Portsmouth will have an old friend hoping to score against the Cherries

It looks like Bournemouth fans could well see their former striker make his debut for Portsmouth this weekend in the Pompey pre-season friendly. Brett Pitman joined Pompey earlier this month having decided that it was not working out for him well enough at Ipswich Town. 

Brett Pitman could well line up against AFCB on Saturday.

Now Pitman, 29, will be seeking promotion back to the Championship with Portsmouth and Pitman will have fond memories of how he ripped it up with goals in League One with the Cherries.  

Pitman is in no doubt that he can do well at Portsmouth and help them get promoted: "This is too big a club for League Two and arguably it’s too big for League One, so our collective aim has to be to go up to the next level," he said.

But first he is likely to face many of his former teammates at Fratton Park on Saturday and I'm sure the Bournemouth players will be looking forward to rubbing  shoulders with Brett on the pitch. It is going to be hard for Eddie Howe not to let Simon Francis have a centre-back spot and I hope Francis does get the job of keeping Pitman quiet. Francis needs to make a real statement if he is to lead the side out next season as he has real competition for his place in the team.

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Portsmouth may have a team that is less well known to the Cherries now, but they still have a goal threat in Gary Roberts, who scored against Bournemouth the last time they met in the 2015-16 FA Cup. Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain, younger brother of Alex is also a Pompey player in central midfield will also be interesting to see.

It will be Pitman that is the big draw though and the timing could not be better. He scored 15 goals in 42 starts and 28 sub appearances for Ipswich, His sharpness in front of goal may appear to have dropped off a little from his Bournemouth days, but Pitman says "Maybe the style of football didn’t suit me down to the ground at Ipswich.”

We'll soon know how much at home he finds things at Portsmouth.


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Tyrone Mings' road back sure has been a long one

It is easy for players who get injured to feel like hard luck stories, but Tyrone Mings has had it worse than many. Having been out since last September is seems incredible that AFCB fans might not see him play until we are a couple of months into the new season and now h as been linked with a loan return spell at Ipswich Town to get him up and running.

Tyrone has been out so long he may drop down a level to get match sharp.

While Tyrone has been out in Philadelphia for more physio after his latest operation in April, it is far from clear if he will feel able to take part in much or any pre-season training. Yet, I imagine he has been keeping his spirits up by watching the matches in the Euros and following the progress of players like Danny Rose and Jordi Alba who have been among the best left backs playing in France this summer in my opinion. 

Tyrone can make a big impact though when he does come back and AFCB fans will finally be able to see the battle that they expected to see last season with Charlie Daniels and Tyrone looking to get the nod from Eddie Howe to play. How soon he can get up to speed though is something not even Eddie Howe will be sure of and the importance of Rhoys Wiggins signing last January may still be far more relevant than many fans would like to admit.

All the sides have now been able to have a good look at Charlie Daniels and they will see what he did in providing assists last season. AFCB will need something extra from him and Nathan Aké. The need to get Tyrone back can't be stressed highly enough, so perhaps a spell at Ipswich will hep him recover quickly. 


Euros - A sensational night for Welsh football and Italy - Germany preview.

Fraser, too good to go out on loan?

AFCB fans have not seen too much of Ryan Fraser in the last 12 months, apart from when he appeared in the stands having become injured playing for Ipswich Town. Now he is hoping to play a part in AFCB's second season in the Premier League, but will he get that chance?

Ryan Fraser would be great to see back at Dean Court.

I'd like t think so but the competition for him is stronger than ever now. Lewis Grabban's signing and the form of Junior Stanislas, Max Gradel and Marc Pugh don't leave much space for Ryan, while Ritchie has played on the right in most of the games this last season. If Juan Iturbe is on the way as seems likely then there is a vacancy, but Howe is probably more likely to bring another loan player in if it improves the squad. So is Ryan Fraser about to be disappointed again?

It is interesting that AFCB turned down any thought of Fraser being poached full time by Ipswich Town and hastily drew the young Scotsman up another new contract. There is promise in Fraser's feet and having won the young player of the month award in the Championship in his first month at the Tractor Boys you see he has a lot to his game and is more than good enough to fight for a space in any team at the top of the Championship.

