AFCB need to be good under floodlights

One season does not make AFCB any certainties for doing well next time around but there is a confidence to draw upon from last season. Evening games at Dean Court were especially strong for the Cherries and they will have a string of difficult ties to play under floodlights in this coming season. I don't think many of us will for get some of the special home nights in 2013/14. In all AFCB won four home league games lat at night against Barnsley, Huddersfield, Leeds and Reading, plus a win in the Capital One Cup against Portsmouth and against Burton Albion in the FA Cup.

Dean Court is not an easy place for Championship teams to come to at night.

So while I look at Bournemouth's fixture list and pick out the evening night games I have to say that the team should not fear playing the likes of Nottingham Forest, Leeds Utd and Reading all before November. The ground at Dean Court is a difficult place for away teams to come to at the best of times but the evening games with the crowd on top of you are perhaps a little different to some of the other grounds in the Championship and AFCB tend to raise their game. 

The home record was a strong one at the end of last season with 5 home wins out of the last 7 games, but in August, September and October 2013 the Cherries also managed 4 wins out of 6 games. It was the middle period of the season when the Cherries found wins at the Goldsands stadium a little harder to come by consistently.

The away evening performances did not start off so well with defeats at Leeds, QPR and Watford in the Capital One Cup, but in the second half of the season there was that away win at Blackburn Rovers. So taken as a whole, evening games certainly suited our players.

Night games, let's have 'em!

You might be busy on Tuesday evenings for a while! Evening fixtures for the Cherries next season include (subject to change and any additions):

Tues 12 Aug League Cup Exeter - Away 7.45pm

Tues 19 Aug Nottm Forest - Home 7.45pm

Tues 16 Sep Leeds Utd - Home 7.45pm

Tues 30 Sep Derby - Away 7.45pm

Tues 21 Oct Reading - Home 7.45pm
Fri 31 Oct Brighton - Home 7.45pm latest change

Tues 4 Nov Sheff Wed - Away 7.45pm

Tues 10 Feb Derby - Away 7.45pm

Tues 3 Mar Wolves - Away 7.45pm

Tues 17 Mar Cardiff  - Away 7.45pm

Tues 14 Apr Reading - Away 8.00pm.

Eastleigh FC v AFCB match highlights video now on side panel of Cherry Chimes