The Cherries Looking For First Win
The opening game of the Championship at Dean Court against one of the favourites to return straight at the first attempt after relegation from the Premier League West Brom turned out to be a very entertaining 2-2 draw. The Cherries went in front twice with goals from both of their Danish midfielders, Marcondes and Billing. With Scott Parker short of some first-team regulars, he had to turn to young inexperienced players who over the 90+ minutes had good games and were involved in assisting for both the goals. The result was a fair result involving two teams with very different contrasting styles of play.
A trip to the land of ‘Robin Hood’ is the next adventure for the Cherries, to play Chris Hughton’s Nottingham Forest team in our first away game this season. His side finished in 17th place last season on 52 points. Forest like a number of other clubs will be hoping to strengthen their side before the close of the transfer window at the end of the month. They have so far signed a goalkeeper, the American Ethan Horvath from Club Brugge on a free transfer, and Philip Zinckernagel from Watford on loan for the season. Their most recent signing is a right-back from Arsenal, Jordi Osei-Tutu, he is another season-long loan. They could also still lose players going the other way.
Forest played the first game of the season away at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry where the home side Coventry City returned for the first time since playing their matches at Birmingham City’s ground since August 2019. It wasn’t the most exciting game, Forest took the lead in the 36th minute after a breakaway move down the right by the pacy Brennan Johnson to put a perfect low ball into the Coventry City area for ex AFCB player Lyle Taylor to slide in and put the ball into the back of the net. It wasn’t until the last nine minutes of normal time in the second half before City were back on even terms when the Swede Victor Gyokeres scored for the home side. The game went into six minutes of injury time and with nearly the last kick of the game, the 34-year-old Coventry City captain Kyle McFadzean put the ball into the net for the winning goal.
At a ground we have never won, in the February of last season, the Cherries drew at the City Ground in a 0-0 draw.
In all our league away games against Nottingham Forest, AFCB have W 0, D 4, L 4.
All competitions, AFCB have W 5, D 5, L 6.
Forest v AFCB
Forest Win
Draw
AFCB Win
Nottingham Forest Team News
Lewis Grabban missed the opening game as he was self-isolating. Also missing was Joe Worall with a calf injury. Loic Mbe Soh had to go off during the first half at the Coventry game with a groin injury. Gaetan Bong has been given a three-game ban from an incident at Coventry.
Nottingham Forest Player To Watch
The young 20-year-old Brennan Johnson looked a good pacy player against Coventry City. He was on loan at Lincoln City last season, scored 11 goals (1 in play-offs), and had 5 assists. One player that other clubs may be sniffing around during this transfer window.
AFCB Team News
Jefferson Lerma is still suspended. Arnaut Danjuma, will he start or is he a player that is being ‘protected’ during the transfer window? Ben Pearson reported having recovered from illness so he could be in contention for a starting place. So far no updated official news on our other injured players and if any will be available to start/place on the bench Saturday.
AFCB Player To Watch
Depending on who is available for Saturday, it could be one or two of our younger players may get a start again, interesting how they get on in an away game in front of a large crowd.
The referee for this game is Geoff Eltringham.
He was the referee for two of our away games last season, Rotherham U and Wycombe Wanderers.
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