Paul Groves and Shaun Brooks took temporary charge for this game played in unseasonably warm weather. Wes Thomas was restored to the line-up following his recent injury and started up front with on-loan Zavon Hines in a 4-4-2 formation.
The game started promisingly with the new regime apparently trying to get the Cherries playing a bit more passing football than the long ball rubbish we have seen recently.
The first chance fell to the visitors when Thomas broke free on the right and powered his way past a challenge only to shoot weakly at Day in the Stevenage goal. If Wes had gone to ground under the shirt-tugging he may well have won a penalty but all night the referee seemed reluctant to give a foul unless the player offended against went down.
Thomas did get his reward after 18 minutes when he latched onto a clever chest down by Harry Arter and fired a cracking left foot shot into the far top corner. Let’s hope that this gets Wes’s goal scoring back on track.
The home side had their first real chance 10 minutes later when a mistake by Miles Addison let in Charles but he dragged his shot across the face of Flahavan’s goal.
The lead was doubled with 10 minutes to go to half-time when Scott Malone picked up the ball in the middle of the pitch and went on one of his trademark surging runs to the edge of the penalty area. His shot looked to be too close to Day but somehow it escaped his grasp and went into the centre of the goal.
The delirious celebrations amongst the healthy turnout of Cherries fans were cut short just a minute later when Freeman cut in from the left and fired an unstoppable shot into the top corner to make it 2-1.
A Bournemouth lead at the break was probably deserved but it wasn’t to be. In added time a right wing cross was half cleared by the Cherries centre back pairing but fell to Bostwick who lashed it back with interest past a flat-footed Flahavan. Suddenly the new managerial team’s first half-time team talk would have to take on a different tone. H-T 2-2
I suppose it was too much to expect the entertainment to carry on in the same vein in the second half as both sides appeared to consolidate.
Stevenage made a reasonable chance when MacDonald’s weak challenge on Charles allowed him to find Wilson but his right foot effort was palmed round the post by Flahavan.
Malone’s revitalised performance continued when a neat little chip found Thomas on the six yard line but he failed to convert with a weak header straight at Day. For such a big powerful man Wes’s heading in front of goal does not appear to be one of his strengths.
Harry Arter picked up his customary yellow card when, yet again, he lost his rag and made a silly challenge on Byrom. Despite all his promises to control this disappointing aspect of his game Harry still fails to learn to control his temper and this brings his total of yellows to 14, one short of his third suspension of the season.
As you’d expect the home side finished strongly in an attempt to snatch all 3 points but staunch defending from the Cherries saw us home and one point closer to guaranteed safety.
A draw was probably a fair result from an entertaining game with 4 very good goals but it’s hard to see how Stevenage can survive at this level with crowds in the 2,000s.
Scott Malone
AFCB: Flahavan, Francis, Cook, Addison, Malone, Cooper, MacDonald, Arter, Pugh, Thomas, Hines
Subs: Jalal, Barrett, Zubar, Gregory (for Arter, 80 mins), Taylor (for Hines, 80 mins)
Clive Loader, Basingstoke