AFCB can shove Newcastle towards the Championship today

It's crunch time. The fortunes of AFCB have taken a real dip since October and it is now vital for them to get back on winning ways with a home match against a team that has not won away all season. The Cherries have enough in their attacking play to beat Steve McClaren's side and the points will be massively welcome, while also probably spelling doom or at best anxious times for the loser.

AFCB don't need to go into this game thinking that they are under pressure though. They just need to find the game that brought them so many points at home last season - 'a true home performance', as Eddie Howe calls it. Newcastle will come and defend and try and stay in the match and hope AFCB over commit on one of their attacks. If they come to play they will be opened up by the Cherries and McClaren knows that his side can't risk going toe-to-toe with the Cherries at Dean Court. Newcastle Utd have not won away since beating Hull City at the end of January.

The Cherries have to make home advantage count in this one.

Eddie Howe will want to have no excuses for a slow start or for missing chances. This game has to be the perfect template for success as there is less and less room for the Cherries to make mistakes now. Against the bottom three sides they simply have to pick up points to stay ahead as to drop into the relegation places is always hard to recover from once you are there.

There really is no in between for this game. It is do now or expect the worst. Newcastle have improved in recent weeks but their away form is still dire. The Cherries have to put them under pressure like they did against Southampton in the second half of that match. If they play like that for 90 minutes they will get chances to win the game. UTCIAD!