The travelling 1500 fans that made it up to Stoke City will have enjoyed the ride home, like myself. While the day was a blustery affair with a cold wind and misty rain, it didn't put the Cherries off their desire to get that elusive first away win. There was a good deal of optimism on the terraces that AFCB could upset a Stoke side recently hammered by Man City and to be fair you never feel overly welcome at the bet365 stadium and the away fans sung with great passion to make it feel more like a home game.
The manner of the win was made better by the style of play in that first half. It was slick passing and fast movement. The Surman goal was particularly impressive in cutting through the Stoke defence. Adam Smith shot passed the Stoke defence and really injected pace into the move. A third goal would have made it a much easier afternoon for the team and the fans, but I guess it was hard for Bournemouth to keep that first half performance going, especially against the wind in the second 45 minutes.
Daily Mail Fans' Verdict - see what Cherry Chimes said
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| AFCB were redy to work hard for a win up at Stoke. |
The wind did make it harder for Stoke to play their long balls up to the front men and it was helpful that while the wind was swirling around, it was mainly with Bournemouth in the first half. I was a bit unsure how well AFCB would do with Afobe and Mousset up front, but they have played several times together now and this was a big opportunity for them. I would not say either of them took great advantage of their selection, but Mousset made some positive runs and Afobe won the penalty, so they did the job they needed to. The important call was to play two up front and to put Stoke on the back foot.
The manner of the win was made better by the style of play in that first half. It was slick passing and fast movement. The Surman goal was particularly impressive in cutting through the Stoke defence. Adam Smith shot passed the Stoke defence and really injected pace into the move. A third goal would have made it a much easier afternoon for the team and the fans, but I guess it was hard for Bournemouth to keep that first half performance going, especially against the wind in the second 45 minutes.
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Still the win was what AFCB came for and they did it with a fairly solid defensive display in the second half. It is a shame that Mame Diouf did get one back for Stoke, but in a way it meant that AFCB had to play even better to hold out for the win. They'll need that determination in other games and at least now they have shown they can do hold out against a team. Catching the teams above them in the table is an added bonus, but the scale of the win can be doubled if they can beat Chelsea next weekend. UTCIAD!
Daily Mail Fans' Verdict - see what Cherry Chimes said
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