Playing with freedom - Bournemouth send fans wild

It has been a while in coming. What a performance Bournemouth gave in the second half against Brighton. The team exudes so much quality when it can loosen the shackles and play without fear. It was reminiscent of the early part of the season when things were fresh and new, so why has it taken so long to regain that edge that AFCB need in the Premier League?

Steve Cook helps bring AFCB back into form.

Eddie Howe gave an indication of why he believes the side has been in the doldrums for so long. Players have been missing through injury and when they have come back they have been short of match fitness. Big characters have also been unable to play and without the presence of players like Steve Cook, the normal Bournemouth fight had dwindled.

I was most pleased to watch the game against Brighton and see David Brooks recover his feet. He had a quiet first half, but picked up with the rest of the team as the game went on. The team was also more powerful in midfield than we have seen for a while, not only with Ryan Fraser playing out of socks but Dan Gosling had a magnificent game. and notched up his first goal in 14 months. The dependable Lerma was also giving a solid performance and as the game grew on Bournemouth really looked like they could score whenever they wished.

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Brighton didn't have a lot of answers when they went down to 10 men. It gave Bournemouth the chance to really overrun them. But before that Ryan Fraser had made it 0-2 with a splendid finish. The Cherries were going to win the game even if Brighton had 11 players on the pitch, but the scales really turned in their favour when Anthony Knockaert was sent off.

I don't think the game was anything to do with revenge for the FA Cup defeat. Bournemouth needed a performance for other reasons. The fans reacted to the final whistle like it was a great weight taken off the team and now that AFCB have 41 points, it will be great t see if AFCB can keep playing in this way with more freedom.

Slow starters Bournemouth rescue a point at Brighton

Match Report

1 January 2018

Brighton & Hove Albion 2 v 2 AFCB

Attendance: 30,152

Brighton and AFCB walk out at the Amex. 

 Bournemouth had to dig deep for a draw at the Amex stadium after Anthony Knockaert and Glenn Murray had helped Brighton to a 2-1 lead. Steve Cook had grabbed one goal back from a corner, and Callum Wilson mounted a rescue act from a goal mouth scramble just 11 minutes from the end. Bournemouth paid the price for slow starts at the beginning of each half and while they battled the wet conditions and fast attacks of Izquierdo, they had Asmir Begovic to thank more than once for keeping them in the game.

AFCB in their pre-match huddle.

Bournemouth rested a few players after the win against Everton. Ryan Fraser had a hamstring injury and was out of the squad, while Nathan Aké and Dan Gosling were put on the bench. Benik Afobe, Charlie Daniels and Harry Arter all made starts.

Brighton make a fast start.

Brighton made a lightening start with an attack down the left and Suttner flicked a ball in to Gross, who cleverly fed in Izquierdo, who squared the ball to his right for Knockaert to have an easy knock in on five minutes.

If Bournemouth were thinking they would have time on the ball they would be mistaken. Brighton were half a yard quicker and had made it count. Jordan Ibe tried to to reply quickly but shot wide on eight minutes. Marc Pugh also had a shot from the left which whizzed past the post on 11 minutes.

A Bournemouth corner was cleared and Brighton won a corner themselves on 21 minutes. Begovic then had to make a finger tip save from a Glenn Murray shot, but it was probably going wide anyway.

Ibe was Bournemouth's most promising player moving inside to get a shot away that Ryan had to get down fast to. The corner saw a Steve Cook header kept out from the six yard box, but on a subsequent corner Steve Cook rose well again to head in the equaliser on 32 minutes. 

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Arter then fed Wilson in space and the striker had his shot saved as the momentum swung to Bournemouth. Begovic was needed for a punched clearance  before a move involving Ibe and Pugh ended with Wilson sliding a shot off that Mathew Ryan just got to.

Brighton almost got back ahead when Murray and Izquierdo combined and Begovic made a reaction save for the ball to bounce back off Izquierdo before the striker could react. Afobe then passed to Pugh for a shot that was saved as half time came.

1-1 at half time.

Second half

Brighton came out fast again and a Brighton corner had AFCB on the back foot. Francis had the chance to come away with the ball, but only gave it away on half way and Gross and Izquierdo worked the ball back up the left before crossing for Murray to slide the Seagulls into a 2-1 lead on 47 minutes.

Bournemouth needed to find some rhythm and having their shots blocked was a common theme, while corners were not having much success. Brighton were also having little impact from corners with Murray seeing his shot blocked.

Pugh was replaced by Nathan Aké on 60 minutes, and Francis made a strong run and crossed well for Wilson only for the forward to get a push in the back that the referee did not see.

Afobe was subbed for Lys Mousset on 66 minutes. Mousset's first contribution was to lose the ball that led to a Brighton break. But Izquierdo found he could not beat Begovic in a one-on-one.

Arter was next subbed for Dan Gosling on 70 minutes. Bournemouth came forward again with Ibe making a great run and shot that came back off the post and against Ryan's back for a corner.

Brighton subbed Scheletto on 76 minutes and Steve Cook helped him off before Bruno came on. Another Bournemouth corner saw Wilson in the thick of it and the ball bounced kindly to him eventually for him to see the ball trickle over the line for 2-2.

Propper received a yellow card on 81 minutes. Both teams looked for a winner and Arter enabled Wilson to get another shot off that was saved. Francis picked up a yellow card before Gross was replaced by Brown on 88 minutes.

There was time for Glenn Murray to get a yellow card for a foul on Adam Smith. Three minutes of added time did not bring any winner.

