The Cherries go 10th and match Spurs in goalless draw

Match Report

22 October 2016

AFCB 0 v 0 Tottenham Hotspur

Attendance: 11,201

Dean Court raises the noise level to welcome the teams. 

Some might have expecting another goal flood at Dean Court but spectators were instead treated to a captivating match between a side aiming for the title and another that has aspirations itself of taking footsteps into the top 10. Spurs may have had a couple of players out from their first choice line up but then again so did the Cherries. Both sides created plenty of chances with Charlie Daniels and Erik Lamela both hitting the cross bar in the first half, while Dele Alli forced a great save from Artur Boruc in the second half. But a 0-0 result was a fair one and the Cherries will probably a little more pleased with the result that extends their unbeaten run to four games.

The teams come onto the pitch.

There was a surprise in not seeing Junior Stanislas in the squad having apparently picked up a calf injury while Andrew Surman pulled up during the warm up for the game and was unfit to play. Andrew felt unwell and had no energy, Eddie Howe said after the match. So Josh King came in for Stanislas and Dan Gosling made his first Premier League start of the season in place of Andrew Surman.

Advertisement

Broomhill Garden Conservatories

Team photo for AFCB.

Spurs before kick off.

While Danny Rose had been a doubt for Spurs he was able to start, but Trippier and Janssen who started in midweek against Bayer Leverkusen were replaced by Walker and Dembele.

The captains - Francis and Lloris.

There are more pictures on Match Day Gallery.

AFCB were told to show as much energy as Spurs on and off the ball and Callum Wilson showed that from the start in chasing down Hugo Lloris from the off. Spurs' in-form Son then hit an early shot that was offside.

King and Gosling soon started snapping tackles in midfield and when Francis played a long ball for Wilson he picked a corner off of Vertonghen. Ibe managed to get to the byline from the corner and fired the ball in hard with Charlie Daniels reacting first and smashing his shot that came off a low diving Lloris and off the bar!

The fouls soon began to rise with Wanyama starting things off by bring down Gosling. Alli followed up with taking out Adam Smith. Meanwhile, AFCB were stopping Spurs from playing out from the back - the press was on. Arter was running furiously around the midfield closing every white shirt down. Wilshere was threading passes, looking for Wilson on the charge and a block from Vertonghen won AFCB another corner.

Spurs were just as adept at the breakaway with Dele Alli slipping past Arter and Gosling for once and feeding Lamela who hit a shot from 20 yards that dipped and curled and spun off the top corner of Boruc's goal on 18 minutes.

Lamela soon disappointed though with a late challenge from behind on Adam Smith that saw the first yellow card of the afternoon. Smith was left clutching his left ankle but recovered after a few minutes. Artur was happy to dish out some hard tackles himself and left Wanyama wondering what had hit him moments later. Ibe was less subtle in pulling the shirt of Vertonghen but it had the desired affect of slowing Spurs down.

Spurs were trying to get more control and Eriksen put in a good cross that Francis got a flick header to before Wanyama found Eriksen again who hit a low shot that Boruc turned round the post to his left. Eric Dier put his header from the corner wide.

Danny Rose and Josh King were having a full on battle up Bournemouth's right wing. It was Wilson though that was always likely to break free and Vertonghen clipped him as he turned to get away on half way and earned his yellow card. Another card followed for Dele Alli as he brought down Adam Smith and Gosling also got a yellow card. The talking point at half time though was Lamela's foul on Dan Gosling that inexplicably did not earn him a second yellow! The game had become a bit wild in the tackle stakes and Danny Rose was another to get carded for a foul on King just before half time.

Two minutes of added time produced on last chance in the half for Calum Wilson but he put his header wide.

No score at half time.

Second half

Spurs came out full of intent in the second half. Dele Alli hit a speculative dive from 25 yards to start them off that Boruc had to dive to his right to turn it behind. Josh King then sped down the right wing to deliver a cross that was just headed away in time by Dier as Wilson lurked in the box right behind the central defender.

Jordan Ibe was having some loose control problems but Eriksen was having no such difficulties slipping a touch to take the ball past Steve Cook and through for Lemela to run on goal, but Francis got back in time to make a saving tackle.

Another move saw Wanyama hit the ball back across the box only for Lamella to blast over from a tight angle. Francis was sliding in to stop Danny Rose in his tracks and it as becoming a bit desperate for the Cherries. The ball just kept coming back.

On 60 minutes though Ibe was subbed for Max Gradel and Spurs took off the luckless Son and replaced him with Janssen. That was followed by a shot from Walker with the outside of his foot that went well wide.

With Lamella and Eriksen standing over a free kick that Gradel had given away for blocking Dembele, Boruc had to react quickly as Lamela went for goal bypassing the two-man wall and forcing Artur to take the full force of the shot.

Gradel was carded for fouling Lamela. Jack Wilshere and Callum Wilson were starting to find some gaps though as the game progressed.

Deli Ali was taken off on 70 minutes and was replaced by Sissoko. Spurs could see the points slipping away and Danny Rose was getting closer forcing Boruc to save to his right.

An incident with Arter and Wanyama caused a stoppage, but while Wanyama was accused of using an elbow the referee preferred instead to take Wanyama aside. Neither were booked of course. Benik Afobe replaced Callum Wilson for the last 10 minutes as AFCB tried to force their way through the Spurs defence.

Ryan Fraser then came on for Josh King with three minutes to go. One last chance almost won the Cherries the game when Afobe headed onto the roof of the net from a Simon Francis cross before the final whistle went.

All square.

Summary
Eddie Howe was very pleased with this performance and to match Spurs is a big step forward for this AFCB side considering what happened in the same fixture last season. Those demons were exercised and now AFCB are looking more and more like a top half side. While they did not break the Spurs defence they did create chances and a clean sheet against a side that will be contesting for the title is a very good day's work.

Dembele and Boruc congratulate each other.

Artur Boruc adds another clean sheet to his record.

AFCB
Boruc, Smith, Francis, Cook, Daniels, Gosling, Arter, King (Fraser 87), Wilshere,
Ibe (Gradel 60), Wilson (Afobe 82)

AFCB Substitutes
Federici, Mings, Aké, Afobe, Gradel, Fraser, Mousset

AFCB Ratings

Boruc 8, Smith 7, Francis 8, Cook 8, Daniels 7, Gosling 7, Arter 9, King 8, Wilshere 7, Ibe 7,
Wilson 7

Referee: Craig Pawson 3/10 - Lamela should have seen red.

Spurs
Lloris, Walker, Dier, Vertonghen, Rose, Wanyama, Dembélé, Eriksen, Alli (Sissoko), Lamela, Son Heung-min (Janssen)

Spurs Substitutes
Vorm, Trippier, Wimmer, Winks, Davies, Sissoko, Janssen

Afobe walks off but only had a few minutes to impress.