Oct 2 South Coast Club 2-0 AFC Bournemouth Att: 26289

Last updated : 08 October 2010 By Richie Barker

Although we would have got a more impartial refereeing performance from Dave Merrington, there can be no complaints about the result after a below par Bournemouth display against a Southampton side who maintained possession well and shut down most of our attacking options.

Bournemouth started brightly, slicing through the home defence with their first attack only for Feeney’s strike to come back off the post and Symes to shoot just wide with a follow up effort. Unfortunately that was about as good as it got. Southampton also went close with their first attack, Jalal saving well at close range after Barnard burst through and then getting help from Smith who blocked the follow up attempt from Lambert.

This was exactly the wrong time to be playing these opponents as the new manager had obviously done his homework and had his team organised to counter our strengths. Understandably after recent performances Howe opted to start with Symes and McQuoid up front, but Symes in particular looked off the pace and consequently we struggled to hold the ball up front. In hindsight it might have been wise to start with a five man midfield as Bartley and Robinson were struggling to stem the tide. Pugh was our best attacking option when we could get the ball to him, which wasn’t often enough, but with both opposition full backs getting forward whenever possible both he and Feeney spent much of their time defending.

For all their possession Southampton did demonstrate their recent problems in front of goal as several shooting opportunities ended up with the ball in the crowd. Unfortunately we decided to help them out, ably assisted by Mr Wright. Wiggins unaccountably failed to control a loose ball, resulting in a tussle with Lambert on the edge of the box. Wiggins ended up on the ground, the ball made contact with his arm and Mr. Wright awarded a penalty. Deliberate? – arguably not, but Wiggins must take much of the blame for creating the problem as there was no threat when he initially received the ball. Lambert converted the penalty comfortably.

Cooper replaced Feeney at half time in an attempt to gain some sort of control in midfield, but ten minutes in we shot ourselves in the foot again. Following an outstanding triple save by Jalal the ball reached Schneiderlin on the edge of the area, Bartley made an ill-advised challenge from behind which left his opponent on the ground. Minimal contact, but not a clever challenge as the referee had been giving everything the home team’s way all afternoon. Lambert put his second penalty away.

Howe tried a couple more substitutions, Hollands on for Bartley and Symes replaced by Fletcher, and it was the latter who had most impact. Southampton’s previously untroubled defenders suddenly looked distinctly edgy whenever the ball was crossed in. Twice Fletcher was on the receiving end of clear fouls as he challenged for the ball, first pushed in the back by Hammond and then put in a headlock and wrestled to the ground by Fonte. Many referees might have considered this sort of thing worthy of a penalty, but Mr Wright was clearly preoccupied with getting to the club shop in time to purchase his signed photo of Matt Le Tissier.

I’d like to describe our shots on target but unfortunately we didn’t have any, Pugh’s effort from the edge of the area just missing the top corner was as close as we got in the second half. With little to distract us on the field beyond Mr. Wright’s inventiveness in finding reasons to award free kicks to the home team (even the linesman was getting in on the act by now), the sizeable away contingent had to make their own amusement with a few songs directed at our neighbour’s lack of points, oversized ground and generally diminished league status – cruel but fair. Just before the end Mr. Wright decided he hadn’t done quite enough damage for the day and sent off Adam Smith for a second bookable offence after an innocuous challenge on Puncheon.

Although it was disappointing to lose to a couple of debateable and unnecessary penalties, on a luckier day and with a competent referee we still might have scraped an undeserved point despite it being our least effective performance of the season, so no cause for despondency – and if we’re a little disappointed at only being third in the table with seventeen points from ten games it’s a sign of how much progress has been made in a short time.

Man Of The MatchShwan Jalal dealt well with everything that came his way bar the penalties. None of the outfield players really imposed themselves on the game.

AFCB: Jalal, Smith, Garry, Pearce, Wiggins, Feeney, Bartley, Robinson, Pugh, McQuoid, Symes
Subs: Stewart, Cummings, Taylor, Bradbury, Cooper (for Feeney, HT), Hollands (for Bartley, 61 mins), Fletcher (for Symes, 68 mins)
Richie Barker, Leytonstone