While it wasn't a crowning performance at Dean Court against WBA that had everybody celebrating in the way the club might have hoped with a big win, the game against the Baggies was important just for the fact that the Cherries ended that run of three defeats.
The fixtures have been tough in April and May but the Cherries have not hit the heights that they did in the winter months of late. With the sun blazing out at Dean Court and a big crowd to see the final home game we had every reason to be optimistic that AFCB would get their first double of the season with victory home and away against WBA. But the early goal from Rondon just set things back to the darker moments of the season rather than stir the Cherries into goal hunters.
Mistakes happen in games and while Boruc's passing from the back has been roundly criticised on several occasions there was still much that WBA had to do before scoring. Arter could not get close enough to Leko who had time to turn and pas out to the wing, while Stanislas could not close down the cross and Elphick found the cross too deep for him while Cook was not quick enough to respond to Rondon's angled run.
A 0-1 defeat was looking on the cards and without Boruc's penalty save, Eddie Howe would have been looking at another home defeat. The dividing line between getting beaten and salvaging a point is very small, but the game needed the penalty save to really give the players some belief which is a bit surprising considering the season they have had. The last few defeats may have had more impact on confidence than even Eddie Howe realised and while he has been experimenting with changes to the starting 11, he knows that the team has not been functioning as well as it should.
The draw brings an end to the barren run though and while AFCB have slipped to 16th in the table, the side should be able to go away this summer and come back believing that it has more grasp of why the best teams are up the top of the league and what they need to do to improve. Eddie must decide though if his back four and keepers can cut down the goals against or if he needs new faces in some of those positions to climb the table next season.
Transfer news
Defender Bernardo Espinosa is poised to have a medical at AFCB if reports from Spanish paper Marca are to believed.
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| That winning feeling has deserted the Cherries for the moment. |
Mistakes happen in games and while Boruc's passing from the back has been roundly criticised on several occasions there was still much that WBA had to do before scoring. Arter could not get close enough to Leko who had time to turn and pas out to the wing, while Stanislas could not close down the cross and Elphick found the cross too deep for him while Cook was not quick enough to respond to Rondon's angled run.
A 0-1 defeat was looking on the cards and without Boruc's penalty save, Eddie Howe would have been looking at another home defeat. The dividing line between getting beaten and salvaging a point is very small, but the game needed the penalty save to really give the players some belief which is a bit surprising considering the season they have had. The last few defeats may have had more impact on confidence than even Eddie Howe realised and while he has been experimenting with changes to the starting 11, he knows that the team has not been functioning as well as it should.
The draw brings an end to the barren run though and while AFCB have slipped to 16th in the table, the side should be able to go away this summer and come back believing that it has more grasp of why the best teams are up the top of the league and what they need to do to improve. Eddie must decide though if his back four and keepers can cut down the goals against or if he needs new faces in some of those positions to climb the table next season.
Transfer news
Defender Bernardo Espinosa is poised to have a medical at AFCB if reports from Spanish paper Marca are to believed.
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