P
pommpey
Guest
Greetings. Another match report for those far flung or financially crippled and not able to attend.
With a tip of the hat to Deadbat ...
Bournemouth. Bournemouth? Fourth division, Ted McDougall, red and blacks, seaside town full of pensioners.
Quite what the flip they are doing vying for a promotion place with former Premier League outfit Sheffield United is anyone's guess. Oh. Eddie Howe. Nice guy. Got them playing football. You never know, season after next they could 'do a Southampton' and be in the Premiership.
Dream on.
We made the car journey over from frosty Gosport in time for us to get parked, settled and ready in the vicinity before kickoff. The website said there was effectively a home supporters bar and a home and away one, so why venture too far when its cold and you can now park in their nice big gravelpit of a carpark for a onner? Trouble is, me, Jnr Pommpey and Little Pommpey never counted on the magnanimousity and benevolence of AFC Bournemouth's groundstaff who bluntly told us to do one as it was 'Home Supporters Only' (points at A4 page blu-tacked to door) 'Oh', I said. 'Where do we get a beer, then?' He pointed at a pavillion in the middle distance across King's Park (think stretch of bobbly grass) which was packed, as we found out. I then asked two local youths where we could get a beer. They pointed vaguely up the street at a distant pub called imaginatively 'The Queens Park'. We trudged there. 'Home Supporters Only', the two Polish doormen explained, to which Jnr Pommpey said, 'That's a bit racist, isn't it?' They didn't catch the breeze of irony.
We were then directed into shitty Boscombe (think Heeley in the 80s) passing anouther 'Home Supporters Only' pub (are they Man United these wankers, or what, I mused) and found solace in a Wetherspoons called The Sir Percy Florence Shelley. Why not just call it The Town Full of Bellends? Anyway, we quaffed with other Bladesmen, one of which almost asked me for a light ... I think ... not sure because I haven't seen him since Reading some years back ... it was Brownie?
Anyway we then hiked the mile and a half back to the Jizzlobber Stadium, a nice, hastily-thrown up ground of three sides, the traditional away end missing and open to the brisk breeze blowing across the faces of some 1200-odd Bladesmen, hemmed into the end of one of the stands. Our seats were in line with the 18yd line on this open end, halfway up. In front of me (I discovered) was SUISA and BUVPs Dorset Blade and his missus, and at half time I bumped into Greenwich, still mad-as-a-fish and likeable as anything.
We played in white, Bournemouth included one Simon Francis who me and Jnr Pommpey last saw playing (with J Forte) in a Weymouth vs SUFC pre season some years ago. Back then he looked about ten.
Line up seemed to be 4-4-1-1 with Kitson as target and, surprisingly, Robson as his foil up front. Everything else was 'as is'.
First few minutes were pretty bog standard, but on three minutes a punt up the park found the head of Kitson who defected it round a defender and onto the foot of Robson on the right side of the penalty area. He was effectively clear on-goal but opted to send a lob over the keeper which from where we were sitting a million miles away, seemed to be heading over but dipped at the last minute and thudded off the top of the crossbar.
A bit like us earlier on in the season when Pompey struck the kop-end post earlier on at home, Bournemouth went 'shit!' and started to panic a bit. Then, United started to (get this, fellow forummers) play football - yes - and stroke the ball around a bit. Okay, gaps are still present i the midfield but we pressed Bournemouth up the pitch and kept them pinned forward. They seemed not really able to move past us without a (get this again ... ) tackle going in and someone with (oh ... yes!) putting their foot on the ball, looking up, and finding another red and white shirt. It looked so good!
One one of these forays, their left side defender was robbed of the ball by a swift attack by Murphy and suddenly he was past him, on goal and sidefooted it to the near post. It struck that post but, him being him, MURPHY pounced on the rebound and the confusion and sent the ball back into the net. Twenty minutes gone. One nil!
Course, we wanted two. Another attack saw Bournemouth under pressure and the ball came out to our own Rivellino ... Mcmahon swiftly sending it way over the crossbar into the crowd from about 25 yards.
Then Bouremouth had their own spell, exploiting the yawning gap that appears around the centre circle when we are on the defence. Their attack advanced and a ricocheted shot brought a very good save from George Long. More pressure saw Maguire coolly find Mcmahon with breathtaking aplomb when they seemed like scoring and we defended very credibly. Just before half time one of our players went down injured outside our box and Long punted it long and diagonal, hoping to find touch. Instead one of their players unsportsmanly retreieved it before it found the line and play carried on, much to the anger of both Maguire and Mcmahon, whom I though was going t take the top of his head off when the ball finally went dead.
Half time came, and we seemed comfortable.
Second half Bournemouth were set to come at us more and we settled into a pattern of play I saw late last year at Crawley which saw us defend deep, not venture out much and force the oppositioninto a predictable pattern of passing across the field to wingers to centre and find the head of our two central defenders. One worrying foray saw them shoot and the ricochetted shot pop up and trouble George Long but to be honest, apart from Mcmahon and Long winding up their irate fans, a spectacular feigning of Collins assaulting by one of their players, a disallowed goal by Flynn because Kitson fouled a defender when it was easier to score, we didn't win pretty in the second half, but we won anyway.
