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Then Maher gave away a needless corner by not communicating properly with Moss, but it was cleared well. Bertrand seemed to know what he was doing; a bit light - but nothing plastique about him? Cork was uncomplicated, like his dad Alan swept up in front of the back 4 & passed quickly & tidily.
Foley turned up on the right wing, but his pass was not to feet. Then Hayter was pulled down - but no pen. He then turned & shot just wide, but seemed to be slightly out of phase. Boston's wide player crossed - it missed everyone. They then had a corner, but the header dropped onto the net. Our lot were missing too many passes (Anderton & Cork were passing well but the recipients were too poor to read them); just as well the opposition couldn't take advantage. But another Foley cross saw Fletcher's header tipped round. Maher was penalised for pushing as the corner came over. Foley had 2 shots wide, preceding a sterile period with a whistle-happy ref.
Moss was more active - a punch, then a catch ? before seeing a header go wide. Then Purches made space for himself intelligently on the right; his chip saw Fletcher's header go to the keeper's left - 2-0, 42 mins. The £18K of sponduliks was coming our way! It had been a poor game, but the 2-0 half-time lead was deserved. And Boston really had to swap round their centre-backs.
Which they did for the 2nd half, so Fletcher had much less joy. Indeed, he was pulled all over the place - with little protection from the ref. Cork continued his tidy play, making a platform on which the others could build, & Hollands showed determination. Foley & Hayter won successive corners; Boston lost the ball into touch too easily & too often. Hayter was still playing scrappily, perhaps depressed by having signed a long-term contract only to find himself in a rubbish team this season. Then Hollands put in a through ball in the inside-left channel, & Hayter let his instincts flow with a splendid quality left-footer across the keeper. 3-0, 59 mins. This was no tea-party for the Bostonians; Henry James would be turning in his grave were he still alive. As they fell apart, Anderton grew in influence, really making a difference with his intelligent passing. Moss made one of his few saves - & this one
was easy. Hayter had a shot saved - Fletcher put the loose ball well over. Purches found more room on the wing to go forward, & put in a cheeky back-heel to Hayter from the corner flag.
Apart from a header flicked wide of Moss's left-hand post, Boscombe were well in control. Anderton took a short pass from a free, but the shot hit the wall. The crowd was willing Fletcher to hit his hat-trick; the players tried to serve it up on a plate but the ball never fell kindly. For Cherries, the match had become a training friendly against a side probably heading back to the Conference. Hart (why?) replaced Foley on 88, then Hollands strode
forward from the back of the centre circle. Just beyond the front of that marking, he hit the ball towards goal. I complained it was a waste, presuming it would drift well over & behind. But he put just enough pace on it for the ball to die & fall behind the keeper into the net. Brilliant vision, skill, confidence; class. 4-0, 90 mins. Barely time to restart; I found myself humming “It's a long way to Massachusetts; it's a long way to go”, being geographically challenged temporarily.
Overall, a good Conference or Div.4 (oh very well then, League 2) side would've given us a tough game. But the defence was competent, Anderton & Cork were tidy in distribution, & Fletcher took his goals well. Bertrand was economic, sure on the ball, but never contributed to wing-play.
Now it's away in Round 2 to Gas (Pirates; Black Arabs, take your pick). Let's hope we've not used up our goal quota for the next round or the League; having just moved to S.Wilts, I note we're less than 3 miles from Boscombe Down...
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AFCB: Moss, Purches, Young, Maher, Cork, Bertrand, Anderton, Hollands, Foley, Fletcher, Hayter
Subs: Stewart, Hart (for Foley, 89), Gowling, Pitman, Songo'o
Peter Wicks, Bulford