Yet another minutes silence for the Queen Mother preceded the kick-off but the Cherries started brightly. After 9 minutes Hayter was brought down just outside the box only for Feeney to blast over the bar from the resulting free-kick. Five minutes later Hayter’s cross found Holmes in space. Holmes found Feeney and for a second we thought it was in, but Goodlad in the Vale goal had managed to scrape it off the line.
Vale, looking like they are, a team with nothing to play for, went through the motions but didn’t make a half chance until nearly half an hour gone when Burns headed harmlessly over the bar.
The best chance of the first period came on 43 minutes when Feeney did well to control a through ball from Purches but his shot was just wide.
The half ended to a deserved chorus of boos from the meagre home ‘crowd‘.
Five minutes after the break, having confirmed that my bet on the Grand National was another loser, Holmes latched onto Hayter’s corner only to blaze well over the bar.
Stewart had had a quiet time in the Cherries’ goal but still managed to make an all too familiar mistake when he mis-punched a deep cross from Carragher. Thankfully the Valiants’ finishing remained woeful and Bridge-Wilkinson sliced his shot high and wide.
Another Hayter corner on 67 minutes came to Maher whose shot was saved and the ensuing scramble saw the ball finally cleared by the Vale defence. This led to possibly the home side’s best chance when sub McClare broke free only to hit yet another shot high over the bar. It was starting to look more like a rugby match.
Stephen Cooke was impressive throughout and after 70 minutes his 25 yard curled free-kick had Goodlad scrambling to make a good save. It’s a pity that some of the permanent players didn’t show the same passion and application as the on-loan Cooke.
Hayter and Feeney both missed half-chances as the game faded into a nil-nil draw. Certainly only one team was really interested in winning the game but Bournemouth lacked the skill and invention to overcome a very poor Vale side.
With only 2 games to go and a miracle needed it’s time to get out the atlas and plan the route to Carlisle and Torquay.
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AFCB: Stewart, Purches, Tindall, Maher, Young, Elliott, Cooke, C Fletcher, Hayter, Feeney, Holmes
Subs: Menetrier, Stock (on for Cooke on 86 mins), Thomas (on for 86 mins), Foyewa, McAnespie
Clive Loader, Putney