Wigan 1 v 3 AFCB
7 February 2015
Attendance: 10,621 (545 AFCB fans)
The Cherries knew it would be a test today against a side that really needed points at the wrong end of the table. The goals in the first half really set this match up for a Cherries' win. Callum Wilson was racing his way past Wigan's centre halves without much difficulty and his finishing saw the Cherries take a strong grip on this game with Yann Kermorgant also hitting the back of the net just three minutes later. The second half saw Wilson extend the lead further before Wigan's Leon Clarke got one back and there was a moment when the Latics put some pressure on the Cherries as a comeback was threatened. But AFCB proved too strong and saw the game out without too much difficulty.
AFC Bournemouth went to Wigan knowing that anything but a win was likely to see them replaced at the top of the Championship. Eddie Howe made no changes from the last league match against Watford so there was no doubt that the Cherries were going all out for the win. As expected Shuan MacDonald was started into the squad and Tokelo Rantie would have an opportunity to be on the bench as well. Meanwhile, Junior Stanislas fell out of the squad due to illness in the last week.
Wigan gave debuts to Kim Bo-Kyung, Chris Herd and Leon Clarke. It was four changes in all for Wigan from their last game against Ipswich with McCann also coming back into the side and on the bench they had more new recruits in Ojo, Bong and Mckay. Perch, Huws, Waghorn and Fortune dropped out of Wigan's starting 11 from their last match.
Match commentary: listening to Willo and Kris Temple on BBC Radio Solent
AFCB get the first free kick. They are wearing red shorts today with the red and black tops and red socks. Wigan have blue and while shirts with black numbers! Ali Al Habsi receives the ball. Bo-Kyung to Taylor down the left and McClean and into Clarke where Setve Cook comes in but Kvist has a good shot that Boruc saves well!
Surman to Cook and Francis brings the ball away. Elphick now on the ball to Ritchie but Wilson is flagged offside. Arter over to Kermorgant and Surman. McClean now. Free Kick to Wigan.
Boruc comes and Elphick heads away. Herd and Clarke has a drive across goal! Kermorgant is down after an aerial challenge. Seven minutes gone. Al Habsi clears poorly but Herd recovers the ball. Clarke to Cowie who crosses into the near post where McClean is but play is pulled back to a Wigan free kick. The ball from McClean beats everybody and hits the bar!
Surman to Kermorgant and Arter out to Francis on the right. Pugh now chests it down and Surman loses the ball to McClean. Cook wins it back. Daniels is in behind Wilson dummy, Kermorgant and slightly behind Ritchie whose shot is deflected wide! Francis t the far post Kermorgant tries to slot it but a great bit of defending! Corner again.
A poor cross this time is volleyed away by Clarke. Wilson to Kermorgant and Ritchie back to Ater 35 yards out. Pughc crosses and Herd concedes another corner. Ritchie for short Surman and another corner. Francis in and headed away. Surman and McClean wins the ball off Arter.
Wigan with the ball. McCann goes in on Wilson quite a high challenge. 15 minutes gone Bo-Kyung and Clarke on the break but Francis wins the ball back to Boruc. Herd and Arter challenge for the ball. Pugh wins a throw. Arter on half way.
Daniels crosses and Ridgewell clears. Francis has a shot and Ridgewell blocks and wins a free kick off of Wilson, 18 minutes gone. Ritchie to Wilson and Arter back to Wilson on the left to Pugh. Arter is closed down and Daniels and Wigan have a goal kick. Bo-Kyung is challenged by Arter, Ritchie goes down and wins a free kick.
Clarke now and Elphick clears. Bo-Kyung and Cook stands on the ball and puts it out. A long throw from Kvist and Kermorgant clears. Wigan are then caught offside. Wigan down the right but Cook wins the ball and Elphick plays it up to Kermorgant. Pugh loses his footing and over hits his pass. Arter up to Wilson, Arter plays it out to the left. Daniels back to half way. Surman and Wilson but Surman makes a foul. Herd robs Surman and Clarke's shot is pulled across goal.
