Aug 9 AFC Bournemouth 1-1 Hartlepool United Att: 5406

Last updated : 09 August 2005 By Andy Burton
With Steve Fletcher missing from the side (injured back), Dani Rodrigues gained a rare start and in the end earned the Cherries a deserved point at Dean Court this evening.

The first half was largely forgetable, as both sides failed to carve out too many openings. The best of the chances fell to Hartlepool who forced Neil Moss in to a great diving save (forcing a corner) as the Bournemouth keeper dived to his right side to deny a certain goal!

At the othe end, the Bournemouth front line looked tame to say the least. Chances were created, but were either wide of the mark, straight at the keeper, or poor crosses which were never going to trouble Konstantopoulos in the 'Pool goal!

The second half was much brighter from the start! Bournemouth came out having had a rocket fired at them (I'm sure) by the management, but the early momentum didn't last as Bullock picked up a poor clearning header from Maher. He simply chested the ball down and volleyed home from the edge of the penalty area!

Not detered Bournemouth came right back at Hartlepool and really should have equalised when we had a 4-on-2 situation. Unfortunately Spicer went for goal by himself, forcing Konstantopoulos in to fisting the ball over his own cross bar!

Reward came in the 64th minute when Spicer fed a lovely through ball to Rodrigues, beating the off-side trap, for a one-on-one with the keeper. He fired home, off the inside of the far post for his first goal of the new season.

A winner should have been Bournemouth's when the ball fell to Maher inside the 6-yard box. Unfortunately I doubt whether he knew much about the ball coming off him as the ball fell kindly to Konstantopoulos to collect safely!

I simply wasn't to be this evening!! A draw was the fair result leaving Bournemouth without a home win since February 22nd (against Torquay United).

Man Of The Match
Brian Stock for all his hard work in midfield.

AFCB: Moss, Young, Howe, Maher, O'Connor, Surman, Stock, Browning, Spicer, Hayter, Rodrigues
Subs: Stewart, Cooke (for Rodrigues, 85), Coutts, Gowling, Hudson