Fright night for Albion as Cherries enjoy historic 2-1 cup win

Match Report

AFCB 2 v 1 WBA

Captial One Cup 4th Round

28 October 2014

Attendance: 11, 296

AFCB and WBA walk on to the pitch.

AFCB make history for the second time in a week! After racking up their record league win they have now progressed further in the League Cup (Capital One) than ever before and can look forward to a fifth round tie. More than that they have beaten a Premier League team to get there. Don't mind that Albion did not play all their best players or that they could only bring three big names on during the match, AFCB's players were worthy winners and even a late scare was not enough to frighten Eddie Howe's players who spooked their way past a powerful WBA team.

Team photo for AFCB.

The captains in the middle.

Check out the Match Day Gallery for more pictures of the night.

Eddie Howe made 10 changes to the team that won 0-8 at Birmingham at the weekend with only captain Tommy Elphick surviving the axe. Some home fans may have wondered how well some of the Bournemouth players who had been picked would do against a WBA team that had also put in plenty of replacements from their first team, but the AFCB squad is probably stronger now than it has ever been as this match demonstrated.

Their was a recall for Yann Kermorgant after his three match ban had been served and he had the first shot of the night forcing Myhill into action after just a minute. WBA also tried for an early goal with Victor Anichebe linking up with Sebastian Blanco, who saw the flag thankfully go up for offside!

Baily Cargill saw his first pass go straight out of play but he soon settled well. Elphick too was involved early, heading clear and as Ian Harte tried to get Rantie away the first yellow card came the way of Albion's Craig Dawson on eight minutes. Ref's aren't too keen on strangle holds! 

AFCB perhaps could have taken the lead on 11 minutes when Adam Smith raced into the box and after beating some players chose to cross to Yann, when he might have scored himself. Yann's shot was blocked though.

West Brom had not come to sit back though and a headed chance for Liam O'Neil was just glanced wide. WBA fans tried to pick fun at the home crowds calls for an early handball by Dawson, but they were even more pleased to see Eunan O'Kane was yellow carded for pulling back O'Neil on 15 minutes. While the free kick was headed out, Yousesouf Mulumbu returned a shot from fully 25 yards with some interest, luckily Camp saved well. Albion had another chance soon after but Mulumbu hit a weak shot that Camp could gather easily.

While Rantie was getting caught offside a couple of times in the first 20 minutes, he was busy causing trouble and put in a devilish cross that was crying out to be finished, while Eunan O'Kane then put a great ball through to the South African who was cleanly tackled at the last moment by Gareth McAuley.

Ian Harte was next in the book for a foul on Mulumbu, who Ian insisted had dived by his hand gestures. Blanco fired the free kick well over! AFCB replied with a good cross from Junior Stanislas and Rantie did his best to try and get on top of the cross, but headed energtically wide. With half an hour gone the Cherries had done well, but Camp had to make a great save against Brown Ideye on 34 minutes.

Cristan Gamboa was pacey down Bournemouth's left and while he won a corner, AFCB's break away saw Rantie charging down the field, only to be cynically fouled by Mulumbu who went into the book in 39 minutes. Chris Baird made an uncharacteristic mistake with a back pass the Rantie almost collected, but he got away with it. While WBA tried a long ball to Ideye next, Camp was alert to it. AFCB's corner's were not leading to chances, but Albion had a gift of a free kick right on half time, given to them by Adam Smith for a charge on Anichebe, but Dawson headed over - 0-0 at half time.

WBA players coming back after half time.

Second Half
The second half was only three minutes in when Junior Stanislas linked up with Yann Kermorgant and then Junior, in the centre, played in Eunan O'Kane on the left side of the box and Eunan finished cleanly to put the Cherries one up! It was his first goal of the season and boy did he enjoy it.