Arguably he has done his time now though at that level. What can he do at the top level? We simply don't know. As an impact player he offers pace and movement that is admirably suited to AFCB's style so it is perhaps his time to do battle again with Marc Pugh and Max Gradel for the left winger's shirt. He can certainly learn much from training with the likes of Gradel and being of similar stature it may well be quite important for his game that he does get some time with Max. 

Sending Ryan out on loan again may well add more game time though to his legs and this will also make him a better player. But Ryan signed for AFCB and surely he wants nothing more than to put on the red and black shirt again.

Tyrone Mings will make AFCB far more competitive when he is fit

It has been really hard for Tyrone to miss most of the season after his big transfer to AFCB from Ipswich Town. Like many fans I was looking forward to see how he would do in the Premier League as a new boy like most of the team. I kind of thought that he might be able to add some different patterns to the team's play on the left and his strength, height and speed I could see being a real asset to the team.

Tyrone could yet be one of the most exciting prospects for AFCB in 2016.

As it turned out, Charlie Daniels could not have had much better a season than he has had and Tyrone's absence was perhaps not as costly as it first appeared to the way AFCB would approach games. Now Tyrone is the last player with a long term injury to be targeting a return for early next season. He must have some mixed feelings about having been unable to play and yet seeing the team perform so well, regaining their Premier League status in their first season in the top flight.

Tyrone will still have built up a lot of friendships while he has been with the club and no doubt the banter will have been a good way of taking his mind off of things at times. He must also have been encouraged when he saw Max Gradel and more recently Callum Wilson make their returns and he must feel now that the time will come when he is able to get back out with the team, some time over the summer, to start running again and increasing his training.

When he does become available it will be quite a contest between him and Charlie Daniels while Rhoys Wiggins surely has ambitions to make his Premier League debut. Tyrone will be another year older as will Charlie and Rhoys, and while Charlie will have had more experience of the Premier League, Tyrone and Rhoys will have a point to prove. While I have seen Tyrone playing for Ipswich Town, I suppose as fans we don't really know how good Tyrone is yet or could be and that excites me for next season.

I'm not expecting the team to be as settled as it was in this first season in the top flight as I believe Eddie Howe will bolster the squad with similar young potential like Tyrone to add further competition for places. I don't think any of the players can rest easy that they will be a first choice when it comes to the start of next season. The defence is the area where the signings will be crucial though I feel if the team is to improve. Tyrone may well be the layer that makes the left side of the team more solid though as it goes forward.

Was it best to let Fraser go out on loan?

Ryan Fraser has been on fire since his loan move to Ipswich this summer. He has already netted three times for the Suffolk team, has been their player of the month and has scored for Scotland's U21. In short, his form has been top class and having been set the challenge to play regularly in the Championship and bring his game on, Ryan has been ticking off all the challenges and more so far. But in light of what has happened to the Cherries in terms of injuries, there is part of me thinking that maybe it was a mistake to give Fraser a season-long loan at Ipswich Town when he is developing so fast.

Ryan is making a big statement at Ipswich already.

Ryan Fraser did not play that many games last season and was mainly used as a sub but he is already showing that he is more than capable of being one of the star players in the Championship this season, a fact that has not escaped Mick McCarthy who even tried to see if Ipswich could sign Ryan permanently. While AFCB turned any such thoughts down by offering Ryan a new contract last month, AFCB fans must wonder whether it would have been just as good to see Ryan run out at Dean Court in the Premier League considering the kind of form he is in.

The left side of AFCB's is still well served by Marc Pugh, Josh King and Junior Stanislas but the loss of Max Gradel was certainly a big blow. Ryan plays a very direct style that is not really matched by other wingers at the club and while a full year in the Championship will bring his game on his services could probably have been equally effective at the higher level even if sub appearances are all that Eddie Howe could have offered him. I guess that is the nub of the matter. The manager wants Ryan to get games under his belt and he just could not guarantee him that at AFCB this season. He wanted to try and bring in new players like King and Atsu and these players will have to show that they are worthy of that inclusion in the squad. 

