March 17 AFC Bournemouth 1-0 Millwall Att: 7194

Last updated : 19 March 2007 By Simon Newsham
It was just like going back to the seventies, hearing that banal and not completely accurate chant again. Factually Millwall are from The Den albeit a newer version but there was nothing super about them this afternoon. Billed as one of the form teams in the division they lacked any threat.

Man Of The Match
Bournemouths defence led by man of the match Young easily coped with the Millwall advances and the midfield genius of Anderton helped by Marc Wilson who had an excellent game kept the Cherries going forward most of the afternoon.

It was Anderton who got the only goal of this game on 19 minutes when persistent Steven Purches won a throw in on the left corner flag. Wilsons long throw was headed on by Fletcher at the near post causing panic among the Millwall defence, keeper Lenny Pidgeley punched the ball clear but the ball fell invitingly to Anderton who drove it goalbound from the edge of the area with a left foot volley which made the net bulge.

Pidgeley had been caught out posting on a Millwall Website message board recently and received advice such as "why don't you try catching a ball?" Wise words indeed, his ineffectual punch gifting Anderton a well taken goal.

The second half started with more seventies retro, a toilet roll came from the Millwall crowd behind Neil Moss's goal and draped over the crossbar in a vision that harkened back to a time when footballers had big sideburns and bad fashion sense. Almost immediately a long punt upfield went out for a goal kick and Moss in clearing the toilet roll from the goal area incurred the wrath of some Millwall followers who hurled several coins in his direction. Moss picked up his "win bonus" from his penalty box and wasn't trouble again in the match. There was more seventies revival with twenty minutes to go when Hayter who had not really been in the game in his midfield role got into a tangle with Hackett resulting in a "drop ball", a contested drop ball, when was the last time you saw one of those at Dean Court?

The only danger for the Cherries came when Neil Harris's shot destined for the car park hit Byfield on the back, looped over Moss but went wide of the goal. It would have been a travesty if Millwall had got anything from this game, the Cherries should have comfortably won by three nil if only on loan David McGoldrick had found the target, his best chance, when put through for a one on one with Pidgeley but was ended when he was caught by centre half Elliott, the referee Olivier had a good game but may have made a mistake in not pointing to the spot.

Millwall boss Willy Donachie said after the match "we failed to create a worthwhile chance throughout the whole game". I'm not going to argue with him.

AFCB: Moss, Purches, Young, Gowling, Cooper, Wilson, Hayter, Anderton, Walker, McGoldrick, Fletcher
Subs: Stewart, Hollands, Pitman, Vokes, Cummings (on for Cooper, 77)
Simon Newsham, Son Of A Legend, Portsmouth