March 25 Barnsley 0-0 AFC Bournemouth Att: 9180

Last updated : 05 April 2006 By Ralph Beales
Secondly, a late change was announced and Marcus Browning, who had been out warming up, did not appear on the pitch and was not announced as a sub. Stephen Cooke was announced in the starting line-up, in his place. It subsequently turned out that Marcus had injured his groin in the warm-up and had also been sick in the dressing room - the latter was also the fate of Adam Griffiths - although he did not make the dressing room and the required clean-up delayed the start of the game slightly. He also managed to play almost all of the game!!

Coin tossed and whoever won, decided they wanted to change ends, no doubt something to do with the wind, which was pretty much straight into the Away end and quite strong. This really did look like being a game of two halves.

For the reasons above the game kicked off four minutes late and BFC seemed to be keen to keep possession; AFCB's first touch of the ball took a little while and when it came, it was a head back to Gareth Stewart. Stewart's ensuing kick, promptly took one bounce and landed in his opposite number's arms; it was a strong wind. Still inside the first minute, Barnsley won a corner, from which the resultant effort on goal went well-wide. It was too far away and the crowd in our end too Spartan, to start with "How wide etc....." (and we seem to have stopped singing that anyway) but the game progressed with BFC having most of the possession and the play mostly in the Bournemouth half.

Writing notes for a game and thinking back to write this, highlights something I've not noticed before, how much of the game happens so quickly. Bournemouth put together a good passing spell, which was a relief, as BFC seemed to be most threatening but we're still only in the fifth minute (don't worry, I'll speed things up, or you'll all be sick as Adam Griffiths by the end) Unfortunately the delightful movement of players off the ball, which allowed for this passing, was brought to an abrupt end, by a bit of a howler from Youngie, who connected beautifully, to give the ball to a Barnsley defender. Barnsley shot off down our end and a tricky cross, was well held by Stewart. These incidents set the tone for the whole game, Stewart made several fine saves, particularly from crosses from the wings and Young made a few howlers, intermingled with some very solid tackling at crucial points in the game.

Seven minutes in and Steve Fletcher made a good stop, played the ball well, through Cooke and JA, with Bournemouth's first real effort at goal. A minute later, Fletch was narrowly wide, with an attempt just going past the BFC left-hand upright.

The ninth minute saw the first free-kick of the game, going to AFCB, so clearly the officials were in sympathy with us, especially as it was given by one of the linesmen, albeit it, as Cooke had been fouled quite obviously, it was the correct decision. Howe took the kick, finding Fletch, who held it up well and got it across from the right to the left, but poor finishing meant the ball ran out for a goal kick. This was followed shortly after by another free-kick Bournemouth's way, with AFCB having the better of the game at this moment, I even started thinking we were going to get more that a draw from this.

James Hayter was struggling to get into the game. As soon as the ball came anywhere near him, there were two players on him. Eddie was pumping balls up to him and James became the meat in the sandwich. It did look as though we'd become a route one side at times but with that wind, it was a good tactic to play.

A quarter of an hour gone and Bournemouth get their first corner. Neil Young controlled well and had a shot at goal, which was deflected out.

The corner wasn't much to take notes about, so I'll not write about it here.

Barnsley, around this time, were clearly getting a bit fed up, with a good AFCB spell, so started playing like a team in the play-off positions. Eddie lost the ball near the centre of the park and BFC attacked in force but poor finishing let them down.

Sustained BFC pressure, led to a good tackle from EH on the edge of the box, Barnsley got the ball back in and it went out for a corner. A short, well worked corner from our left, crossing the box and being met by a Barnsley head but going harmlessly wide.

Bournemouth went straight up the other end - by a slow circuitous route, involving lots of passes - and Fletch was promptly hauled to the ground, unceremoniously, in front of the Boscombe fans, for a clear penalty and the ref didn't give it. Fortunately for the ref. Bournemouth fans are a fair-minded, sporting lot and merely said, "oh bad luck" or words to that effect, so any tales of your scribe, jumping to his feet and suggesting the ref. was less than fair, are just that, tales.

Shortly after (another barrage of Barnsley possession and poor finishing, far enough away to need binoculars) Fletch lobbed the ball overhead, finding the feet of James Hayter, who put the ball in to the box but Barnsley cleared, only as far as Stephen Purches, his rather speculative shot, going quite wide.

Hooray, twenty-six minutes gone and the first off-side of the game; it went in favour of the Cherries, who were playing in their natty, blue away kit.

If you've got this far, without falling asleep, you should bear in mind that Barnsley have had the best of the game up to now but it's a long way to South Yorkshire and I'm not really interested in writing about them. They were generally playing in our half of the pitch, fortunately Stephen Purches showed he's still got it in him, by making a good run back and tackle, on the edge of our box.

Twenty-eight minutes gone and a rather too good cross, from the Barnsley right wing, was well taken by Gareth Stewart, his third such save of the game and brought the travelling army from the south coast to their collective feet, in a well-deserved outbreak of spontaneous applause.

Three minutes later, he's only gone and done it again; another great save from Stewart, Barnsley really thought they had one there, well you didn't. Hah!

Then a couple of minutes later, he's winding up the Barnsley fans (who were rather quiet) by kicking a ball out, after the linesman had already flagged it for a goal-kick, following a cross from the Barnsley right-wing. What a wag he is.

The ref had a pretty good game by and large (apart from missing the foul on Fletch in the BFC penalty area, a blatant handball in the BFC area by a BFC player, some odd decisions and being miles away from play most of the time) and he showed his class by giving a free a kick to AFCB, in the centre circle, after watching the ball for advantage, seeing we didn't get any and bringing play back. This was during a good spell for B&BAFC.