Long 7/10. Not high marks because although his handling was good and he pulled off one good save, he didn't have that much to do.
McMahon 7/10. Impressed by his workrate today and his professionalism. He showed good insight at times and grafted hard.
Maguire 9/10. Awesome. Cool on the ball, composed, moves well (with the turning circle of a bulk-freighter) and it seems that the opposition wingers are crossing the ball to him in the box. If we don't go up this season, he is gone.
Collins 8/10. Another good performance. Him and Maguire are the most impressive elemt of our team, and that is the secret to success.
Higginbotham 7/10. Another impressive ingredient to a lean defence. Experience and at-times level headedness shows up, even if he did get skinned a few times.
Murphy 7/10. Well taken goal, but seemed to vanish in the second half save for laying on the disallowed goal.
Doyle 6/10. 'workmanlike'. He does allow too much space and time for the opposition to get organised in midfield.
McDonald 7.5/10. The only player in our team who possesses any form of skill, but you all knew that. He does start attacks off and lays the ball into areas well.
Flynn 3/10. Guys. You are deluding yourself if you think Ryan Flynn is anything more than a FL1 squad player. I have heard the arguments on here, both for and against. Last time I saw him (at Crawley) I said he was a lightweight and this time he is exactly that. He is a winger. Wingers are meant to be fast, rangey and hungry to get the ball past the player to the by-line and across onto the heads of the advancing attack. Today he ran about like his fucking head was on fire, did not get forward enough and titted about when he got the ball. Don't make him this seasons - or next seasons Mongomery.
Robson 8.5/10. Well impressed with him. Looks a half a stone overweight to be honest, but he was a constant pest for the Bournemouth defence and midfield. Looked knackered when he went off.
Kitson 8/10. Aside from his only goal opportunity miss, He played well and got involved.
Subs
Poleon (unmarked) Looks good. Chased things down and took the pressure off a bit. Unlucky late on with a tricksy overhead to run onto.
Bournemouth: Didn't deserve anything out of the game. Niggly, bestowed with grandeur (and a nosebleed from the altitude) and expecting Uncle Eddie to get them past Sheffield United. Great expectations, indeed.
Ref: Decent. Despite their whinging bunch of wankers, they got away with murder. 'One-nil, to the referee' indeed.
Crowd: Us = 90 minutes of singing. Them = mardy arsed fucking bastards. Har-har. You lost. Deal with it. We are top of the league, you know.
Me, Jnr Pommpey and Little Pommpey will have to go to more away games, you know. That's twice we have seen them go top!
pommpey
With a tip of the hat to Deadbat ...
Bournemouth. Bournemouth? Fourth division, Ted McDougall, red and blacks, seaside town full of pensioners.
Quite what the flip they are doing vying for a promotion place with former Premier League outfit Sheffield United is anyone's guess. Oh. Eddie Howe. Nice guy. Got them playing football. You never know, season after next they could 'do a Southampton' and be in the Premiership.
Dream on.
We made the car journey over from frosty Gosport in time for us to get parked, settled and ready in the vicinity before kickoff. The website said there was effectively a home supporters bar and a home and away one, so why venture too far when its cold and you can now park in their nice big gravelpit of a carpark for a onner? Trouble is, me, Jnr Pommpey and Little Pommpey never counted on the magnanimousity and benevolence of AFC Bournemouth's groundstaff who bluntly told us to do one as it was 'Home Supporters Only' (points at A4 page blu-tacked to door) 'Oh', I said. 'Where do we get a beer, then?' He pointed at a pavillion in the middle distance across King's Park (think stretch of bobbly grass) which was packed, as we found out. I then asked two local youths where we could get a beer. They pointed vaguely up the street at a distant pub called imaginatively 'The Queens Park'. We trudged there. 'Home Supporters Only', the two Polish doormen explained, to which Jnr Pommpey said, 'That's a bit racist, isn't it?' They didn't catch the breeze of irony.
We were then directed into shitty Boscombe (think Heeley in the 80s) passing anouther 'Home Supporters Only' pub (are they Man United these wankers, or what, I mused) and found solace in a Wetherspoons called The Sir Percy Florence Shelley. Why not just call it The Town Full of Bellends? Anyway, we quaffed with other Bladesmen, one of which almost asked me for a light ... I think ... not sure because I haven't seen him since Reading some years back ... it was Brownie?
Anyway we then hiked the mile and a half back to the Jizzlobber Stadium, a nice, hastily-thrown up ground of three sides, the traditional away end missing and open to the brisk breeze blowing across the faces of some 1200-odd Bladesmen, hemmed into the end of one of the stands. Our seats were in line with the 18yd line on this open end, halfway up. In front of me (I discovered) was SUISA and BUVPs Dorset Blade and his missus, and at half time I bumped into Greenwich, still mad-as-a-fish and likeable as anything.
We played in white, Bournemouth included one Simon Francis who me and Jnr Pommpey last saw playing (with J Forte) in a Weymouth vs SUFC pre season some years ago. Back then he looked about ten.