Francis and Elphick works it across the back. Ritchie to Francis and Ridgewell loses the ball. Arter and Pugh. AFCB keeping possession. Kermorgant to Arter and Surman goes out to Daniels and Barnett puts the ball out. Bo-Kyung puts the ball out again. McClean wins a header ahead of Elphick but Arter clears up.
Kermorgant and Taylor has the ball, Bo-Kyung can't sort his feet out. Kermorgant over the top to Wilson first time shot from Ritchie is too high from the edge of the D. "The game just needs a spark," says Kris Temple.
Ritchie makes a cross and Bo-Kyung has the ball. Ridgewell and McClean but Francis makes a good challenge racing back. Taylor on the left and the ball comes in and Bo-Kyung's overhead kick jut goes wide! Half an hour gone.
Francis down the right and McClean tussles fro the ball and comes out on top. Ritchie charges down a Wigan clearance. Ritchie again and McClean puts the ball out. Francis to Cook and Kermorgant finds Pugh, Arter joins in Arter and Daniels pull back, Ritchie has a shot but hit his own man - Wilson! AFCB keeping the pressure on.
Kermorgant plays in Wilson. Wilson is on side and scores!! 37 minutes. The Wigan. Few Wigan players made and protest to say he was offside. "The right back played Callum on," says Willo.
Wilson and Kermorgant with strength makes it two, shrugging off McCann. "Al Habsi should have saved that," says Temple. 41 minutes gone.
Ridgewell in the box and Pugh puts in a challenge and scoops it away. Kvist and Daniels clears. Wilson gives it away. Bo-Kyung is clipped and Wilson again gives the ball away. Barnett bad back header. He nudges Wilson but not enough for a penalty. A minute left of this half. Daniels and Pugh is caught by Herd. Elphick lumps it forward. Clarke has the ball and Al Habsi has a first time clearance. Half time 0-2. AFCB have had eight shots (three on target) compared to Wigan's two shots (one on target), with 68 per cent possession to AFCB.
Second Half
Billy Mckay comes on and Bo-Kyung is subbed at half time.Wilson step over. He goes down under Barnett's challenge, nothing given. Goal kick to Wigan. Clarke to McClean and Cowie behind Taylor. It's out for an AFCB throw. Wigan have gone to two up front.
Daniels knocks it out of play. Herd with the throw. Surman's head also goes out for a corner but Daniels puts it out for a throw. Kvist to Herd and the cross goes straight out. Wilson is frustrated being pulled back.
Ridgwell a woeful ball. Wilson and Barnett and Al Habsi has the ball.
Herd wins a header and Elphick has the ball. AFCB in possession. Cowie cuts the ball out but it's back off McCann to Wilson. Ritchie over to Francis. Ritchie comes over but McClean has the ball and crosses but Daniels clears with Cook. Daniels plays in Pugh who crosses. Wigan clear.
"The Cherries have only conceded 11 away from home in the league from 14 games this season," says Kris Temple. Pugh win a free kick.
Francis with McClean chasing back. Nine minutes gone in the second half. Ridgewell heads the ball up to half way. Taylor out to Clarke and Kvist to Taylor blocked by Francis. Wilson and Barnett battle again. Pugh has a throw. Wilson in between the two centre halves but can't finish and balloons it wide! "he shanked it," says Kris temple.
Wilson again away from Barnett and he puts the game to bed 0-3. Wilson has 17 for the season. He made his mind up early and went round the keeper. It was all about his pace says, Willo. Two chances so quickly after the other. "We score when we want," sing the AFCB fans. Ojo comes on for herd on 59 minutes.
McClean down the wing and a cross finds Clarke with head the ball in! 1-3 to AFCB. Wigan are still in this.
Daniels now past Ojo and Pugh. Arter to Kermorgant, Pugh challenge. Ritchie and Kermorgant go for the same ball. Kvist and Kermorgant goes down.
Cowie is in and misses at the near past. Daniels at fault!
