AFCB v Reading – Highlights & Reaction

AFC Bournemouth returned to Dean Court for the final of three consecutive home games.

This time it was the turn of Reading to make a visit to the south coast, whilst AFC Bournemouth head coach Scott Parker was unable to welcome his opposite number Paul Ince to the dugout due to serving a one-match touchline ban for his recent sending off.

Parker opted to make just the one change to his starting XI, with Jordan Zemura stepping in for Leif Davis who is currently injured.

Any worries of fatigue from the side with so many games in quick succession didn’t seem to be a problem during the early stages as the home side set a good opening tempo. On seven minutes they even found an early opening with great link-up and interchange of passing between Zemura, Solanke, Lerma and the finish from Solanke cutting through the Reading defence.

But that was as good as it got for the Cherries and a second-half performance saw the home side struggle against the visitors with Reading taking a deserved point for their efforts.

After the game, Parker told Sky Sports…

“It was frustrating not being able to affect things. I didn’t enjoy one bit of tonight really. We started the game well, scored a lovely goal but then didn’t really assert ourselves. We looked a bit flat for one reason or another.

“We were a little bit sloppy in our all-round game which is something we need to look at.”

Scott Parker gives his assessment of tonight's draw with afcbTV 💬

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) March 15, 2022

"I would have love to have taken more points these last three games" #AFCB boss Scott Parker speaking to @kristemple 🔊🍒 pic.twitter.com/yHRq81rfEK

— BBC Radio Solent Sport (@solentsport) March 15, 2022

Written by billythekid

It seems we don’t like Tuesday nights.

Started off well and attacked their goal and after a good move, Solanke was there again to put the ball into the net, 1-0.

Then instead of keeping the pressure on and going for more goals, our side decided to go back to old ways passing back and getting into trouble on a couple of occasions.

Could see a Reading goal coming as our team were playing to try and hold onto their one-goal advantage and eventually paid for it with their equaliser.

Same side on the pitch as Saturday except Zemura starting this time but not the same purpose in our play as against Derby County.

For me tonight it was two points dropped.

Written by Matt Stevenson

Here is the xG timeline, it didn’t take long due to the paucity of chances for both teams. Only twice this season in the league have we had a lower xG, Reading away and Forest away, in both of which clinical finishing saw us get to 2 goals. No league game has seen a lower combined xG. It really was that dull.

There was only one chance rated above 10%, which was the goal that came from a flowing move between Zemura, Solanke, and Lerma, who played a lovely ball back to Solanke to score (rated 3 in 10). Apart from that, it was scrappy. We didn’t have a shot between the 46th and the 70th minute. Reading’s equaliser was a good finish (1 in 12) but we all saw it was likely and I can’t argue with a draw being a fair result.

We don’t seem capable of breaking down the weak teams consistently. I know it is gallows humour, but if/when we go up at least no one would park the bus against us. Fingers crossed for a better performance at Huddersfield.

Your say…

AFCBmattjamr wrote…

5 points in 3 home games against 3 of the worst teams in the division.
Tonight is the clearest illustration of how Parker’s negative systems cost us points on a weekly basis. We were so good for about 10 minutes when we pressed.
But then we sat back at home to Reading and let them play us off the park.

adam0102 added…

Tired or disinterested?

Nobody seemed out on their feet at the end, except perhaps Jeff who put in a shift

We seemed to be able to put three or four lovely attacking moves together, but one of those every 20 minutes isn’t good enough – unless you score every time. – Join the conversation, click here.