Francis leads the applause.

Summary

Bournemouth did not cope as well as Brighton with the conditions at the start of either half and they gave themselves lots to do. Had Begovic not have been in great form they could have lost this game while I don't know what Ibe has to do to score. It was probably the best Bournemouth could do having so little time from their previous match and it is at last a time when they can rest a few more players as the FA Cup beckons next weekend.

AFCB Ratings

Begovic 8, Francis 6, S Cook 7, Daniels 6, Ibe 8, Arter 5, L Cook 5, A Smith 7, Pugh 5, Afobe 5, Wilson 7

AFCB have to settle for a point.

Cherry Chimes' MoM: Jordan Ibe

AFCB line up

AFCB subs: Boruc, Simpson, Surman, Butcher, Gosling, Aké, Mousset

Brighton
Ryan, Schelotto (Bruno), Duffy, Dunk, Suttner, Knockaert, Stephens, Pröpper, Izquierdo, Gross (Brown), Murray

Brighton Subs
Krul, Bruno, Kayal, Hemed, Goldson, March, Brown

To overtake Brighton is Bournemouth's big carrot

Happy New Year!

Brighton & Hove Albion now sit just two points above the Cherries and Bournemouth now have the opportunity to potentially enter 2018 as the highest place southern club if they can get a win against Brighton today. Brighton have been picking up points though at home and they have managed to hold some good teams at the Amex like Burnley, Everton and Southampton. They are quite the draw specialists, but Bournemouth will be aiming for more from this game.

Brighton at Bournemouth earlier in the season 

Brighton's weakness has probably been upfront. While Glenn Murray gives them good height and presence in the forward line they have not seen Tomer Hemed have as big an impact on games as he might have. Jose Izquierdo has probably played more games than he might have if Sam Baldock had been fit, while Isah Brown has yet to find the net. Chris Hughton might not have that many options, but Pascal Gross has been a bright light, scoring against Watford in their last home win.

Anthony Knockaert and Solly March were match winners in the Championship and they have had to step up this season. Dale Stephens and Davy Pröpper have also been involved in most games but have not been hot in front of goal. What Brighton do well though is compete and they are good at grinding out results. Apart from the 1-5 Liverpool match they have not been embarrassed so Bournemouth know they will be tested.

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Brighton come into this game after a long trip to Newcastle which won't be ideal for them. But they did get an away point so they will be thinking they can build on that. Whether it feels like a derby or not these are three points that both teams will feel they can take so I'm hoping for an open game.

It will be a return to Brighton for Steve Cook of course and he may feel slightly under more pressure than others to have a good game. He has been trying to get forward for more goals and it wouldn't surprise me if he is one to watch in this fixture.

Brighton Home Form
DDLDW

AFCB Away Form
WDDLL

Possible AFCB line up

AFCB Subs: Boruc, A Smith, Simpson, Surman, L Cook, Pugh, Mousset

The Guardian Half time report- see Cherry Chimes' entry

Cherry Chimes' January newsletter is out today. It includes the special newsletter article - Avoiding defeat will get you safety - and it reports on what has been a record month for Cherry Chimes. 

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Lee Camp makes goalkeeping an art form

Who knows whether Lee Camp will turn out to be the best signing that Eddie Howe has made in the January window? the one thing I can say is that he has started pretty well. You couldn't really fault the display that Lee Camp put on against Leicester City at the weekend. While he was beaten right at the death it was a magnificent series of saves that he pulled off with Leicester really showing that they have a great group of attacking players.

Lee looks the finished article in every respect between the sticks.

There were two saves in particular that I thought were world class. The first came in the first half when Jamie Vardy was clean through and had the chance to give the Foxes the lead. He was favourite to score with only Camp to beat but he struck his shot very firmly which was perhaps his undoing. The impact when it hit the underside of Lee Camp's are was enough for it to hit the ground really powerfully and while the rain has softened the pitch the ball must have hit a hard spot and the bar came to AFCB's aid. I was already expecting the  ball to hit the back of the net and I think Lee Camp also thought that it would be a goal. But when he turned around and saw the ball come off the bar he was so enthused that it gave him the confidence to think that he could keep a clean sheet.

The other great save was in the second half when Leicester crossed the ball to Knockaert in the box and his leap looked like seeing the ball go in the net again. Camp was going the wrong way at first but he turned mid-air and stretched out an arm to make a superb one handed save from the header. That kind of form is really a bit special and there is no doubt that lee is putting absolutely everything he has into his performances. I am pleased for the home fans that they have seen Lee in this kind of form because he was no less heroic at the Amex stadium on New Year's Day when he made an equal number of great saves.

Of course it would be even better if Lee saw a little less of the ball as far as the Cherries are concerned, but it is good to know we have one of the leading if not the best shot stopper in the Championship and AFCB's other keepers should be able to learn from his skill. It should also help our strikers be more accurate in their finishing during training because if they don't hit the target well enough, Camp will make the save. While AFCB lost the game against the Championship leaders, Lee really did make goal keeping an art form and it was worth the admittance just to see him pull off those incredible saves.

Just before you go, this is the 702 post on Cherry Chimes and it is the one year anniversary of the site which began on 3 February 2013. Thank you for your continued support and keep on reading - it's much appreciated. UTCIAD!

Finally, my friend Michael Dunne has also released his podcast on the last match against Leicester City so do visit All Departments to have a listen, or scroll down Cherry Chimes right side panel until you get to the All Departments' sound bar.