Match Report: Three Cherries, a couple of nudges & no midfield

[Olé]

We had few reasons to expect much from promotion chasing Bournemouth yet despite  three Cherries goals in a row, City nudged in front in the first minute & nudged back into contention in the last minute, and despite a one sided game can lay claim to an unlikely robbery given that referee Steve Martin - he of the Alex Scott stonewall home to Forest - also ignored a blatant Chris Martin penalty.

Rob Atkinson headed in a first minute corner but the hosts probed continually, Cundy the stand out defender - the weight of chances ultimately too much as the Cherries pulled one back before half time and pulled away in the second half. Yet City held on and with sub Massengo started to counter - star man Martin denied a clear penalty but eventually Weimann scoring a last minute consolation.

It took time to pass security and fill up City's sold out away end which meant fans were all still pouring into the stand as a corner in the first minute found Rob Atkinson bundling it over the line - exactly the pandemonium needed to unsettle a plastic sat down home side - and yet Bournemouth stayed focused on their strengths and delivered crosses into the box that Cundy attacked to head away.

On the half hour Zemura found space down the left and swept the ball into the middle - but Billing steered his shot well wide of the far post. On 38 Cundy executed a brilliant last gasp tackle after Scott over elaborated and allowed Bournemouth to break yet in a minute they were level Zemura again getting into space, crossing to where top scorer Solanke got ahead of a marker to stab home.

After the break the hosts returned looking to secure all 3 points and within minutes they nearly went in front as Solanke met an early second half corner and nearly turned in at the far post, Atkinson clearing off the line. Next Lerma met an Anthony long ball from the left to volley top corner forcing Bentley to parry over - but from the corner a ball to the edge of the box saw Cook fire into the lead.

Bournemouth looked well set to go further in front and Smith got down the right to cross low into the box but City somehow hooked the ball clear from the six yard box despite attempts from Billing and Zemura to finish. Massengo entered for Pring and the largely anonymous visitors started to find time on the break. This culminated with Chris Martin being shoved over in the box yet no decision.

Referee Steve Moron had already ignored a blatant penalty shout for Alex Scott at home to Nottingham Forest earlier in the season - and now he had his second. In minutes Andi Weimann did get clear on the right and tried to feed Wells & Massengo, who couldn't get a shot away and Martin recycled the ball to DaSilva whose desperate shot was blocked.

After just 72 City were starting to find their response and DaSilva got space on the left to excute a perfect low drilled cross which Martin turned goalwards and home keeper Travers somehow kept off the line down at the near post, the ball spinning clear where Martin prone on the floor couldn't convert and Travers had just enough time to claim at the second attempt in front of away fans.

City somehow in a game they were second best in - yet inside the last ten they rightly went further behind as Dembele weaved a way through defenders from the left before applying a finish. It could have been 4 after Wells got to the byline and cut back to the edge of the box where Weimann could not control and Bournemouth broke - Solanke setting up Christie to drive wide of goal.

In injury time City aimed long and Conway - on for star defender Cundy - got time to slip down the right and drill a low cross into the six yard box which top scorer Weimann saw and lasered in on to slam home. For several minutes the away side were thinking a late equaliser but by now Bournemouth's silent home fans were tucked into their seats and quietly waving clappers waiting for the win.

 

Bentley 7

Cundy 8

Atkinson 7

Klose 7

DaSilva 6

Pring 5 

James 5

Scott 5

Weimann 6

Wells 5

Martin 7

 

Massengo 7

Conway 6

[Mr Chappers]

Good report as ever. Bournemouth May have plastic fans, but objects on the pitch (again) and bundling over an older lady in ‘celebration’ are hardly things to be proud of. Someone is going to get seriously hurt soon.

[Silvio Dante]

To be fair Rob, security was no worse than normal and as anticipated (metal detector, pat down). I came in about half two and it was done in two minutes.

The surge in or around kick off, and those who entered at that time, appeared to be in the main people who were tanked and wanted an argument with the stewards. I saw you come in and I think you got the back end of that, but we need to say it for what it was - we had a lot of pissed up latecomers. No issue with that in itself, it’s part of the day for some, but it means the risk of missing the early part of the game for everyone arriving late ish always exists.