While it is hard to see another team benefiting from Ryan's strong form, it is important that he keeps that going and has his eye's set on coming back to AFCB next summer knowing what a good player he is becoming. While I want AFCB to stay in the Premier league for more than one season, I am particularly hoping for Ryan that the team achieves that so that we can see him running out for the Cherries in the top league. Well done Ryan - keep it going!

Premier Talk has an article that whispers - now is the time to get a lead on the slow starters.

All Departments has a new podcast out with AFCB Head of Media and Communications - Max Fitzgerald. Visit All Departments or scroll down Cherry Chimes to the All Departments' logo and press on it to listen in.
Finally, Happy Birthday Tommy Elphick!

Fraser - the long term project

It has taken a few fans by surprise, may be even disappointment, to hear that Ryan Fraser won't get a chance to feature in the Premier league this coming season for AFCB. Yet, it is important to see the bigger picture for Ryan. He needs to develop his game and find the consistency of both delivery and finishing to gain him more games. There is no doubt that he has already been a special player that belies his age and with U21 international recognition he has been pushing hard for a place in the starting line up at AFCB and at times succeeding. With him in discussions to extend his contract at AFCB, he'll be a bigger asset to the Cherries in the future having had and a season at Ipswich Town. Eddie Howe will be looking for to see a more accomplished Ryan Fraser in 12 months time.

Ryan has the ability to be a big success at Ipswich.

While the destination of Ipswich is not immediately a place where Ryan's scurrying style would seem a safe match for him, it is not necessarily harmful for him to experience a different way of playing. Ryan has always been very direct in his running and will add pace to Ipswich's attack which was perhaps not the most mobile last season. He's certainly different to what they have at Portman Road and he might have a thing or two to teach players there as well.

The wealth of talent that Eddie Howe now has at the club on the wings is easily the best that it has ever been in terms of international players with proven pedigree. The long term project has to be to develop the younger players so that the club does not need to buy as many players in future at high market prices. It can't be done with every player, but Ryan Fraser has time to blossom and I'm confident he will because if it wasn't for the form of Marc Pugh last season, Ryan would have had many more appearances in the Championship. Now he can get those games he missed and he'll have Brett there alongside him to encourage him.

So I hope Ryan gives it his very best shot at Portman Road and bags them lots of goals as he is one Scotsman that has been an absolute pleasure to see running down the wings at Dean Court.

Farewell Brett - you've been a club hero!

It is with a tinge of sadness that Brett Pitman is to end his second spell with AFCB. While the Jersey-man had his fair share of criticism during his time at the Cherries he also scored some vital goals for the club and not only steered them through the times when the club was about to go out of business but also was instrumental in getting the goals to get the team promoted through the leagues in their last few seasons. Now he is destined for Ipswich Town on a three-year contract in the Championship and I expect he'll do well there.

Brett has been a true warrior for AFCB.

All that was achieved with a middle spell that saw him play at Bristol City in the Championship for two-and-a-half seasons (2010-13) and score 20 league goals in 44 appearances. While he did not get as many minutes as he wanted on the pitch at City, he certainly came back to AFCB in November 2012 wanting to prove that he was good enough to play at that level. He more than proved that last season and in any other season his goals against Fulham and Blackpool would have been hot contenders for goal of the season for AFCB. We'll forgive him the slight misunderstanding for the disallowed goal with Junior Stanislas last season - when at home to Millwall - with a two-on-one break, and will certainly remember his tremendous form in League One when he came close in 2012-13 to beating Jermain Dofoe's record of consecutive goals in an AFCB shirt. That is Brett though, when needed he did his job and even if he got it wrong at times he'd be back for more attempts.

Now he might feel slightly aggrieved at not getting a chance to play in the Premier League, but he needs to play a full season, and rather than two or three games at AFCB he will probably get a good chance to make a major contribution to Ipswich's season. It is not often that you get a player who will infuriate you as much as make you smile, but Brett is more talented than a lot of fans have given him credit for. The main task for any striker is to score goals and Brett regularly hit the back of the net for the Cherries amassing 268 appearances and 105 goals in his two spells. In his second spell his goal prowess was particularly impressive at 46 from 95 appearances - virtually one in every two games.

I wish him and his family all the very best. He's been fantastic for AFCB and is the fourth highest goalscorer for the club. Not bad, not bad at all!

