Dec 12 FA Cup Second Round Replay AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Bristol Rovers Att: 4153

Last updated : 15 December 2006 By Andy Burton
FA Cup
What can anyone say about this game? I felt so annoyed about the performance and apparent lack of committment, it's taken me a few days to calm down again! Especially coming so soon after the Port Vale fiasco some 3 days earlier.

Let me get something straight in my head .......... we were at home? We were not playing away? The way we played, it seemed that we were the away side as we looked scared and timid. The passing of the ball was non-existent more often than not either a simple pass went out for a Rovers throw, or straight to a Rovers player! It seemed that the elementary basics had been forgotten by most of those wearing red and black!

For long stretches in this game, Rovers just piled forward with little end product. Our absent midfield was no where to stop them, just inviting more pressure on our beleagured back line and keeper. Thankfully Rovers had left their shooting boots back in Bristol!

We did create a few chances, but were largely restricted to long range efforts which were only going to disturb the pigeons on top of the North Stand, or in the trees at the open end!

It was no surprise when Rovers did get their goal, but what school boy defending it was to allow the ball in! A corner from in front of their own fans was glanced goal wards at the near post. With no one on that post the ball found its way in to the back of the net with no problem at all. No defender attacked the ball and Moss didn't have to move an inch - except to pick it out from the back of the net. Walker was that man at the near post in the 64th minute.

We huffed and puffed, but came no where to equalising, and when the ball did end up in the back of the Rovers net, the goal was ruled out for a push in the area! That in the 93rd minute of time!! Agony!

But then we should not have been in that position to start with. Proper defending, closing down and more challenges, and Rovers would never have had it so easy to stroll up and down the pitch. As it was, we made it eas for them.

On this kind of performance we WILL be a struggling League Two side next season - that is as clear as anything.

VERY DISAPPOINTING.

Man Of The Match
Neil Young wins my man of the match nomination. At least he tried.

AFCB: Moss, Young, Gowling, Broadhurst, Hart, Connolly, Anderton, Cooper, Hollands, Fletcher, Hayter.
Subs: Stewart, Howe, Ainsworth (for Cooper, 67 mins), Vokes (for Hart, 79 mins), Pitman (for Fletcher, 79 mins)
Andy Burton, Portsmouth