In a somewhat lively start, the first chance fell to the visitors when Steve Fletcher’s header from James Hayter's deep cross found the top of the net as early as the second minute.
This, however, proved to be little more than a wake up call for the home side, who responded with a number of breaks where the pace of Allison and Forlan was a constant threat to the
Bournemouth responded by switching over Steve Purches and Frankie Simek which gave them a little more balance and stability. The rest of the half had an ebb and flow about it, with neither side really being able to stamp their authority on a game that was punctuated far too often by the over fussy referee, Mr. Probert. Bournemouth did, however, carve out two opportunities of note as first a rasping Stock volley was well held by the keeper and just before half time John Spicer chased what appeared to be lost cause in a foot race with the keeper, but as he tried to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick John got the better of him and pulled the ball back to James Hayter who had the simple task of side footing the ball into the empty net. Unfortunately, he went for power and sliced it off the outside of his boot.
HT: 1-0
With half time came the first replacement as Neil Young took over from Simek and within two minutes
The goal appeared to give the Cherries a surge of confidence as chances fell in quick succession to Stock, O'Connor, Purches and Hayter but it was not to be until the sixty-third minute that we were to get our rewards. O'Connor was fouled outside the angle of the penalty box and Stocky stepped to curl a sublime free kick that had the keeper flapping at air as it flew into the top corner of the net. All the more remarkable, really, when it came from possibly the only free kick that the referee saw fit to give us in an attacking position all afternoon.
Not to be outdone, however, he appeared to be determined to give Chesterfield every opportunity to get back into the game with a succession of free kicks around the Bournemouth box and it was from one of these that the equaliser came in the seventy-sixth minute. As the ball came into the area it was cleared for a corner and after a bit of handbags between Mossy and the Spireite forwards, the kick was taken and Blatherwick was able, once again, to rise almost unchallenged at the far post.
The game appeared to be running out of time with both sides being happy to settle for a point when Sean played his final cards, bringing on Alan Connell and Shaun Maher for Wade Elliott and O'Connor. As the clock wound down, Connell chased after a terrific cross field ball from Stock into the corner, turned and placed a pinpoint cross onto the head of Fletch who, coming in like a steam train, buried the ball in the back of the net. Cue celebrations on the terraces behind the goal where the
Bookings for Young (perhaps harsh), Matt Mills (perhaps lucky only yellow for pulling back an opponent when it was difficult to work out who the covering defender was) and Fletch (for celebrating the goal by removing his shirt) could not take the gloss of this one, the eleventh win on the road this season. Why can we not do this at FFDC?
Easy! Steve Fletcher, not just for two crucial goals, but also for a terrific all round energetic performance and leading by example. Was this his best ever game in a
AFCB: Moss, Simek, Mills, Howe, Purches, Elliott, Spicer, Stock, O'Connor, Fletcher, Hayter
Subs: Stewart, Young (on for Simek, 45), Maher (for Elliott, 89), Connell (on for O'Connor, 86), Browning.
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