Bournemouth v Scunthorpe United

Monday, January 2, 2006

Football League One

Bournemouth :
Stewart, Hart, Cooper, Howe (Tindall 86), O'Connor, Purches, Stock, Browning (Pitman 81), Hayter, Fletcher, Rodrigues (Coutts 69)
Subs not used:
Moss, Rowe

Scunthorpe United :
Evans, Byrne, Hinds, Crosby, Rose, MacKenzie, Baraclough, Sparrow, Sharp (Taylor 73), Torpey, Keogh
Subs not used:
Johnson, Goodwin, Beagrie, Musselwhite

SULSESC REPORT

by Bob Dook at The Fitness First Stadium

"Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside, oh I do like to be beside the sea..."

Not my first visit to Bournemouth, but my first to Dean Court. It was an early morning start in Scunny and a latish arrival on the south coast due to a detour through central London to visit my elder daughter.

Parking up at the ground close to kick-off, I was met by a steward at the gate, who gleefully informed me that I had to have a ticket to get in. I told him that I would pay cash. No ticket, no entry was his delighted reply. So a hike around to the ticket office, purchase a ticket, hike back to the gate only to be met by the same jobsworth, this time telling me that the ticket was last week's game. I interpreted this as a form of humour, but as the match had kicked off, I was in no mood to engage with some half-wit and was duly let in by another steward who had half a brain cell more and had realised that this north country monkey was not going to play and was busily phoning AFC Bournemouth.

Now in a bad mood, I took my seat only to listen to some brainchild behind me explaining how astute Laws was to be playing 4-3-3. Hardly. Radio Solent had commented on the car radio earlier in the day that the Cherries would be playing 4-3-3. Not a secret, then. As I pointed out to the Laws lover behind, I would have been disappointed if Laws hadn't started with 4-3-3 knowing the opposition's formation.

As it worked, we were much better at 4-3-3 than Bournemouth and controlled the game for most of the first-half. Rose was making his debut at left back, after signing on loan from Yeovil. He turned out to have a decent game, although there were moments when he didn't know where his defensive line was situated, Williams-esque.

We benefited from the early dominance with a goal from Billy Sharp, who brilliantly deceived their 'keeper. From wide out on the right, Billy cleverly disguised his lob shot for goal as a cross to Torpey, giving 'keeper Stewart no chance as the ball found its way into the far corner of the net. Well, it was like that, wasn't it?

As the half went on, Bournemouth realised they were second best and withdrew their front left wide man into a 4-4-2 formation. This started to provide dividends and they began to find purchase in centre midfield with the extra man. By this route, they had a couple of decent chances, one which hit the bar and the other which Evans did well to intercept with a body block.

The second-half saw Laws make a tactical change, which cost us two points and luckily not three. We went defensive, retreating into a 4-5-1 formation, bringing both Sharp and Keogh back into the wide slots and tightening up the central midfield trio of Baraclough, Sparrow and Mackenzie. Sharp and Keogh are front men and out of their depth in midfield and we looked narrow and reluctant to push forward.

Not replacing Torpey at half-time, preferably with Johnson, was near criminal. If any change was to be made, we should have gone 4-4-2 as Bournemouth had done, leaving Sharp and Keogh up front and adding Taylor or Goodwin to midfield. Laws' tactics gave impetus for the Cherries to bombard our goal and they did. Fortunately, we only let one in, and thankfully it was only one. It would have been only a matter of time before Bournemouth had scored the winner, but time proved to be our eventual saviour, as the final whistle went and preserved a point.

Man City scouts will have looked at that second-half debacle and will be rubbing their hands at the prospect of Laws doing the same at Eastlands. Of course, Brian will never admit he blew it and cost us points, but if he has any sense of any kind at all he will play 4-4-2 against Man City and forget this 4-5-1 nonsense.

Later discussions over a beer with a certain newspaper reporter showed me how different folk see the game. His view of it was that Laws did the correct thing, we looked solid all second-half, the Cherries had one chance and scored from it, Taylor should have scored in the second-half and won it and we are poor with a 4-4-2 set-up anyway. What would there be to talk about if we all saw things the same way?