, Arter stepped up and had his shot saved, but Grabban reacted quickest to score Bouremouth's third goal and complete his hat-trick. Grabban, Arter and Pugh all soon left the pitch to standing ovation's, with Bournemouth beginning to take their foot off the pedal. Howe's men still wanted more goals, and a well placed corner from Pugh found the charging Daniels who lost his marker and dove and headed the ball into the back off the net. . Bournemouth fans know that Eddie Howe's team like to let in a late goal, and that was apparent when substitute Matt Smith was left unmarked to head home a consolation goal for The Latics. Even with a bizarre 6 minutes of additional time, Bournemouth saw out the game with ease.

Hat-Trick Hero Lewis Grabban

My Thoughts

I've left Dean Court with a smile on my face, I've also left feeling like storming into the changing room Eddie Mitchell style and yelling at the players, but today was a feeling of joy I have not felt in a long time. It is impossible to put your finger on what exactly he's done, but Eddie Howe has rejuvenated this team and changed them from relegation fodder to play-off challengers. Admittedly the first half was pretty lackluster, but in the second half Bournemouth were a different class. Each and every player today played well, some better than others, but it was a complete team performance and the unity of the players seems to be spurring them all on.

In every aspect of the team, we are solid but also dynamic and energetic. As I'm sure a lot of right-backs in League One will agree, our left side is surely up their with the best in the division. When Marc Pugh gets the ball the crowd gets on their feet, and Charlie Daniels is always sprinting forward to support him. Harry Arter works his socks off but has found a new side to his game full of creativity and flair, while Shaun MacDonald provides the reliable, composed option next to Arter. Lewis Grabban is a different player compared to under Groves, he uses his pace but is also very dept as holding the ball up giving others the time to support him. The defence has a bit of work to do on its concentration for 90 minutes, but it looked very comfortable throughout and the distribution from all was quick but intelligent. Personally, I think Miles Addison deserves a special mention as I've given him a lot of stick recently, but he was a rock today and won everything that came his way, yes his passing isn't Xavi-esque but that's why he's not in the Premier League!

In summary, a fantastic win against a decent opposition helps us climb further up the table and we are now only 4 points outside of the play-offs. I may be getting ahead of myself but I think League One is there for the taking, don't forget we made Tranmere look very average and should have easily beaten MK Dons (thanks for that Groves). We move on to Tuesday, where high flying Stevenage visit on the back of a 4-1 stuffing against Sheffield United tonight.

Stevenage are the next visitors to the Goldsands Stadium

Thank you for reading!

Another One Bites The Dust

Background 

5 wins and one draw in the previous six matches, and some people thought bringing Eddie Howe back wasn't the right decision. The 2-1 victory at home to Shrewsbury last night made it a 4 game winning streak at home including the cup match, continuing the Cherries' amazing run of form. I saw on Vitals today the win percentages of each Bournemouth manager: At the bottom- Paul Groves (15%)- and at the top? Eddie Howe (51%). If you include his previous spell as manager, we have won just over half of our games with Howe in charge, not mentioning that since his return that percentage is far, far higher.

The Match

I knew coming into the match that Shrewsbury had developed a habit of conceding early goals, but with our usual style of really pushing on in the second half I didn't expect the game to start off with such excitement. Only two minutes in Bournemouth got a free kick on the edge of the Shrewsbury penalty area due to Darren Jones fouling Lee Barnard. Charlie Daniels actually hit a rather poor, low driven effort that would have usually been blocked, however a Shrewsbury player in the wall jumped out of the way and a deflection left Chris Weale no chance. It was the kind of goal that Graham Turner would have gone ballistic at, a basic error had left Shrewsbury behind. The home fans got the atmosphere going, and within a few minutes Bournemouth doubled their lead. The ever fantastic Marc Pugh twisted and turned his way down the left wing, only for his perfect cross to somehow be clipped onto the post by Lee Barnard. However, Barnard got the ball back out to Pugh, who hit another cross right across the area with Josh McQuoid there head the ball into the back of the net. It seemed that Bournemouth were going to put in another dazzling home performance, having scored two goals after only six minutes. However, although Bournemouth dominated possession, the killer third goal didn't come, and Shrewsbury soon took advantage. After 14 minutes, Miles Addison decided it was his time to shine and what was the routine process of seeing the ball out for a goal kick turned into a penalty for Shrewsbury. Addison had let Morgan get an extra step on him, and Morgan soon went flying to the ground, it looked like a blatant dive from where I sat, but the judgement of others and the referee seem to indicate it was just Miles Addison being himself. The tenacious midfielder (and captain) Matt Richards stepped up and calmly shot the ball into the bottom right hand corner of David James' goal. Bournemouth began to look a bit more nervy as the first half went on, with Jon Taylor causing Charlie Daniels numerous problems down the right wing. The Cherries' had many chances to see the game off, Lewis Grabban inexplicably missed when he was through on goal, and others too were guilty of not using their opportunities. There were two further major talking points of the half, as Shrewsbury had another penalty claim when Helan's cross seemed to hit Tommy Elphick on the arm, and when the last Shrewsbury defender brought down Grabban, only to be given a yellow card. 