Thank you Brett!

How can AFCB beat 'em all to sign Tyrone Mings?

AFCB keep moving quickly and this signing which is expected to go through this morning has to have been a shock for other clubs in the Premier League who may be smarting at the thought of the Cherries' potentially new record signing. Ipswich Town did not waste much time in agreeing a fee for 22-year-old Tyrone Mings and the left back was on his way down to Dean Court to agree personal terms just 24 hours after a bid had been made, if rumours are correct. This is certainly the biggest coup that AFCB will have carried out this summer, as Tyrone was believed to be a major target for many Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle, Southampton and WBA.

Tyrone Mings coming to AFCB is a big coup. It should be confirmed today.

It seems that within a few hours of hearing that Luke Garbutt was unlikely to be coming to AFCB on loan, the Cherries struck a deal with Ipswich and smashed the club's record transfer fee in doing so. Let's see, a reputed £8 million for a defender who has been a great success in the Championship and yet has not stepped foot in the Premier League. Value for money? Well, no English player comes cheap and AFCB are arguably buying a player who could well go on to play in Europe. Tyrone will be as eager as any player already at the club to establish himself in the Premier League and I believe he will be a very strong addition to the squad. At an instance AFCB's height in the back four will be improved with the 6ft 5in left back. Tyrone's range of passing and attacking play will fit in well with the Cherries' style and more than anything Tyrone is an athlete and a competitive one at that.

AFCB did not get the better of him last season and that probably impressed Eddie Howe more than any reports that he received from the scouts. I still believe Tyrone has much to add to his game, but having such a young defender with big ambitions to do well should make him a joy to work with. If Sylvain Distin signs, as expected, for the Cherries and Tyrone also is happy to play in AFCB's debut season in the Premier League, there is already a much stronger look about the team. 

Ryan Fraser is to go on a season-long loan, according to media reports.

So how did AFCB manage to pull off this deal? It is also likely that Ryan Fraser's loan spell at Ipswich was a bargaining chip that AFCB used to help sweeten the deal, and Ryan perhaps needs another full season at the Championship level to bring his game on as he was kept out of the side for a lot of last season. While Tyrone Mings signed for AFCB on Thursday evening the deal is still subject to Ryan Fraser passing a medical this morning at Portman Road, according to Skysports Centre.

Brett Pitman's permanent  move to Ipswich Town looks like it is a separate deal and will include a transfer fee as there is a year on Brett's contract to go. Still, just like the signature of Callum Wilson last summer AFCB have been willing to let other players go to clubs to get their prize target.

All Departments interviews captain Tommy Elphick on its latest podcast. Listen by visiting All Departments' website. 

Filippo Costa ready to sign for the Cherries?

While most of the media wondered who AFCB would sign at left back after it looks like the Luke Garbutt move has fallen through, there was a big rush on Tyrone Mings at Ipswich. At lunch time there was no further news on this, but see Breaking News (below) of AFCB's potential record new signing! 

It also looks like sensible money is on AFCB to sign another young 20-year-old  left back called Filippo Costa, who currently is at Italian side Chievo Verona, where he has been since 2012.

Last week the first reports of AFCB's interest in Filippo appeared at www.gianlucadimarzio.com and were also seen on The Continental Zone among other sites, but the English media seem to have been a bit slow on tracking this one. Eddie Howe appears to want some youth at left back and Filippo is seen as a talented prospect who was playing in the third tier of Italian football last season, on loan at AC Pisa where he scored four goals in 26 appearances last season.

The young left back is estimated to have a price-tag of £200,000 according to Football Italia. Filippo is an Italian U20 international player. Italian side Atlanta were also said to be interested in the player but AFCB are favourites now to sign him.

Breaking News:
Tyrone Mings is said to sign for the Cherries for £8 million - a new record for the club! Ryan Fraser is said to be going to Ipswich Town on a season long loan and Brett Pitman is also heading to Ipswich Town as a permanent signing. I'll have more thoughts on this later.

Update: Football League World is reporting that AFCB's bid for Mings has been rejected! But Sky Transfer Centre said at 8:12 that deal would be completed on Friday morning as long as Ryan Fraser passed his medical at Ipswich Town

Could Albanian left back be Harte's replacement?