And pedantry - it was four minutes in

[Olé]

2 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

 

we had a lot of pissed up latecomers

You're 100% right with your description and defence of the stewards - I've been all over the country and they were the nicest and most sensible I've ever dealt with. 

[East Londoner]

One thing i noticed from the penalty appeal was it was almost a halfhearted appeal. Only really Martin and Weimann made any sort of appeal and we need to make it more difficult for the referee like pretty much every other team does

You're right about the stewarding outside the ground but inside it was very socially distanced and did nothing to move our idiots who were blocking virtually all the exits. 

[Atyeo's lift]

Great report, as ever, but I don't think Atkinson 'bundled it over the line'. It was a clear,  accurate header which their goalie only managed to get a hand to.

[AshtonGreat]

10 hours ago, Olé said:

We had few reasons to expect much from promotion chasing Bournemouth yet despite  three Cherries goals in a row, City nudged in front in the first minute & nudged back into contention in the last minute, and despite a one sided game can lay claim to an unlikely robbery given that referee Steve Martin - he of the Alex Scott stonewall home to Forest - also ignored a blatant Chris Martin penalty.

Rob Atkinson headed in a first minute corner but the hosts probed continually, Cundy the stand out defender - the weight of chances ultimately too much as the Cherries pulled one back before half time and pulled away in the second half. Yet City held on and with sub Massengo started to counter - star man Martin denied a clear penalty but eventually Weimann scoring a last minute consolation.

It took time to pass security and fill up City's sold out away end which meant fans were all still pouring into the stand as a corner in the first minute found Rob Atkinson bundling it over the line - exactly the pandemonium needed to unsettle a plastic sat down home side - and yet Bournemouth stayed focused on their strengths and delivered crosses into the box that Cundy attacked to head away.

On the half hour Zemura found space down the left and swept the ball into the middle - but Billing steered his shot well wide of the far post. On 38 Cundy executed a brilliant last gasp tackle after Scott over elaborated and allowed Bournemouth to break yet in a minute they were level Zemura again getting into space, crossing to where top scorer Solanke got ahead of a marker to stab home.

After the break the hosts returned looking to secure all 3 points and within minutes they nearly went in front as Solanke met an early second half corner and nearly turned in at the far post, Atkinson clearing off the line. Next Lerma met an Anthony long ball from the left to volley top corner forcing Bentley to parry over - but from the corner a ball to the edge of the box saw Cook fire into the lead.

Bournemouth looked well set to go further in front and Smith got down the right to cross low into the box but City somehow hooked the ball clear from the six yard box despite attempts from Billing and Zemura to finish. Massengo entered for Pring and the largely anonymous visitors started to find time on the break. This culminated with Chris Martin being shoved over in the box yet no decision.

Referee Steve Moron had already ignored a blatant penalty shout for Alex Scott at home to Nottingham Forest earlier in the season - and now he had his second. In minutes Andi Weimann did get clear on the right and tried to feed Wells & Massengo, who couldn't get a shot away and Martin recycled the ball to DaSilva whose desperate shot was blocked.

After just 72 City were starting to find their response and DaSilva got space on the left to excute a perfect low drilled cross which Martin turned goalwards and home keeper Travers somehow kept off the line down at the near post, the ball spinning clear where Martin prone on the floor couldn't convert and Travers had just enough time to claim at the second attempt in front of away fans.

City somehow in a game they were second best in - yet inside the last ten they rightly went further behind as Dembele weaved a way through defenders from the left before applying a finish. It could have been 4 after Wells got to the byline and cut back to the edge of the box where Weimann could not control and Bournemouth broke - Solanke setting up Christie to drive wide of goal.

In injury time City aimed long and Conway - on for star defender Cundy - got time to slip down the right and drill a low cross into the six yard box which top scorer Weimann saw and lasered in on to slam home. For several minutes the away side were thinking a late equaliser but by now Bournemouth's silent home fans were tucked into their seats and quietly waving clappers waiting for the win.