He further showed his class, by waving away Barnsley appeals for a penalty. This followed a blatant foul on Hayter in the Barnsley half of the field, after which, BFC strung together some good moves, out to the left, down the wing, a good cross and some girly-chap, in a red jersey falling over in front of Gareth Stewart. Serves them right I say for playing it so quickly down there; it meant the ref. was miles away from play. Ref waved the malingerer up and play continued, with a Barnsley screamer, just over Stewart's bar.

Then, in the thirty-ninth minute, we had the worst moment of the game.

Two players, in the Barnsley area, one from Bournemouth the other from a grim mining town oop north, with a football trapped between their chests. The chap in red, clearly grabbed the ball with his hands. An undoubted, pre-meditated and with malice aforethought, handball.

Penalty, cried the Bournemouth fans! But the referee was not to be swayed, just because he was miles away from the incident and couldn't see through the scrum of players, we could all see it, so he should have given it, 'nuff said. To rub it in, Barnsley cleared the ball well, took off down toward our goal, forcing yet another stupendous save by Gareth Stewart. [NB if GS does this in training as well, it's no wonder Mossy can't get back in team]

The first half petered out half-heartedly, Barnsley had the best of it; dunno what the food was like, queue was too long.

HT: 0-0



In deference to those who complained that my wearing a short sleeved shirt was making them feel cold, I donned an extra layer.

I'm not going to write as much, 'cos BFC woke up, stopped putting two on Hayter and looked quite dangerous throughout.

Two minutes gone and BFC had a free-kick in a dangerous spot. About twenty-five yards out, in line with the right-hand side of the AFCB eighteen-yard area. A decent Bournemouth wall stopped any danger and the ball fell out to the left, with the following Barnsley effort out, wide to the left. A minute later and Barnsley put a good ball in from our right, which they fortunately couldn't finish.

Fourth minute and Bournemouth had a throw from the right, met by Hayter with an absolute purler of an effort, overhead-kick, from the penalty spot, that went wide.

The game then went through a rather scrappy patch, Bournemouth kept possession - just - but Barnsley were constantly harrying and causing mayhem in the Bournemouth midfield. Griffiths made a good block with his back at one point though.

After about a quarter of an hour, of rather insipid play, another handball, this time by the Barnsley number four in the Boscombe penalty area. Not given and I'm starting to think the ref doesn't love us anymore, I mean, this was a blatant hand-ball. On the upside the ref. probably knew he's got it wrong, so when moments later Barnsley eventually found the net and with a player on the floor, Bournemouth were given the free-kick. The Barnsley player pushed Eddie before the ball went in.

It wasn't all Barnsley this half, Hayter put together a lovely, jinking, mazy run, with a good cross that forced Barnsley to put the ball out for a corner.

The first substitution came on twenty-two minutes into the second half, Barnsley replacing number eight with number twenty-three, a minute later, Cooke went off for Dani Rodrigues. And two minutes after that, Griffiths put in a proper, old-fashioned, bone-crunching tackle, wide out on the Bournemouth right wing. It fair warmed the cockles of my heart to see such a well executed stop. Then a minute later, Griffiths was booked for an innocuous challenge, which seemed perfectly fair.

Obviously the ref. didn't believe in strong challenges. Barnsley promptly wasted their free-kick, by putting it high, over the bar.

We then had an interesting semaphore exercise from the ref. I don't know what Stewart made of it in the Boscombe goal, if the ref meant ".get a move on with that goal kick" it actually looked more like, "this is the correct way to do the breast stroke"

The game continued, with neither side looking likely to score but Barnsley shading possession and overall play.

With nearly eighty minutes on the clock, Barnsley made their second substitution, with eighteen going off for twelve. Good move thought I, as eighteen had been doing rather too well for BFC. This was followed by the first off-side against Bournemouth. Whilst you may think this is quite good, it actually reflects the lack of time we were spending in the opposition half. This driven home by a move on eighty-two minutes, when there were twenty-one players encamped in the Bournemouth half and the air was electric with fraught danger. Fortunately, Barnsley were continuing with their rugby theme and once again the ball went for a conversion.

With about five minutes remaining of normal time the linesman on the Bournemouth right, rather annoyed the travelling support by giving a corner to the home team, following a clear kick out by a Barnsley player. I suspect he sympathised with BFC, as they were piling on the pressure.

Then, Barnsley's closest chance of the game, as a decent shot just whistled past the Bournemouth left upright.

Still Barnsley sought that elusive winner, still the officials confirmed that two wrongs can make a right, as another Barnsley onslaught, was brought to an abrupt halt, by a dodgy offside decision by the linesman who got the corner wrong a couple of minutes previously.

Bournemouth fans were in quite good cheer now. A point looked on the cards, which was just about deserved.

With a couple of minutes left in normal time, Hayter picked up a booking, for a trip and no attempt to play the ball. It wasn't malicious but it was a straight forward yellow. Nice one James, a few more precious seconds gone.

Last minute of normal time saw Griffiths off for AFCB No. Five, (I vaguely remember this fellow, I think I persuaded the BISA committee to stump up for his very first sponsorship a few years back) followed by a close chance for AFCB. One minute into the three allowed for stoppage time, saw a corner at the far end, well worked between Fletch, Hayter and Rodrigues, that very nearly saw a goal from James, Colgan saving with his legs. To be honest, it would have been a bit of a travesty, as Barnsley didn't deserve to lose but I wouldn't have lost any sleep had it gone in.

Man Of The MatchStewart.


AFCB: Stewart, Purches, Griffiths, Young, Howe, Cooper, O'Connor, Cooke, Foley, Hayter, Fletcher
Subs: Moss, Rix, Tindall, Broadhurst (Griffiths, 90), Rodrigues (on for Cooke, 68)


Ralph Beales, Langley, Hants