Eddie Howe is going to have to find another left back to fit into the squad now that Ian Harte has been released. There are many aspiring British left backs that Bournemouth could seek out now that they have money to spend in the Premier League. Upcoming Championship stars include Tyrone Mings at Ipswich, Jake Bidwell at Brentford and Declan John at Cardiff, but what of Bournemouth's scouting overseas? 

The search to replace Ian Harte is on.

Eddie Howe was in Italy last week at Empoli FC and I was interested to see that on their books is a young 21-year-old called Elseid Hysaj who has been talked about as one of the best young players in Italy at the moment. He has now made more than 100 caps for the Serie A side and has amassed 11 caps for Albania. Priced at around £3m, he would be a valuable addition to the Cherries who need to push Charlie Daniels in the left back position.

The Empoli FC full back is cool under pressure when going forward and scores some great goals himself as you can see in this YouTube clip where he scores the second goal. A plus point for Elseid is that he can play at both right and left back and he is well known for his short passing which fits into AFCB's style of play. His contract at Empoli is said to run out in 2016.

Okay, Albanian Serie A players might be just a bit optimistic but at least the club has more ability to look further than just the home leagues now. Eddie Howe has long stated that he wants to buy British but the cost of some of the players he may want could force him to look abroad, and while language could be a problem for many foreign players coming to the club, there is no doubt that AFCB are looking for quality players in the top flight. Current favourite to come in at left back is probably Everton's Luke Garbutt but AFCB face competition from Swansea and Watford.

How much the club spends though is also being kept very quiet and while we saw AFCB make a £5 million pound bid last January for Demari Gray, anything over £3 million would be a record signing for the Cherries in the summer. There may still be some bargains about though. The Premier League release list comes out soon. Last season AFCB brought in Dan Gosling and Junior Stanislas on frees - watch this space! 

The Championship Run-In sees Norwich book their place in the Premier League.

Going to big stadiums is nothing new for the Cherries

This season the Cherries have visited Aston Villa's ground and have played at big venues as they did last season such as the Riverside and the City ground as well as Molineux, the Ipro, Portman Road and Carrow Road. What is noticeable though is that these were not grounds where the Cherries came away with many victories though apart from at Wolves and it will be necessary to get the players doing even better at large stadiums next season because they are going to see a lot of them.

While the Championship does have some big stadia what they don't always have is the atmosphere of fully packed ground and that will be a difference in the Premier League at some grounds where you have waiting lists for season tickets at places like Anfield, the Emirates and Old Trafford. These big stadiums will not be half empty and it will be like cup final matches for the Cherries in some respects or at least for the fans on visiting some of these famous grounds.

The big grounds have to be happy hunting grounds for the Cherries next season.

The away support for AFCB has been mentioned a lot this season and while it is now not untypical for the team to have a following of 4000-6000 fans on the road for big matches that kind of support will be very necessary when taking on the best in the Premier League. It might be slightly easier for AFCB to attract some bigger pre-match friendlies this summer, and I hope if they can they play some of those games at big stadiums away from home just to get more experience of being in the company with the best. At Dean Court it is going to be more of a culture shock for some of the big teams, and if the club decides not to develop then the away fans will not have such significantly big crowds at Dean Court, and that could be important in keeping AFCB not only up but inflicting plenty of damage on teams that they are perhaps not expected to beat next season.

The Championship Run-In features an update on the Norwich v Ipswich play-off semi-final.

Cherries will keep intensity levels high

The result at Ipswich might well have been guessed as really by both sides considering that it has been a drawn outcome the previous three encounters, but anything can happen and slipping 1-0 down so early in the game was a bit unusual for the Cherries. It was mission comeback and it so nearly didn't materialise despite all the clever passing and good movement of the players. Ipswich stuck to their task and made it difficult as they so often do.

After the match Eddie Howe was talking about keeping the intensity levels high for the next six matches. We know from last season that the last few games are no guarantee of points and everything the players scrap for will not be given to them lightly. For the Ipswich  match I was pleased to see that the players did not change their style in the first half and kept playing positively from the back. Things didn't all go right. There were misplaced passes and a few misunderstandings even between Francis and Ritchie which is unusual. It has also been a while since Ryan Fraser has started and he had big shoes to fill with Marc Pugh being absent. The work rate from everyone though was good and even if some got a bit frustrated the points will come if they can keep their heads and concentrate on their game.

