Another asset sold……another defiant display… as an old fashioned centre halfs goal from Barrett and an exquisite finish from Arter clinched three points against big spending Wednesday.
It was a display full of guts and effort and boss Bradbury rightly told the squad after the game how proud he was of all of them. In an intriguing clash of styles Wednesday launched it and fought while we tried to get it down and play. In the end it was football that won the day!
Bradbury made one change from the side that trounced Dagenham in the week. Fletcher stepped down for loanee Doble with Molesley continuing in place of Arter. Taylor started for his full debut in the place of Burnley bound Ings.
The opening period of the match was cagey. Wednesday looked to hit Morrison and Madine at every opportunity, Bournemouth tried to play quick and into the feet of Doble and Taylor but they were physically dominated by the giants Batth and Jones so very little came off. The early chances came for the visitors as the ball broke from their punts. Palmer fired the best of them over as Morrison laid back to him 12 yards out.
Bournemouth were still struggling to create but were gaining a lot of free-kicks from niggly fouls. Pugh blasted one at the wall, then delicately curled the next one inches wide of the upright.
It was still bitty play though, Wednesday were giving us quite a bit of respect and playing on the break but we still could not get the ball to stick up front so most of our moves broke down. The best of our play was on the flanks – particularly down the left where Malone and Pugh prompted cleverly supported inside by a nearly back to his best Molesley.
A goal was what the game needed and Morrison nearly got it when he exchanged brilliantly with Palmer before thumping an angled drive that beat Flahavan and thankfully the post. Taylor and Doble were starting to link and combined for the Saints youngster to fire a deflected shot on to the roof of the net.
From the resultant corner Bournemouth took the lead with a move straight off the training ground again – but one that will have left Megson scratching his head. The ball from Pugh was superbly aimed at the far post and there were some clever dummy runs but BARRETT was allowed an unopposed run and leap before delivering a well planted header into the bottom corner.
The goal sparked Bournemouth’s confidence and Doble was unlucky with a fine run onto Gregory’s ball and a shot that was deflected narrowly over.
HT Bournemouth 1 Sheff W 0
The second half saw Wednesday start with a Megson rocket up their jacksies. It was arguably this first fifteen minutes that won us the match. Barrett, Malone, Gregory and Cooper stood up fantastically to the aerial bombardment and even the diminutive Byrne defended cleverly without the heading ability of the others. Ball after ball was launched in and cleared as the Cherries dug in and Wednesday gradually lost the belief that they would score becoming increasingly wayward and desperate.
There were two glorious Owl’s chances in this bombardment. Senedo heading over from 6 yards and Madine inexplicably heading wide from closer and you sensed then it might not be their day.
The home side were fighting their way back in to the game, literally in the booked Molesley’s case and Taylor cut cleverly inside before unleashing a deceiving 20 yarder just wide of the inside post. The booked and tiring Molesley was replaced by Arter as Bradbury tried to gain more possession but the Cherries still played largely on the break.
This counter attacking style featured some of the best cross-field passing since Stock left as Malone continually found Feeney over 70 yards. From such a combination Weever dropped a deep cross and Feeneys curling drive from an oblique angle was brilliantly headed off the line by Jones to stop the Cherries going two up.
There were some nervous moments towards the end with Gregory and Arter getting caught dithering on the ball and when Wednesday brought on O’Connor and went three at the back it really was all hands to the pump and looking for the counter.
The settling goal came largely due to a misplaced Wednesday pass into touch but what followed deserves a view tonight. Byrnes quick throw released Taylor down the flank. He held on to the ball superbly before taking out his two defenders with a clever flick to Feeney who crossed first time to ARTER. There was a lot for the sub to do as the ball arrived at pace but he took one sublime touch with his left foot before stroking the ball with his right calmly past the onrushing Weever. Fletcher and Baudry came on to shore things up but it was game over…
FT Bournemouth 2 Sheff W 0
Flahavan – 6 Precious little to do so good was the defence.
Byrne 7 Clever defending against height and overlapped well.
Cooper 7 Very experienced display against height. Read superbly.
Barrett 8 Led back four vocally, committed challenging, scored.
Malone 9 Superb aerially, great overlapping, Hoddlesque passing
Feeney 7 A real thorn in their side on the break and clever.
Gregory 6 Didn’t control game and caught too often – still learning.
Molesley 7 Prompting and bursting more like old self – needs games.
Pugh 7 A very clever thoughtful playmaker from the wing role
Taylor 6 Ran socks off but needs to gain experience leading line.
Doble 6 As with Taylor 10/10 for effort but a little dominated.
Subs – Arter – 7 Scheming goalscoring cameo.
Verdict
Whatever you throw at this squad they bounce back…. Trounced on the opening day and finding out before kick-off the last big saleable asset has been flogged….. you could have forgiven them for playing with the world on their shoulder. They didn’t though and this is as proud a display as we have seen outside of the play-offs since the Brighton game that heralded Bradbury’s arrival.
Getting rid of people who don’t want to play is no bad thing – particularly when they are as over rated and arrogant as Ings. A million pounds for someone who needs five chances to score – thankyou very much Eddie! Another bench-warming role while watching your bank account grow before a loan spell at Southend to try and get you scoring….
Let them go I say, Jalal next, it galvanises those that stay to fight for their club and you could see that spirit in the team today – compared to Ings lack of effort at Charlton and feigned injury. What is critical is making sure we spend a little bit of cash and use the rest to buy the ground back. There will be no criticism of Mitchell from me if he does. At the moment though he hasn’t spent at all and there are obvious gaps when the squad is fit, let alone when we start getting injuries.
We lack a central of midfield enforcer with energy – and this could catch us out to teams who play through midfield not over it. We need another centre half with Cooper and Barrett’s injury records. We need another forward and not a loanee. With these we could push on for a good season. Without and its mid-table obscurity without injuries, worse if the treatment table fills.
Still – thats a worry for the future. At the moment Bradbury has filled his squad full of people who want to play for Bournemouth and today they did it in style by playing football the right way, being brave and forming clever units all over the pitch. For that tactical understanding and scoring from a set piece its not just the players Bradbury should be proud of tonight.
Report by Neil Dawson
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