bournemouth match report

[scalehallshrimp]

from bournemouth site,
scalehall shrimp

Every time you think you have hit a new low - the team conspire to take us to new turgid depths. Tonight a low crowd watched the Cherries hoof their way to a clueless 0-0 draw against a distinctly poor Morecambe side on a cold evening at a spiritless Dean Court.

Quinn and Permatan shuffled the pack yet again for the match with Mcquoid getting his berth on the wing and a flat back four - the side to be fair to them most of the fans wanted. The bonus was we looked less likely to concede - however the decision to play Igoe and Anderton together in the middle and two target men up front meant that we redefined the word 'static'. It must raise huge question marks over whether we have the most clueless management duo in the clubs history.

A complete lack of pace, control, shape and a total inability to play any pass other than a long hoof to nowhere meant that chances were at a premium and it was as about as entertaining as a physics lesson. More worrying is the collapse in form and confidence of players (Cummings, Bartley, Hollands, Anderton) who even under the maligned Bond looked half decent.

The first real action came from a Morecambe corner when Cummings and Mcquoid broke to feed Bradbury with a cross-field pass - his lob was just held under the crossbar by Roche. On the quarter of the hour mark we were lucky to not go behind, Howe spun well onto a hopeful clearance but Jalal beat out his firm strike. At the other end Pearce narrowly headed wide from an Anderton free-kick.

The next half hour saw football that would make a pub team blush. Misplaced passes, no movement and a complete lack of structure was matched only by Morecambes ability to do the same. It was a dreadful advert for basement football.

It took until the minute before half time for any action of note - both chances featuring the hopeless Symes. First Cummings cross on 44 mins found Symes unmarked six yards out but he headed tamely over. Then the on loan front man made his only decent contribution, turning well on the edge of the area from Andertons pass and smacking a shot back off the post. That my friends was the sole moment of the match really worth commenting on!

HT Cherries 0 Morecambe 0

The second half was arguably the worst 45mins of football I have seen in 25 years - amidst some stiff competition in that time!

On 52 mins Carlton had the ball in the net from the impressive Drummonds pass but was ruled off-side. Sprung into some form of action Bradbury narrowly headed wide from Igoes cross.

That was the end of the real action. For the last 40 mins Anderton and Igoe disappeared allowing Drummond to rule the midfield. The saving grace was the visitors also had no width and Cooper and Pearce were alert to every through ball.

Despite finally playing with a winger we showed why we needn't have bothered by seldom giving Josh the ball and then pushing him in field to make up a forward three. The Irish youngster showed the odd flash but was denied any space and there were no options for him to cross and pass to.

Symes and Igoe made way for Tubbs and Bartley but it only really lifted the crowd to cheer on the subs. Once they were on the pitch though, the odd tackle from Bartley and occasional clever lay off from Tubbs they quickly subsided into the general malaise.

The abiding memory of the half was Ward becoming our only outlet and advancing two paces before hoofing the ball into Roches hands, time after time.

It took until the 84th minute for our next chance, Hollands haplessly shanking high and wide when released by Mcquoid.

I suppose we need to be thankful for small mercies and that small mercy is one point. We nearly lost it in the 90th minute twice. First Carlton spun Pearce and fired a great shot that Jalal parried and then the same frontman climbed highest to meet Parrishes cross but headed against the cross-bar.

Bournemouth finished with a couple of corners in an injury time flurry but in keeping with the game a knackered Anderton (will he make Klute tonight?) found the first Morecambe defender with both.

FT Cherries 0 Morecambe 0

Jalal 7 Couple of good saves and impeccable handling

Ward 5 Ok defensively against no real threat - distribution woeful humps at nothing.

Cooper 8 An intercepting oasis of a footballer amidst a shower of crap.

Pearce 6 Battled away resolutely but joined in the over-hit passing club.

Cummings 4 - Gave ball away continually and got caught in possession constantly. Needs a reserves stint badly.

Mcquoid 6 - Looked lively and the only player out of 22 that would run with the ball but too easily stopped.

Igoe 5 - Just not one of a centre two. Too small and lightweight and contributed nothing.

Anderton 5 - Knackered and lazy with the odd good pass thrown in. Must wonder what he is doing at this level.

Hollands 5 - Not a left winger and it showed.

Bradbury 5 - Worked hard and linked occasionally but no threat and no partnership potential with Symes.

Symes 4 - If he is the answer I would love to know what the question is. Statuesque, weak and disinterested, one shot aside.

Subs - Bartley - at least he wants to win but distribution poor again.

Tubbs - nice touches at times but weak and directionless.

[nobbyshrimp]

Might have been a poor game but a bloody good point for us against a side that have this season so far;
Beaten Bradford in Bradford, Darlington + Dagenham, drawn Chesterfield, Aldershot, Gillingham, Notts County but for some reason now appear to be struggling having also drawn last week to Grimsby and getting hammered the week before by Accrington.

[nobbyshrimp]

If you ever think you're wasting your money following Morecambe when we're having a bad run read this, taken from a Bournemouth forum after tonights game with our lads
Well thought i'd take a few hours to calm down before I say something I might regret. But no my feelings are the same.

Tonight was the 1st time i've actually thought, we REALLY are absolute s***, previously I've thought the tide will turn, we've got the players (for this league at least) and have held onto the misguided opinion that we are too good for this league.

Well tonight was the realisation that we're not, this is no glitch we truely deserve to be where we are, points deduction or not, we are a p*** poor outfit and for the 1st time in my supporting history I feel ashamed of the players, I normally jump to their defence even when individuals have played bad. But this shower really don't deserve to wear our beloved AFCB shirts, they are a f***ing disgrace.

I have supported my club through thick and thin & usually the players have deserved that support, no matter what our position is, however tonight made my mind up, no passion, no pride and a bunch of lazy f**** strolling round the pitch who couldn't give a s*** about the paying fans.

Well message for the players and the board, you can all f*** off, because none of you deserve my club, you are all a disgrace and I will no longer be passing through your turnstiles.

My passion for AFCB will always remain, but the board and players are not AFCB (if that makes sence).

I'm sure some will call me fickle, but i've been through the good and the bad this is something very different, something cancerous devouring our club from the top down & why should I pay good money to a board that can't deliver to watch a bunch of lazy incompetents that are a disgrace to our shirt.

Cue the insults, the good riddance comments and the fickle fan jibes, but nothing to do with fickle all to do with the pretenders on and off the pitch who are destroying my club.

[Number 1]

I thought Bournemouth were "The fans club" ? What went wrong there then?

[marky]

Proof that, despite protestations, Morecambe have it easy when it comes to the fans.