Ritchie will be looking for better finishing against Birmingham.

Against Birmingham it will still not be easy. AFCB need the crowd to lift the pressure and to get behind the team  as well as they did when Middlesbrough visited. Win the game and AFCB will be in a strong position with another match gone. It is all about the players in from of AFCB and causing that team as many problems as they can. Do that and this team is good enough to open teams up as we have seen in the past. I expect more chances at home and if they can get the early goal this time it would be great to see AFCB play with a bit of freedom - that's what we are after now.  Enjoy the game and - UTCIAD!

Kenwyne gets the nod of approval

I don't think Kenwyne Jones will have dreamt of the match at Ipswich going much better than how it did for him although he would have liked his goal to be a winner rather than an equaliser. he was certainly pleased with his goal with the celebration that we might get to see often, but I am not sure Marc Pugh (famed for his goal celebrations - get well soon Marc) will be doing a double cartwheel any time soon. Such a goal was deserving of Kenwyne's trademark flips because it was AFCB's 100th goal in all competitions this season!

The Bournemouth fans will be as delighted as Kenwyne that he managed to score in his first game for AFCB. You might expect there to be little pressure on a player that has been at the top and has played for several big clubs, but playing in a game with so much riding on the outcome will cause nerves even with the most laid back and experienced of players. Kenwyne was certainly relaxed enough to take his chance well and it is important now that he tries to do all he can to press for a starting place. Competition within the team is what will hopefully carry the Cherries over the line and the other strikers will know that they did not have their most clinical of finishing boots on at Ipswich.

The pleasing point is that AFCB carried the game to the opposition and created more than enough chances that could have seen them pick up more points than the one. We need to see the team try and hit the target more often against Birmingham and while the previous match between those teams will not have a bearing on the final outcome on Easter Monday, AFCB's players will have in the back of their minds that they beat that team well earlier in the season and they'll want to make it a double over the Blues and just maybe Kenwyne will have an even bigger impact in that game if he is now feeling more at home. 

Would I start Kenwyne against Birmingham? I don't expect Eddie Howe to do that as he has not failed to trust his main trio of strikers all season as long as they are fit. But if the goals aren't flowing then I don't expect it will be long before we see a home debut from Mr Jones. UTCIAD!

I couldn't resist making some comments on the other top of the table matches on Friday so if you click over to The Championship Run-in you'll find an article called - Good Friday was great for Boro, Brentford and Norwich

Kenwyne saves the day for the Cherries at Ipswich 1-1

Match Report

Ipswich Town v AFCB

3 April 2015

Attendance: 22,672 (including 963 AFCB fans)

AFCB fans hoped that Kenwyne Jones would have an impact when he came to the south coast for the run-in. The script was written for him with the Cherries trailing and just 11 minutes left of the 90 when the Trinidadian came on. Within a couple of minutes though he was celebrating with his new teammates having stolen in at the near post and held off a couple of challenges to get his first Bournemouth goal with a header into the top corner of the net.

AFCB battle hard and may just find that a point was a good result at Portman Road.

Eddie Howe made every AFCB fan feel a lot easier when he named just two changes from the last match. Callum Wilson was fit and would start and apparently did train with the team in the week (naughty Eddie!) and Pitman was to partner him, while Ryan Fraser would replace Marc Pugh on the left who had taken a knock against Middlesbrough in the last match. Kenwyne Jones would be on the bench along with Yann Kermorgant.

Ipswich made three pages with Chaplow moving to the bench despite getting the winner at Watford, replaced by Sears. Fryers and Bishop also came into their starting line up, while McGoldrich and Anderson were on the bench along with Chris Wood who had started Ipswich's last match.

