A snatched Sunderland equaliser was always a possibility

While it is always an annoyance when AFCB let in a goal, Eddie Howe will have been particularly disappointed about the way that Sunderland managed to get something out of the last game. It is hard to know why teams switch off for a second or two at crucial moments but it happens, and when a team is defending a throw on 45 minutes and protecting a lead, all minds should be ensuring that they are goal side of their man and that simply did not happen at the Stadium of Light.

AFCB are still finding it hard to build on early leads.

Sadly, it happens all the time. When one or more players are just expecting the referee to blow for half time and a rest is near, there is always a danger that it is the wrong time for players to take their mind off of things. In too many games, some 14 points have been lost from winning positions for AFCB. If the Cherries could have just halved that rate they would be sitting far more comfortable in the top half of the table.

It is hard to be too critical of the team though in this first Premier League season. They will begin to realise that the quality of other teams means any lapse in concentration is an invitation to be hit with a goal and the goal that Patrick van Aarnholt scored on Saturday will no doubt be replayed many times at Dean Court in front of the players.

Eddie of course is right that the side can't expect for a home team not to have the ball at times and to threaten our goal. There can be games though where over confidence can bite hard and this match was going well enough that perhaps the players were not really switched on to seeing the Black Cats possibly finding a way through. You are never safe though at one-nil or even two-nil. 

While there was a reaction to Sunderland's equaliser, the Cherries found it hard to carve out more than a couple of strong chances in the second half and that may also be something that will be looked at.