Taylor now beats Ritchie but Surman puts the ball out for a corner. Wigan are having a spell here. In swinger and Rdgewell gets a good header in and Boruc tips it over! Cowie again and Elphick clears. Ojo and Arter challenges and the ball goes out. Free kick to Wigan.
Ojo takes it and Kemorgant heads it out. Barnett and Francis. Then Arter takes a whack. Kemrorgant clears ahead of Ojo. Mckay wants a hand ball but it's not given. Ritchie gets a booking - too much back chat. Kvist back in and Pugh clears. Clarke to Ojo and AFCB have a throw.
Ojo to Mckay and McCann slips. Offside given against Wilson 19 minutes to go. Ojo hit on the back by the ball. Kermorgant to Wilson and Barnett is fouled. Elphick chips the ball back to the thrower and the fans shout for hand ball.
Cook fouls Mckay. Wigan take the free kick and Barnett heads over. Yann Kermorgant is subbed as Shaun MacDonald comes on for his first league appearance for AFCB this season. AFCB win a free kick for a foul on Ritchie and McCann gets the yellow card.
Wilson is fouled now. AFCB are getting Adam smith ready to come on. Elphick and McacDonald up to Wilson and Pugh 35 yards out. Surman and MacDonald and the ball is through to Al Habsi. McClean puts in a bad tackle on Arter. Adam Smith comes on for Matt Ritchie. Roy Keane is in the crowd watching Arter today for the Rep of Ireland.
Daniels and Ojo wins it off Pugh. Clarke turns to the back post and Francis and smith clear. Elphick puts the ball out. The Cherries have a goal kick. Clarke and Cook gets the ball away. Kvist and Ridgewell looks for McClean. smith goes down and its a Wigan throw. Cowie to Ojo and back to the keeper.
Pugh tap tackles Ojo and h goes in the referee's book. Cowie and Ridgewell strikes the ball but Francis gets a block in and it's out for a corner. Pugh and Cook clear. McClean has a poor shot that goes wide.
Pugh tap tackles Ojo and h goes in the referee's book. Cowie and Ridgewell strikes the ball but Francis gets a block in and it's out for a corner. Pugh and Cook clear. McClean has a poor shot that goes wide.
Elphick to Francis and Wilson against Ridgewell. McClean can't keep it in. Two minutes to go and Pitman is getting ready to come on. McClean and Smith are getting annoyed with each other. Boruc has the ball. Wilson away again and Taylor covers.
Four minutes of extra time. Pugh comes off and Brett Pitman comes on for the last few minutes. Wilson is on the ground after Ridgewell's challenge. Throw in to AFCB. Taylor gets a yellow card for a foul on Adam Smith. MacDonald is hammered by Barnett with the foreheads coming together. Cowie and Arter are getting annoyed and there is a 10 man scuffle. Willo is saying we don't need the bookings. Daniels pulls Arter out of the situation. He really does not need a booking on nine yellows.
We have played more than five minutes of extra time. Boruc has the ball. Wigan have a free kick. Elphick heads it and the whistle goes.
Summary
An important win again for the Cherries on the road. It was also important that the Cherries strikers are on form as they have a big game against Derby coming up when they will have to show that kind of sharpness in front of goal for AFCB to get a result. The pitch was not said to be great at Wigan, but it's all about getting the points now and this win heaps pressure on the following pack. I was pleased that further bookings were avoided in the last few minutes as that would have spoilt the day if we had seen more yellow cards.
Boruc, Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels, Ritchie (Smith 82), Arter, Surman, Pugh (Pitman 90), Kermorgant (MacDonald 75), Wilson
AFCB Subs
Camp, MacDonald, Rantie, Fraser, Pitman, Smith, Ward
Wigan
Al Habsi, Taylor, McCann, McClean, Herd (Ojo 59), Cowie, Clarke, Barnett, Kvist, Bo-Kyung (Mckay 46), Ridgewell,
Wigan Subs
Carson, Mckay, Ojo, Bong, Pearce, Fortune, Waghorn
Referee: Mark Haywood
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