The goal brought West Brom out more and Blanco played a good ball up to Victor Anichebe and as Baily Cargill backed off into the box I feared the worst, but some how Tommy Elphick got his body in the way when the cross came in and survived the handball shouts. But when the ball came out to Gamboa, he hit a viscous bending shot, from some 25 yards, that Camp did well to keep out.

Alan Irvine made his first sub on 55 minutes with Ideye coming off and World Cup striker Georgios Samaros entering the game. Yann Kermorgant was showing his skills now with a beautiful turn in front of O'Neil, but he was later fouled by Dawson. On the hour Gosling had a chance but a West Brom player got a hand or something on the ball, and when Rantie went on a long burst down the field McAuley stopped him right at the end.

WBA made a second sub on 63 minutes as Stephane Sessegnon came on for O'Neil and within a minute you cold see his Premier League class, as he fired a shot just wide. Ryan Fraser next went on a break down the right. When he met a pass back to him in the box, he turned swiftly, but could only hook his shot wide!

Albion also had a chance from a corner but Jason Davidson shot wide. On 69 minutes Callum Wilson came on for Tokelo Rantie and on 73 minutes Blanco was replaced by WBA's star striker - Saido Berahino. Eddie Howe replied by bring on Simon Francis for Ryan Fraser and Adam Smith pushed up on the right wing.

AFCB managed to keep WBA quiet for most of the last 10 minutes as the Midland team complained to the referee, and wasted their own time with a throw in the bottom right of the field, which the referee insisted be taken in the right place - it was very amusing! Just when it seemed that the action would be all over, Samaras made a run down the left and his shot deflected off Tommy Elphick for an own goal! The WBA fans went wild with delight. There were only five minutes to go of normal time and it was 1-1!

Yet, in a week that has been truly historic for the Cherries they picked themselves up from this set back immediately, and Adam Smith dinked a chip up over the defence on the right wing for Callum Wilson to run on to. Callum ran in on goal, before releasing his shot that Myhill merely steered into the net with his attempt at trying to get an arm to the shot - it was 2-1 and the Baggies were going out! 

Shaun MacDonald came on for Yann Kermorgant right at the end. While WBA had four minutes of extra time to get an equaliser, and Chris Baird might have done so with a header, but is sailed over the bar.

Bournemouth grab a last gasp winner and WBA are knocked out!

Players thank the found for a noisy evening.

Eddie Howe leaves his players to celebrate with the crowd.

First goal scorer Eunan O'Kane in the background
with Fraser, Gosling (perhaps) and Tommy Elphick. 

Summary
It was an excellent team performance by the Cherries. They had thwarted a strong West Brom team who had not managed to wrestle as much possession away from the Cherries as I am sure they would have liked. With many notable Premier League players for West Brom on the pitch by the end of the game, it was a truly pleasing result and there was much reason for AFCB fans to celebrate - through to the last eight! There is a strange kind of symmetry about 'eight' and AFCB at the moment - another Midlands side had been felled.

I took some videos of the crowd and players at the end of the game, so hopefully I can put something up on that this evening.

AFCB
Camp, Smith, Elphick, Cargill, Harte, Stanislas, O'Kane, Gosling, Fraser (Francis 75), Rantie (Wilson 69), Kermorgant (MacDonald 88)

AFCB Ratings
Camp 7, Smith 8, Elphick 8, Cargill 7, Harte 7, Stanislas 7, O'Kane 8, Gosling 7, Fraser 7, Rantie 7, Kermorgant 7

AFCB subs
Flahavan, MacDonald, Francis, Pitman, Wilson, Daniels, Ritchie

West Bromwich AlbionMyhill, Gamboa, Dawson Booked, McAuley, Davidso, Mulumbu Booked, O'Neil (Sessegnon 63), Baird, Blanco (Berahino 75 ), Ideye (Samaras 55 ), 10 Anichebe

WBA Subs
Foster, Wisdom, Gardner, Berahino, Sessegnon, Samaras, Roofe

Ref watch: Paul Tierney 5