Having been performing so admirably in their second half displays recently, I was expecting Bournemouth to come out with all guns blazing in order to kill the game off. Despite controlling the ball and having a few half-chances, the Bournemouth players seemed to lack that inspired creativity and killer instinct that had seen off many opponents in recent weeks. Most of Bournemouth's work came down the left side, with Charlie Daniels and Marc Pugh working tirelessly to get behind the determined Jermaine Grandison who was playing right-back. In fairness to Shrewsbury, for a team low in the league their defence showed strong organization when facing an attack that had destroyed many formidable opponents, and The Cherries just couldn't get in behind. That said, even when Bournemouth were on the break and looked like they might have a chance a Shrewsbury player would happily trip up the attacker and take the yellow card for the benefit of the team. Though only down by a goal, the attacking push never really came from Shrewsbury and Bournemouth's defence seemed at relative ease (apart from when Addison got the ball). In the last minute of injury time Bournemouth conceded a free kick in a relatively dangerous position, giving Shrewsbury one final chance to grab an equalizer. Fortunately for us, David James jumped up to claim the ball and confirm another win for Eddie Howe's men.

My Thoughts

The team made hard work of what could have been a relatively simple victory following such a prosperous opening to the match. Although I felt we deserved the win, there was a spark missing to our game that had been evident in all the other previous matches. I think that this is likely due to such a busy run of fixtures recently, and with many players also having played on Saturday, some of them probably needed a rest. That said, a win against Shrewsbury is something to be recognized because they were certainly not pushovers, and had we not started so brightly we could have had a really tough time trying to break down their defence. Furthermore, Shrewsbury had clearly done their homework on our attacking threats, as Grandison and Taylor defended superbly against Marc Pugh, reducing the extent of his impact on the game. People often say that the sign of a good team is when they don't play well and still win, and that is what the team did last night, getting the three points when not at their best. The boys can rest now, and then get ready for what is a tough match up at Doncaster on Saturday, though they have every reason to head into it intending to win.

Player Ratings

James: 7- Had very little to do, almost saved the penalty and most importantly won the ball from free-kick in the last minute. Provides a calm, experience presence that Jalal does not.

Francis: 7- Worked very hard and always there to support down the right when we are attacking. While his crossing is great his defensive positioning could do with a little work as he doesn't close down quick enough sometimes.

Elphick: 7- Played well and won all the balls that came near him, however when he plays with Addison he never performs to the best of his ability.

Addison: 6- When he plays our defence suddenly seems very ropey and good teams will take advantage of it. While he's sometimes good in the air, he gets beaten often and is prone to costly mistakes. Drop him and make him wake up a little, it's needed.

Daniels: 7- His link up play with Pugh is fantastic and there is real potential in that combination yet to be realized. The pacey Taylor gave him a tough time though and cross field balls sometimes caught him out of position. 

McQuoid: 7.5- Got another goal and is on fire in terms of scoring right now. Leaves a bit to be desired in terms of providing width, may be better off playing up front?

Arter: 9- Ran the game from midfield with another superb performance. He always provided an option for teammates and worked hard constantly. Notably for the second time in a row after getting a yellow he calmed himself and reacted maturely.

MacDonald: 7- Shaun is a talented player and last night he seemed to drop in a much deeper role. I think his best position has yet to be realized as he seems to go missing some times. That said, reliable passer and can make some quality tackles.