It was the worst possible start for the Cherries who fell behind as early as the sixth minute to a Freddie Sears shot from seven yards, after Darryl Murphy had evaded a tackle from three AFCB players on the left side of the box. The first half was set up then with the Cherries chasing the game and Ipswich then finding it difficult to get much possession. AFCB responded well though with a dominant first half performance. Surman's early square ball right across the six yard box with  no AFCB player running on to it was just a sign of how the Cherries would play, with not everyone quite on the same wavelength. The accurate shooting just wasn't there though with Arter blazing over, Brett Pitman hitting a shot straight at Bailkowski and Ryan Fraser having a glorious chance to score but driving his shot at a comfortable height for Bailkowski. 

Ipswich also had some early chances with some intricate play from Murphy, Bishop and Fryers on the left side of the box but Fryers smashed his shot over. Ipswich also looked dangerous when they just played route one football with Elphick missing a ball up the middle which Murphy flicked on for Sears who volleyed wide. A more nervy moment came when Steve Cook made a last gasp tackle on Sears in the box after 22 minutes which would have been a penalty if he hadn't got contact with the ball.

Ryan Fraser was proving hard for Ipswich to contain, so much so that Chambers was yellow carded for a foul on the Bournemouth winger on 24 minutes, although I thought that harsh. Mistakes were likely to cost some one dearly and Pitman so nearly capitalised on a poor pass by Bishop, but when AFCB did hit the target Bailkowski was always there. 

A penalty claim by Pitman on the edge of the box with Skuse was correctly ignored. Arter's frustration saw him yellow carded on 39 minutes for a body check on Tabb and Wilson's fall between Berra and smith was again never going to be a penalty, as it looked like he merely slipped. Even Ritchie's trademark shot coming in from the right only brought the best out in Bailkowski and Fraser was having one of those days when he struck the follow up over.

The second half was perhaps less creative at first, but the pattern of play was the same with Bournemouth pressing for the equaliser and Ipswich repelling every attack, while hoping to catch a second goal. Daniels and Arter both had early shots saved in the centre of the goal and Wilson also could only find Bailkowski when he shot at goal. It was tough going and Bishop was replaced by Chaplow on 57 minutes as fresh legs were needed by Ipswich to quell the sustain forward play of the Cherries.

Ipswich's attacks were sporadic and few in number but Varney did see his volley from Chambers miss high to the left of Boruc's goal. AFCB's first change came on 64 minutes when Pitman was subbed for Yann Kermorgant, but as time moved on Eddie Howe brought on Adam Smith for Ryan Fraser as well as Kenwyne Jones for Steve Cook. Ipswich also replaced the hard working Freddie Sears with loan signing Chris Wood. While Luke Varney saw his next effort saved by Boruc, AFCB knew time was running out.

The introduction of Kenwyne Jones did the trick though as he put the Cherries back level with a brave header at the near post following a corner from Matt Ritchie. It was now down to the last eight minutes and yet neither side could grab that late winner. Matthew Clarke did come on for Luke Varney as the clock ran down and in extra time the Cherries almost claimed three points with Kermorgant and Smith forcing Bailkowski into action again, but it was a point each in this enticing Championship run-in. 

Summary
It was a point that could be vital and AFCB will have been pleased to have got something from the game even thought they slip down to second in the table. I was told that Ipswich have only lost three goals at home all season  just before the game, so I knew this could be a really stern test for the Cherries who had won 10 on the road and were looking to add to that to reclaim top spot at the top of the Championship. The Cherries are now seven unbeaten with just six games to go. They have to make their possession and their shots count in the remaining games.

AFCB
Boruc, Francis, Elphick, Cook (Jones 79), Daniels, Ritchie, Arter, Surman, Fraser (Smith 78), Pitman (Kermorgant 65), Wilson

AFCB Subs
Camp, Smith, Ward, Gosling, MacDonald, Kermorgant, Jones

AFCB Ratings
Boruc 6, Francis 7, Elphick 6, Cook  6, Daniels 6, Ritchie 7, Arter 6, Surman 7, Fraser 7, Pitman 6, Wilson 7 

Ipswich
Bialkowski, Chambers, Smith, Berra, Fryers, Bishop (Chaplow 57), Skuse, Tabb, Sears (Wood 79), Varney (Clarke 90), Murphy

Ipswich Subs
Gerken, McGoldrick, Anderson, Chaplow, Clarke, Wood, Williams

Referee: Robert Madley 8/10

Murphy will be Cherries' biggest test

Every time you look at the Sunday papers this season one names crops up more than any other among the goalscorers in the Championship - Ipswich's Darryl Murphy. At this point the Tractor Boy's main striker has notched up 23 goals and has been tipped to get 30 this season. Keeping him quiet is going to be the main job for Tommy Elphick and Steve Cook this Friday and it's not going to be an easy task.