 

Bentley 7

Cundy 8

Atkinson 7

Klose 7

DaSilva 6

Pring 5 

James 5

Scott 5

Weimann 6

Wells 5

Martin 7

 

Massengo 7

Conway 6

Having watched the three sloppy goals we gave away, those scores seem quite high for the defenders. I didn't see the whole game, but we made it easy for Bournemouth it seems

[East Londoner]

2 minutes ago, AshtonGreat said:

Having watched the three sloppy goals we gave away, those scores seem quite high for the defenders. I didn't see the whole game, but we made it easy for Bournemouth it seems

In fairness it was wave after wave of attacks as we had no midfield until Massengo came on so is pretty fair imo

[italian dave]

Good report as always @Olé.
Not quite up to their performance at Ashton Gate, but got to say that I did enjoy watching Bournemouth.

Agree with you that HNM (or, at least, and extra body in midfield) made a difference and I was surprised by some of the stick he got on the matchday thread. We did start to string together more than one pass going forward after he came on. 

Giving up control of midfield from the outset, along with playing totally inappropriate players at RB/RWB seems to be becoming a bit of a theme. 

I was going to say the same as @Silvio Dante - the last minute surge had nothing to do with security outside the ground and everything to do with people being determined to drink as much as possible until one minute to 3. 

@AshtonGreat - I felt this was another instance where the goals we conceded were much more about the quality of the opposition than the quality of our defence. The second was poor, granted, but I felt the first and the third were just good goals, simple as. The first was their crisp, direct passing at its best and the third was just a great run - if we’d scored one like that we’d be putting it the goals of the season table! 

[AshtonGreat]

5 minutes ago, italian dave said:

Good report as always @Olé.
Not quite up to their performance at Ashton Gate, but got to say that I did enjoy watching Bournemouth.

Agree with you that HNM (or, at least, and extra body in midfield) made a difference and I was surprised by some of the stick he got on the matchday thread. We did start to string together more than one pass going forward after he came on. 

Giving up control of midfield from the outset, along with playing totally inappropriate players at RB/RWB seems to be becoming a bit of a theme. 

I was going to say the same as @Silvio Dante - the last minute surge had nothing to do with security outside the ground and everything to do with people being determined to drink as much as possible until one minute to 3. 

@AshtonGreat - I felt this was another instance where the goals we conceded were much more about the quality of the opposition than the quality of our defence. The second was poor, granted, but I felt the first and the third were just good goals, simple as. The first was their crisp, direct passing at its best and the third was just a great run - if we’d scored one like that we’d be putting it the goals of the season table! 

Just looked at it again. To be honest, I have the opposite view. I think the second goal was a great strike, but goals one and three could definitely have been avoided with more robust defending, especially from Scott. Mind you, Pearson's formation was probably all wrong for an away game at Bournemouth. Two up top and no Massengo?

[italian dave]

6 minutes ago, AshtonGreat said:

Just looked at it again. To be honest, I have the opposite view. I think the second goal was a great strike, but goals one and three could definitely have been avoided with more robust defending, especially from Scott. Mind you, Pearson's formation was probably all wrong for an away game at Bournemouth. Two up top and no Massengo?

Second just felt a bit soft from that far out. 

First was just what Bmouth do well. Scott didn’t get a foot in because the pass was made so quickly, first time. And it wasn’t a hopeful pass, he knew just where he wanted it to go. And did it instantly. 

Third one - from the moment he gets in the box (yes, arguably Scott could have done better/brought him down outside the box) “robust” defending becomes a massive risk of giving away a penalty, especially against that sort of tricky run. 

Just different people, different views though, that’s what makes football what it is! 

[AshtonGreat]

22 minutes ago, italian dave said:

Second just felt a bit soft from that far out. 

First was just what Bmouth do well. Scott didn’t get a foot in because the pass was made so quickly, first time. And it wasn’t a hopeful pass, he knew just where he wanted it to go. And did it instantly. 

Third one - from the moment he gets in the box (yes, arguably Scott could have done better/brought him down outside the box) “robust” defending becomes a massive risk of giving away a penalty, especially against that sort of tricky run. 

Just different people, different views though, that’s what makes football what it is! 

All fair points Dave!

[RedM]

I thought it was one of our better performances on the whole. It was an enjoyable match but even when we scored early you knew that wasn’t going to be the score for long. The longer the match went on in the first half I thought we almost matched them, but as I said I was never very confident. They seemed to have corner after corner but we held them. If we could have got to HT still in front their belief might have drained, but they never looked like a team that lacked in confidence.

