Set-backs were overcome with sheer bloody-mindedness. The team punched above its weight all through. Honest gutsy endeavour, which every Cherries fan demands. For summer holiday, the squad will walk up Everest in slippers without oxygen – a doddle for them on the evidence of the last 16 months. From that awesome statement in the first game, winning 0-3 at Bury in August, the squad has responded properly to each knock-back.
Graham Pearcey awarded the Exiles Player of the Year to, jointly, Brett Pitman & Shwan Jalal – who wore a suit. With Vale going for the play-offs, Howe had to play the best available 11, meaning Thomas had to play. All 5 captains started. The team took the field in next season’s shirts, with the pin-stripe (not visible to this reporter from N133 East); the biggest gate of the season welcomed the heroes home. Weather – cloudy, sunny, dry, breezy. Vale, one of 2 clubs in GB to be named after a house, k.o. to the North Stand; Bartley passed badly to allow Vale to break away leading to Thomas & the 32 (Haldane) colliding. The latter had to go off briefly. Dodgy ref? more like podgy ref, who gave too many free kicks but evenly to both sides. Pitman hit over.
Vale displayed neat & tidy play; Hollands made a limp challenge & the ball went through to the 32 who hit Thomas’s right-hand post. Then a big collision on Thomas; Vale had the upper hand but Bartley was effective, swinging it the other way. A Vale corner saw Thomas catch well, but had little height on his kicks. Feeney & Robinson swapped; the latter should then have released the former. Bartley was yellowed for persistent fouling. But a home free saw Fletcher nod on to Pitman who hit a post. Thomas tipped over for a corner; Boscombe wanted to win, but Vale really wanted to win.
But the game was changing. Head tennis saw Vale clear the ball; Robinson was turning into a decent left-winger. He put in a good low cross but Pitman outside the near post could only hit it over. HT: 0-0 (but 1-3 in yellow cards).
Boscombe showed a bit more drive after the restart. Pitman fed Feeney and the ball went towards the post for a corner. Bradbury dummied, Pitman hit it low & true to the goalie’s left, just inside the post. 1-0, 53. Made slickly, taken expertly; big celebrations. Then Pitman tried from inside the home half of the centre circle, & immediately apologised to Feeney for not releasing him clear on the right. Yes, his annus mirablis, but still room for improvement, especially in judgement. Great atmosphere. Feeney to Wiggins to Feeney; chip from the left but over heads. Feeney was now alongside Pitman & Fletcher. The latter nicked it inside & Feeney hit a left-footed daisy-cutter just wide of the far post. Boscombe were bossing it but then Vale put it along the home goal line with Thomas sprawling. All part of his learning curve. Cooper intercepted superbly; the defence made several blocks & from the corner Thomas flapped again.
The game was much more open; Vale went clear on the right but a badly mishit shot made the corner flag. Bradbury chipped in; Fletcher with time to make a cuppa headed wide of the far post. He’ll not score, with his face & name up on the North Stand. Bartley was tidying up again to roars of approval. Vale came again, but high wide & ugly. Thomas was fouled at a cross; Fletcher was at the back a lot, until subbed by Connell on 74. He & Pitman mis-kicked & Feeney put it wide. Then Feeney put it inside; the clearance hit Connell who went forward at inside-right, feinted, then chipped from 12 yards over the keeper. 2-0, 76; this sealed the deal. Soon after, Feeney was at the line. Onto his left, chip in. The defender was a yard short of where the ball was going but Connell’s head was in the right place & time. 3-0, 81. Icing on the cake, with the ground erupting. So many fans have wanted to see Connell come good; now 3 in 2. McQuoid replaced Bartley on 82 and went left, with Robinson central. Match sponsors made Howe & Tindall Man of the Match & Season. The away side was falling apart at the back. Vale of Tears… From some way back, Feeney hit it in right-footed. Towards the near post, McQuoid was in to head his first-ever senior goal. 4-0, 86. Wonderful moment; the Cherry on the icing on the cake.
Cummings replaced Wiggins on 87, the latter thus able to receive a standing ovation. Let’s hope he can return next season. Fans were gathering pitch-side. The ref blew for a confrontation in Bradbury’s demesne; the fans decided it was the final whistle so swarmed on for their celebratory orgasm. The ref turned, saw them & blew for full-time. FT: 4-0.
Our 1st 4 of the season; joy unconfined. Back above ‘Dale! What a 50th birthday present for Exiles founder, & football club programme editor, Mick Cunningham. My mum would’ve been 92 this day also; I wore the red’n’black scarf she knitted me after our first-ever promotion in ‘71. That was sealed by a 4-0 win home to York on – May 1!
Seeing the team standing at 2 in the table, it makes me feel soooooo good!
Sod it: all of ‘em!
AFCB: Thomas, Bradbury, Cooper, Pearce, Wiggins, Robinson, Hollands, Bartley, Feeney, Fletcher, Pitman
Subs: Guyett, Igoe, Partington, Goulding, Connell (for Fletcher, 74 mins), McQuoid (for Bartley, 82 mins), Cummings (for Wiggins (87 mins)
Peter Wicks, Bulford