Nevertheless, those of us with really nothing better to do on a Tuesday evening sat poised, waiting for the entertainment to commence. Cherries made three changes from the side that beat Swindon on the Saturday prior, all enforced, and such was the injury crisis that only 4 subs were named and only one of these was over the age of sixteen. Wigan made 11 changes from their previous match, but they did have a strong bench just in case.
The whole of the first half was a pretty cagey, tepid affair. Bournemouth lining up with a back 3 of Cooper, Young and Hart, all 3 full-backs, and all 3 performed admirably. Five in the middle with James Coutts making a long awaited first start of the season. Keene and Rodrigues up front.
Not too much to speak about in the first half with Camera looking the most dangerous Wigan player and on 30 minutes he really should have done better after a slip by Young let him in for a chance, luckily straight at Stewart.
HT: 0-0
The second half started equally slowly, Rodrigues should have done significantly better with a header from a Foley cross which went narrowly past the post.
This, however, was the time when Paul Jewel appeared to decide that he had seen enough of his reserves make heavy weather of beating a team of teenagers, full-backs and loan players; it was time to send for the big guns. Roberts and Connolly were introduced to make a difference, and boy did they.
Almost immediately Jason Roberts got into the channels and forced Stewart into a fine block at the near post. The example had been set. Camera and Connolly also had good chances as the Cherries back line was being forced deeper and called into make increasingly desperate clearances.
There was, however, one let-off for Wigan when a cross from Foley took a deflection off a defender and bounced back out off the inside of the post.
The cruel luck became complete when Roberts found his way through to goal on 86 minutes and fired hard and low past Stewart and into the net for the winner.
Quality will out….and it did.
Stewart (confident and assured) AFCB: Stewart, Hart, Young, Cooper, Foley, Surman, Stock, Rodrigues, Hayter, Keene
Subs: Whisken (on for Rodrigues, 88), Cleverley, Hudson (Keene, 55), Pitman (Coutts, 80)
Phil Henstridge, Banbury