They certainly dominated us in the second half. I wouldn’t have subbed off Cundy when we did personally. I thought Martin worked hard and Nakhi did some clever stuff at times but not really on the same wavelength as some of the players around him. Alex Scott again looked a shadow of what he has previously been. Jay put in a few decent crosses. Weimann looked to deep again. 

Bournemouth had tall, quick players and the game was played at pace which was enjoyable. It looks like they will get promoted along with Fulham and the Premiership will again have two sets of the most forced, plastic, fans back. 

Our fans. The majority fully well behaved but again it’s the idiots who let us down. After a full pat down search, bag search and being wanded we got in. I heard of a lone female had to even have her boots checked. But there were blokes by me who were openly drinking thatchers gold from cans they got in, how the hell?

Two objects were thrown on the pitch, a water bottle and before that a plastic glass of cider. There was also a flare when we score but it was let off in the middle of the crowd fairly low down which badly affected a lot of less able people.

Quite a lot of ‘lads’ arrived late, they couldn’t or didn’t go up the back of the stand where they usually gather. Instead they stood on the steps and stayed down the front. They spent most of the time goading the Bournmouth players if they came near ( it was almost touching distance from the pitch) and then they turned on the few Stewards who were trying to get them to stop and find seats. Soon the Stewards gave up and the fans just stayed at this low level. Lots of our less able fans had chosen to sit pitchside and they of course couldn’t see a thing, a few scuffles then broke out bweeen our fans. At HT I saw a few of our fans trying to ask the stewards to move the fans away. I think the feeling was it was ‘safer’ to let them stay there than insist they move. Many of us thinking probably the Stewards aren’t paid enough to want to get involved, Agency staff etc. If there had been a serious incident they all looked like they would have ran a mile and can’t blame them against a load of drunken, and/or coked up aggressive idiots.

 

[East Londoner]

1 hour ago, RedM said:

I thought it was one of our better performances on the whole. It was an enjoyable match but even when we scored early you knew that wasn’t going to be the score for long. The longer the match went on in the first half I thought we almost matched them, but as I said I was never very confident. They seemed to have corner after corner but we held them. If we could have got to HT still in front their belief might have drained, but they never looked like a team that lacked in confidence.

They certainly dominated us in the second half. I wouldn’t have subbed off Cundy when we did personally. I thought Martin worked hard and Nakhi did some clever stuff at times but not really on the same wavelength as some of the players around him. Alex Scott again looked a shadow of what he has previously been. Jay put in a few decent crosses. Weimann looked to deep again. 

Bournemouth had tall, quick players and the game was played at pace which was enjoyable. It looks like they will get promoted along with Fulham and the Premiership will again have two sets of the most forced, plastic, fans back. 

Our fans. The majority fully well behaved but again it’s the idiots who let us down. After a full pat down search, bag search and being wanded we got in. I heard of a lone female had to even have her boots checked. But there were blokes by me who were openly drinking thatchers gold from cans they got in, how the hell?

Two objects were thrown on the pitch, a water bottle and before that a plastic glass of cider. There was also a flare when we score but it was let off in the middle of the crowd fairly low down which badly affected a lot of less able people.

Quite a lot of ‘lads’ arrived late, they couldn’t or didn’t go up the back of the stand where they usually gather. Instead they stood on the steps and stayed down the front. They spent most of the time goading the Bournmouth players if they came near ( it was almost touching distance from the pitch) and then they turned on the few Stewards who were trying to get them to stop and find seats. Soon the Stewards gave up and the fans just stayed at this low level. Lots of our less able fans had chosen to sit pitchside and they of course couldn’t see a thing, a few scuffles then broke out bweeen our fans. At HT I saw a few of our fans trying to ask the stewards to move the fans away. I think the feeling was it was ‘safer’ to let them stay there than insist they move. Many of us thinking probably the Stewards aren’t paid enough to want to get involved, Agency staff etc. If there had been a serious incident they all looked like they would have ran a mile and can’t blame them against a load of drunken, and/or coked up aggressive idiots.