Pugh: 8- Even though he didn't have that much success in the game, defences are so scared of him that it changes how we play. Whenever he gets the ball he is a threat, and he can tear most right backs to shreds. Please sign a new contract Marc.

Barnard: 6- Right, I'll probably get criticism for this but this guy seriously doesn't do much for me. Admittedly his touch is fantastic whenever he is on the ball, but his impact on games is very small. He doesn't seem to get behind defences nor lurk on the edge of the area, might be sacrificing himself for the team but I'd like to see more from him.

Grabban: 7.5- Lewis has been a different player since Eddie returned. Under Groves he looked devoid of any ideas, but now his height and pace have become real weapons. Needs to improve his finishing, but he's becoming more of a threat each game.

Charlie Daniels grabs the opener

Cherries Blunt The Daggers

Report

Bournemouth's fine form continued this afternoon in the first round of the FA Cup against League Two opposition Dagenham & Redbridge. With a special offer of 10 pounds for adults and 1 pound for kids, a good sized crowd of around 5,800 turned up to watch a fine display of football from The Cherries. Approximately 150-200 Daggers fans made the (relatively) short journey south, although it probably felt a lot longer on the way home.

On a cold but clear afternoon Bournemouth headed into this game full of confidence on the back of 3 wins and a draw in their past four games. Under new manager Eddie Howe the side has completely transformed, notably scoring 10 goals in his 3 games in charge. Howe made three changes to the team that lined up at Carlisle on Saturday, as Jalal, Cook and Tubbs replaced James, Addison and Barnard respectively. The game started out quite scrappy, with Dagenham gaining quite a firm foothold in the match and limiting the Cherries' chances to get the ball forward. When Bournemouth actually got the ball, the Dagenham players were keen to pressure them and limit their time to make a decision and create something. The first half wasn't a good advert for lower league football, with a lot of hoofing and hit and hope passes being played by both sides. Bournemouth had a couple of corners, but seemed determined to make a short corner routine work, but unfortunately each time it came to nothing. The first real chance fell to the in-form Josh McQuoid, who ran in from the right side of the box to meet a cross, only to tamely volley the ball wide of the posts. However, it was to be McQuoid who broke the deadlock after 30 minutes, good work from Lewis Grabban resulted in him passing it to the onrushing McQuoid, who hit the ball into the net with a left footed strike despite the desperate attempts of the Dagenham defenders. As the half progressed, Bournemouth started to dominate proceedings, with Dagenham seemingly happy to keep 10 men behind the ball and get to half-time. Despite all the possession, Bournemouth were struggling to undo a stout Daggers defence and the teams headed in at half-time with the score 1-0.

The second half saw the introduction of former Bournemouth goalkeeper Jordan Seabright, who made his Dagenham debut replacing the (possibly) injured Chris Lewington. As many expected, Bournemouth were started out the second half with an attacking edge to their game, and they tried to break down the hard working Daggers. Seabright was involved early and even made a couple of good saves to keep Dagenham in it. The second goal came following a fantastic through ball to Francis, whom was denied one on one by a great save from Seabright, but the ball unfortunately fell to Marc Pugh who sprinted to the thunder the ball into the back of the net. Around 3 Dagenham players flung their bodies at the ball but they could not stop Pugh's placed finish from close distance. Facing an exit from the FA Cup, John Still's men tried to push on forward but found it difficult to maintain possession against a confident Bournemouth side. Bournemouth were able to push the ball around of both sides of the pitch, stretching a tiring Dagenham side as the Cherries looked for a third goal to kill the game off. The third goal came twenty minutes after the second in the 79th minute, as that man Josh McQuoid struck once again. A cross from Simon Francis came to the waiting McQuoid, who hit a peach of a volley past the diving Seabright and into the left corner of the goal. By then the game was pretty much over barring an Arsenal-esque recovery from Dagenham. In fairness, Dagenham did have a 5 or ten minute period where they had Bournemouth defending, but it never felt like there was a real threat present. Substitute Wes Fogden finished off the scoring with a classy goal in the 90th minute; after receiving the ball and attacking down the right wing, he cut into the penalty box, took the ball onto his left foot and shot the ball right into the bottom left hand corner of the goal. 4-0, thank you and goodnight.

