Pre-match discussion about who (if anyone) would make way for Liam Ridgewell, had Broadhurst, Stock or Browning as the likely candidates, although most were agreed none of these really deserved to lose their place. Nobody I think anticipated that Sean would opt to drop Hayter and play Connell as a solitary striker. Sean can point to an away point gained and the lack of chances created by the home team as justification, but given that the O’s weren’t exactly threatening to rewrite the goal scoring records this season, most felt that a little more ambition in the pursuit of three points would have been welcome. Frankly both managers could have shaken hands and agreed a draw at 3 o’clock, and we could all have gone back to the pub to see if Clive’s errant sausages had put in an appearance.
We started promisingly enough with a quick break from defence that finished with Carl Fletcher playing Danny Thomas in on the left, but the winger dragged his shot across the face of goal despite having time to produce a better finish. Two minutes gone, and sadly that was about as exciting as it got.
For Orient Lockwood had a couple of efforts from distance that hardly tested Moss, Hutchings was industrious in midfield, and it was probably just as well for us that the pacy Jamal Campbell-Rice (on loan from Charlton) plays on the right and not the left. Ridgewell was composed (and left-footed!) – the booking that he picked up and the one that Orient’s Dean Smith got later were more down to having Paul Danson as referee than any malice in the challenges. O’s keeper Glen Morris was assured on crosses and remained alert enough to turn a shot from Elliott round the post when we did eventually manage something on target.
Early in the second half Sean took pity on the heavily outnumbered Connell and brought on Fletch senior for Stock, but almost immediately Connell picked up an injury while stretching to make a challenge on Lockwood, and despite trying to play on for a while had to be replaced by Hayter. Orient brought on Jabo Ibehre for Thorpe, and the big striker soon found himself in one on one with Moss, but was panicked into giving the ball away when the keeper advanced quickly to meet him on the edge of the area. Hayter forced Morris to make a couple of saves, both chances resulting from big Fletch’s involvement in the build up, and five minutes from time Moss did well to fingertip a low cross away from the incoming forwards.
Still, never mind the quality, check the league position – up to second place. To be honest this division is so poor that if we can avoid having any more than half the side injured at the same time promotion is more likely than not. Staying up will be a far tougher proposition.
|
Bournemouth: Moss; Young, Broadhurst, Ridgewell, Purches; Elliott, Hayter, Browning, C Fletcher, Thomas; Connell (4-5-1).
Subs: S Fletcher (Stock 54), Hayter (Connell 61), O’Connor (Elliott 74), Tardif, Narada.
Richard Barker, Leyton