Match Report
AFCB 0 v 3 Watford
12 January 2020
Attendance: 10,384
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| A bottom of the table clash. |
Are Bournemouth one of the worst three sides in the Premier League this season? On this showing, yes, they truly are. While hardly managing a shot in the first half, Bournemouth fell behind to a goal of their own making, by gifting Sarr the ball by playing out from the back and seeing Decouré clip the ball past Mark Travers. It only got worse with Troy Deeney lashing in a second goal on 65 minute, before Pereyra made Bournemouth suffer even more with a third goal in added time. Even Eddie Howe has run out of excuses for his players' poor performances.
Bournemouth had Adam Smith and Nathan Aké back from Injury in defence and Mark Travers got a start in goal over Aaron Ramsdale, who had a hamstring problem. Billing was moved to the bench, despite scoring two goals in the FA Cup last week.
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| Ramsdale joins the fans in the North stand. |
Match Description
It was a defending noise at the start of the game. Sarr put an early cross in AFCB 's box but Harry Wilson defended well.
Sarr then was put through but shot wide after Fraser gave the ball away. Watford's corner was cleared by Steve Cook for a second corner. Denney went down on the box but VAR said no foul.
Aké was playing at left back and Adam Smith on the right. I'm not sure why Aké can't play centre-back when Bournemouth had Rico on the bench.
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Lerma was fouled is fouled. Harry Wilson pulls a save out of Foster for a corner. Lerma wins some headers but Callum Wilson couldn't get a shot away.
Adam Smith is booked for sliding in on Sarr. Meanwhile, Harry Wilson has hurt his shoulder.
There'sno real pattern to the game, but many tasty challenges. Francis gives the ball away and Travers saves well at the near post from Delefeuo. Really poor from Francis. Deeney heads wide from the corner.
Gosling blocks Decouré. Bournemouth are playing themselves into trouble at the back.
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Fraser puts too much on his cross. Fraser gets in behind again on 24 minutes for a corner. Aké challenges Foster in the air, but the ball doesn't drop Bournemouth's way.
Deeney wins a header but it's wide. Harry Wilson goes for a long shot and gets a corner.
Lerma knocks his knee but continues. Adam Smith goes down and gets a free kick. Lerma volleys it over.
Travers makes a mistake at the back giving it away to Sarr, it is crossed back for an easy tap in by Decouré. Francis gave Travers the ball right on his goal line and Steve Cook didn't exactly make himself easily available for Travers. That was careless and has gifted Watford the goal they wanted.
Bournemouth free kick. It's cleared.
Fraser gets a corner, Adam Smith gets back to tackle Deulofeu.
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| A goal down at half-time. |
Fraser crossed well but Foster cat he's it ahead of Gosling. Going makes a good break but can't get Solanke in. Mariappa crossed to Doucouré but the header is weak. Watford have a corner. Capoue has a shot blocked.
Fraser gets a corner. Callum Wilson heads wide. Lerma then shoots wide.
Ake hurts his back but runs back and Deulofeu. has put the chance over.
Deeney is carded for fouling Harry Wilson. Callum brings the ball down from Fraser's cross but puts it wide.
Lerma and Gosling are subbed for Billing and Lewis Cook on 59 minutes.
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Sarr gets down the right and when his shot is blocked, Deeney lashes it in for 0-2 on 65 minutes.
Steve Cook stops Deulofeu and Deeney hits the rebound at Travers. Billing volleys wide.
Francis blocks Deulofeu and Watford have a corner. Harry Wilson is subbed for Sam Surridge.
Surridge beats a player to get in the box but has no shot. Foster punches a free kick away ahead of Steve Cook. Sarr is subbed for Pereyra on 82 minutes.
Decouré shoots and it goes out for a throw. Billing shoots wide at the other end.
Decouré is subbed for Success on 85 minutes. Delefeuo is subbed for Gray on 90 minutes. Four minutes of added time go up.
Watford grab a third despite Fraser saving a shot on the line, Prereyra scores.
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| Bournemouth are rooted in the bottom three. |
A dismal performance by the Cherries. They couldn't keep the ball and they didn't know how to work the ball well enough to create any chances. Meanwhile, they caused their own chaos at the back by playing it out when under a high press. I wonder if the players have their own heads sometimes. They can choose when to go long and play safe and when they have time to play out from the back, but taking unnecessary risks in the team's current position is asking for trouble. As Eddie Howe said, they never recovered from the first goal.
AFCB Line up
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| AFCB subs: Boruc, Rico, Simpson, Surman, L Cook, Billling, Surridge |
Travers 5, A Smith 5, S Cook 5, Francis 3, Ake 5, H Wilson 4, Lerma 4 (Billing 4), Gosling 4
(L Cook 5), Fraser 7, Solanke 4, C Wilson 4.
Ref Watch: Mike Dean - 5/10
Cherry Chimes MoM: Ryan Fraser - he really kept trying.
Watford
26 Foster, 6 Mariappa, 4 Dawson, 15 Cathcart, 11 Masina 14 Chalobah, 29 Capoue
23 Sarr (Pereyra), 16 Doucouré (Quina), 7 Deulofeu (Gray), 9 Deeney
Watford Subs
1 Gomes, 18 Gray, 20 Quina, 22 Success, 24 Dele-Bashiru, 25 Holebas, 37 Pereyra
In other news, Asmir Begovic has a medical for Inter Milan.
...Hi, think I sit just in front of you in The NS and I know that the despair is being felt by all around me. That is the thing that I find depressing, the fire and quick interchanging of passes and is missing from games. We plod our way to the edge of our opponents penalty area and offer very little in terms of penetration, only the ability to score and put our foes under some pressure will save us. I have long given up on our defending suffice to say our lack of skill playing out from the back is becoming our nemesis along with sticking with the likes of Francis and at the moment Solanke...when we have other options in Surridge and Simpson or Rico on the bench. Due to our position Howe felt under pressure to bring back Ake and Smith who looked obviously below fitness. Players like Sam Surridge,Kilkenny and Dobre probaly need a chance to show if they can cope, and at least would be fresh and determined?
ReplyDeleteI agree, going one down for the old Bournemouth was no stress for the team because they all knew the team would score. But now its palpable each team member fears an opposition early goal because in their hearts they know there will be no equaliser and its paralyzing the flow. Confidence all time low. You mention Solanke but Callum with the money he is on has to do better. He looks a yard short on any half chances it's like the hunger to compete has left him. Surridge looked hungry. Got to say Eddie taking two strong midfield players off against a tough side was bizarre replacing with lighter weighted technical players.
ReplyDeleteBeen a rough season to watch. No spark. Cannot remember the last counter attacking goal - which has been so prevalent the last couple years In fact hard to remember a shot on target in about a month.The players just look lost during the game
ReplyDeleteEddie has to either change the playing style or leave and get someone in like Pearson who can inject some confidence in the team.
ReplyDelete