 

One good thing if you can call it that SLO Jerry was a couple of rows behind me and it’s fair to say he didn’t look impressed and i didn’t see him again after the flare was let off. What power he actually has remains to be seen 

[RedM]

35 minutes ago, East Londoner said:

One good thing if you can call it that SLO Jerry was a couple of rows behind me and it’s fair to say he didn’t look impressed and i didn’t see him again after the flare was let off. What power he actually has remains to be seen 

He certainly was caught up in the flare. He said he looked around and could see absolutely nothing but red. No he wasn’t happy and was very concerned for people around him.

Not sure what he can do as SLO. We have stewards on the coaches now, but I’m sure flares don’t get used by anyone on the official coaches on the whole. If Stewards with intensive searches don’t find them, see my post about cans of Thatches getting in, then how can our SLO help as such? 

Difficult job for the stewards as we said. If someone is determined to conceal a flare in their boxers would you want to be feeling around some drunk/coked up idiot for the minimum wage?

[Mr Chappers]

6 hours ago, RedM said:

I thought it was one of our better performances on the whole. It was an enjoyable match but even when we scored early you knew that wasn’t going to be the score for long. The longer the match went on in the first half I thought we almost matched them, but as I said I was never very confident. They seemed to have corner after corner but we held them. If we could have got to HT still in front their belief might have drained, but they never looked like a team that lacked in confidence.

They certainly dominated us in the second half. I wouldn’t have subbed off Cundy when we did personally. I thought Martin worked hard and Nakhi did some clever stuff at times but not really on the same wavelength as some of the players around him. Alex Scott again looked a shadow of what he has previously been. Jay put in a few decent crosses. Weimann looked to deep again. 

Bournemouth had tall, quick players and the game was played at pace which was enjoyable. It looks like they will get promoted along with Fulham and the Premiership will again have two sets of the most forced, plastic, fans back. 

Our fans. The majority fully well behaved but again it’s the idiots who let us down. After a full pat down search, bag search and being wanded we got in. I heard of a lone female had to even have her boots checked. But there were blokes by me who were openly drinking thatchers gold from cans they got in, how the hell?

Two objects were thrown on the pitch, a water bottle and before that a plastic glass of cider. There was also a flare when we score but it was let off in the middle of the crowd fairly low down which badly affected a lot of less able people.

Quite a lot of ‘lads’ arrived late, they couldn’t or didn’t go up the back of the stand where they usually gather. Instead they stood on the steps and stayed down the front. They spent most of the time goading the Bournmouth players if they came near ( it was almost touching distance from the pitch) and then they turned on the few Stewards who were trying to get them to stop and find seats. Soon the Stewards gave up and the fans just stayed at this low level. Lots of our less able fans had chosen to sit pitchside and they of course couldn’t see a thing, a few scuffles then broke out bweeen our fans. At HT I saw a few of our fans trying to ask the stewards to move the fans away. I think the feeling was it was ‘safer’ to let them stay there than insist they move. Many of us thinking probably the Stewards aren’t paid enough to want to get involved, Agency staff etc. If there had been a serious incident they all looked like they would have ran a mile and can’t blame them against a load of drunken, and/or coked up aggressive idiots.

 

Spot on. At some point the EFL need to consider safety in away areas, standing in areas designed for seating is far less safe than standing in areas designed for that purpose. I’ve seen quite a few older people bundled over after a goal has been scored, and at some point, somebody will get seriously hurt.

Simple solution is safe standing areas, but that’s probably too easy, and football authorities seem blinkered towards all seater stadia, then ignoring the fact that most away supporters are standing. 

[Jerseybean]

I knew that they were dominant throughout but this stat from the EP really surprised me: in the first half Bournemouth made 358 passes to our 95! 

[italian dave]

1 hour ago, Jerseybean said:

I knew that they were dominant throughout but this stat from the EP really surprised me: in the first half Bournemouth made 358 passes to our 95! 

Interesting, thanks for posting. Although I’d have to say that the only thing that surprises me is that we managed as many as 95! 

I said on another thread that I thought they competed 10 passes for every one we did; that was a bit of an exaggeration, but I’d have seriously put it at 5. They passed it brilliantly, and we didn’t! 

[Jerseybean]

Not sure if it counts as a pass when we - all to often - pass it to the opposition!