McQuoid grabbed a brace today

My Thoughts

Today I had the rare pleasure of sitting in the North Stand as the FA Cup ticket thing meant my Main Stand Season Ticket wasn't valid, and what a great game to be there. It's interesting having a different view because I can see what different players do, what they contribute and different elements of the tactics being employed. I was very impressed with the defence today, Cook is very composed on the ball yet also strong when attacked, and I think he deserves a chance over Addison. Once more Daniels and Francis were outstanding, their attacking threat is very important to our game and they impressed me today going forward. The midfield was efficient as it has been in the previous games, although I felt the centre of midfield was missing in the first half. MacDonald had a great second half though, Pugh set up numerous chances and McQuoid of course delivered a brace. Some may disagree with me but I was disappointed with Tubbs' performance today, he seemed to go missing in the first half and the defenders seemed to have the better of him throughout. In contrast, Lewis Grabban had his best performance of the season; he turned defenders inside out, constantly won headers and held up the ball whenever he got it, more of the same please Lewis!

With all due respect to Dagenham- who are a club I have the utmost respect for- today was a game we should have won, and the players duly delivered. Scoring 16 goals in the past 5 games is very encouraging, and it feels like Eddie has once again brought the attacking, fast paced style back that Bournemouth fans love. Yes, the team will face tougher challenges this season but they did well to break down an organized and strong opposition who had come with a very defensive mentality. Eddie Howe certainly faces a selection dilemma for Tuesday, when struggling Shrewsbury make the trip south to Dean Court. Lets hope we get a favourable draw tomorrow, remember we are number 11.  Up The Cherries!

Shrewsbury await on Tuesday

Goals Galore As Bournemouth Renew A Rivalry

The Match

On Tuesday Bournemouth headed to Nottingham on the back of two comfortable wins, though Notts County presented a difficult challenge for the Cherries. After going two nil down, it seemed bleak for Bournemouth, but a great comeback to make it 2-2, and then once more coming from behind after Notts County scored a penalty capped off a good performance from Eddie Howe's men. Unfortunately I couldn't make this match, having sixth form the next day, but a respectable following of 208 Cherries made the long trip north to watch a fantastic game of football. It also brought back memories of the 2009/10 and 2010/11 season when Eddie Howe's old Bournemouth team built up quite the rivalry with Notts County, not forgetting when Bournemouth lost 3-0 at Meadow Lane and Eddie Mitchell went into the changing room...

Bournemouth celebrate a goal on Tuesday

My Thoughts

After such a disappointing run of away games, it is nice to get a solid point at a promotion contender and feel deserving of it. Encouragingly, all three goals came from defensive mistakes, whether that be a backpass or a foul. Unlike if teams were simply cutting us apart and scoring from open play, silly mistakes can be easily corrected from training together and putting in the work to improve the defence's cooperation. With Eddie in charge, the whole team seems to me completely revitalized, but it will take time to completely transform the team into playing "Eddie's Way". As Howe said "we have a bad habit of passing the ball backwards" something leftover from the Groves' regime, if we can play with a faster tempo the team will become much more effective in their possession of the ball. Similar to when he was last in charge, Howe clearly wants to utilize the width of the pitch and get an abundance of crosses into the box. The game on Tuesday saw the return of Donal McDermott, and his extraordinary back-heel pass to set up a goal exemplified the enormous potential that he has. With Pugh and McDermott attacking down the wing, whoever is starting up front should have numerous chances every game to put the ball into the back of the net.

There are still a lot of things to be improved, and it will take a while before this team can reach it's potential, but Eddie and Jason having changed the teams attitude for the better. Hopefully, as proven against Notts County, the players can build a team spirit and determination like the team of 2010-11.

The Future

A tough, long trip all the way up to Carlisle awaits on Saturday, presenting Bournemouth with another difficult match. However, Howe's men have every reason to go into this game full of confidence, as Carlisle only sit 4 points above them in the League Table. Although Carlisle grabbed a win on Tuesday, they have been on a bad run of form recently, where as Bournemouth have finally started playing well. With danger man Lee Miller out, the Cherries defence can turn its attention to Joe Garner and Matty Robson, whom both have 4 goals each so far. Realistically, a point would be another good return from this match, but a win is still a possibility.

Forward Joe Garner is one to watch for The Cumbrians