Line up seemed to be 4-4-1-1 with Kitson as target and, surprisingly, Robson as his foil up front. Everything else was 'as is'.
First few minutes were pretty bog standard, but on three minutes a punt up the park found the head of Kitson who defected it round a defender and onto the foot of Robson on the right side of the penalty area. He was effectively clear on-goal but opted to send a lob over the keeper which from where we were sitting a million miles away, seemed to be heading over but dipped at the last minute and thudded off the top of the crossbar.
A bit like us earlier on in the season when Pompey struck the kop-end post earlier on at home, Bournemouth went 'shit!' and started to panic a bit. Then, United started to (get this, fellow forummers) play football - yes - and stroke the ball around a bit. Okay, gaps are still present i the midfield but we pressed Bournemouth up the pitch and kept them pinned forward. They seemed not really able to move past us without a (get this again ... ) tackle going in and someone with (oh ... yes!) putting their foot on the ball, looking up, and finding another red and white shirt. It looked so good!
One one of these forays, their left side defender was robbed of the ball by a swift attack by Murphy and suddenly he was past him, on goal and sidefooted it to the near post. It struck that post but, him being him, MURPHY pounced on the rebound and the confusion and sent the ball back into the net. Twenty minutes gone. One nil!
Course, we wanted two. Another attack saw Bournemouth under pressure and the ball came out to our own Rivellino ... Mcmahon swiftly sending it way over the crossbar into the crowd from about 25 yards.
Then Bouremouth had their own spell, exploiting the yawning gap that appears around the centre circle when we are on the defence. Their attack advanced and a ricocheted shot brought a very good save from George Long. More pressure saw Maguire coolly find Mcmahon with breathtaking aplomb when they seemed like scoring and we defended very credibly. Just before half time one of our players went down injured outside our box and Long punted it long and diagonal, hoping to find touch. Instead one of their players unsportsmanly retreieved it before it found the line and play carried on, much to the anger of both Maguire and Mcmahon, whom I though was going t take the top of his head off when the ball finally went dead.
Half time came, and we seemed comfortable.
Second half Bournemouth were set to come at us more and we settled into a pattern of play I saw late last year at Crawley which saw us defend deep, not venture out much and force the oppositioninto a predictable pattern of passing across the field to wingers to centre and find the head of our two central defenders. One worrying foray saw them shoot and the ricochetted shot pop up and trouble George Long but to be honest, apart from Mcmahon and Long winding up their irate fans, a spectacular feigning of Collins assaulting by one of their players, a disallowed goal by Flynn because Kitson fouled a defender when it was easier to score, we didn't win pretty in the second half, but we won anyway.
Long 7/10. Not high marks because although his handling was good and he pulled off one good save, he didn't have that much to do.
McMahon 7/10. Impressed by his workrate today and his professionalism. He showed good insight at times and grafted hard.
Maguire 9/10. Awesome. Cool on the ball, composed, moves well (with the turning circle of a bulk-freighter) and it seems that the opposition wingers are crossing the ball to him in the box. If we don't go up this season, he is gone.
Collins 8/10. Another good performance. Him and Maguire are the most impressive elemt of our team, and that is the secret to success.
Higginbotham 7/10. Another impressive ingredient to a lean defence. Experience and at-times level headedness shows up, even if he did get skinned a few times.
Murphy 7/10. Well taken goal, but seemed to vanish in the second half save for laying on the disallowed goal.
Doyle 6/10. 'workmanlike'. He does allow too much space and time for the opposition to get organised in midfield.
McDonald 7.5/10. The only player in our team who possesses any form of skill, but you all knew that. He does start attacks off and lays the ball into areas well.
Flynn 3/10. Guys. You are deluding yourself if you think Ryan Flynn is anything more than a FL1 squad player. I have heard the arguments on here, both for and against. Last time I saw him (at Crawley) I said he was a lightweight and this time he is exactly that. He is a winger. Wingers are meant to be fast, rangey and hungry to get the ball past the player to the by-line and across onto the heads of the advancing attack. Today he ran about like his fucking head was on fire, did not get forward enough and titted about when he got the ball. Don't make him this seasons - or next seasons Mongomery.
Robson 8.5/10. Well impressed with him. Looks a half a stone overweight to be honest, but he was a constant pest for the Bournemouth defence and midfield. Looked knackered when he went off.
Kitson 8/10. Aside from his only goal opportunity miss, He played well and got involved.
Subs
Poleon (unmarked) Looks good. Chased things down and took the pressure off a bit. Unlucky late on with a tricksy overhead to run onto.
Bournemouth: Didn't deserve anything out of the game. Niggly, bestowed with grandeur (and a nosebleed from the altitude) and expecting Uncle Eddie to get them past Sheffield United. Great expectations, indeed.
Ref: Decent. Despite their whinging bunch of wankers, they got away with murder. 'One-nil, to the referee' indeed.
Crowd: Us = 90 minutes of singing. Them = mardy arsed fucking bastards. Har-har. You lost. Deal with it. We are top of the league, you know.
Me, Jnr Pommpey and Little Pommpey will have to go to more away games, you know. That's twice we have seen them go top!
pommpey