What is so difficult about Darryl Murphy is that he is instinctive. He is always on the move, like good strikers should be and he only needs a small amount of space to be found by his teammates in front of goal. While he is powerful in the air,  I wouldn't say he is the quickest forward in the division. So the job for Tommy and Steve is going to need them to be alert and constantly checking to see where Murphy is. At 32, Murphy is experience or streetwise and knows all the tricks to get free of defenders.

Daryl Murphy has been amazing at leading the line
 for Ipswich (no, I don't know what those two on the left
are doing but they seem very good friends!). 

One might hope that the Republic of Ireland's game against Poland might have taken a bit of energy out of him, but he doesn't go that many games without netting and he has a good record against the Cherries. Take away his goals and Ipswich would look more like a team around 14th in terms of goal difference and so his importance to this Ipswich side can't be underestimated. I think AFCB's defenders have their most difficult game in the run-in here and Murphy is one problem that they have get the better of if they are to come away from Portman Road with a smile on their faces.

Of course AFCB also have some strikers that Ipswich will be wary of. while Kenwyne Jones will be looking to get off the mark for the Cherries I wouldn't mind Yann Kermorgant putting in some more goal like the following one against Ipswich earlier in the season.

Finally, I have launched a new Tab feature this morning -

Key Match Highlights 2014-15 summary page.

Cherry Chimes chats to TWTD who fear Norwich play-off showdown

Rival Lines
Match Preview: Ipswich Town v AFCB
Blogger Interview: TWTD

Well while all of you were enjoying break or may be stressing over the lack of Championship football in the last 10 or more days I had the good fortune to be able to grill the opposition on the Cherries next match against Ipswich Town. Blair Ferguson who writes on the excellent TWTD site that follows the Tractor Boys. I not sure who was more nervous - me asking the questions or Blair giving the answers. It's just that time of the season where you hope everything just goes for your team.


CC: How do you feel ahead of the game against AFC Bournemouth?

TWTD: It’s another important game for Ipswich in terms of cementing a place in the top six. We could be out of the play-offs by the time the game starts so there could be an extra bit of pressure going into the game.

CC: How important do you think the three points were that Ipswich won against Watford?

TWTD: Massive! We had a tough time at Middlesbrough but reacted well with a win against Bolton, then continued to build momentum against Watford who are currently second and doing well.

The impact of scoring a late winner is always great for the fans but it shows the team are going to the very end of the game, which is important at this stage in the season.

CC: What do you feel about your remaining fixtures?

TWTD: I’m not sure there are many easy games at this stage of the season, but we do have a few games against teams who are mid-table and don’t have anything to play for. I think that can work against you sometimes, because the pressure is off them and they can just play.

You’d like to think the game against Blackpool shouldn’t be too difficult a task but it does make me lightly nervous! The match against Wolves has the potential to be season defining if the results go the right way going into it.

There are a few teams I’d rather play than Forest and Blackburn going into the last two because I’m fairly sure it will go that far.

CC: Mick McCarthy says that automatic promotion is still a possibility for Ipswich, but I guess a win against AFCB would be pretty much a must for that to happen?

TWTD: If we lose then the gap would be nine points and the chances of closing that would be very unlikely.

Ipswich would need to win all their remaining games and hope most teams above us all dropped points at the same time because we don’t have any of them left to play after Friday. It’s fairly unlikely but not impossible.

CC: Is there any team you would want to avoid if you do end up in the play-offs - Norwich City might be a bit awkward?

TWTD: Our recent record against Norwich has been poor and the thought of trying to change that over two-legs doesn’t excite me. Meeting them in the final would be even worse, but as a one off game you never know how that could end.

Derby haven’t been playing well recently and would probably be my favoured option. It’s always better to be the team that finishes with momentum in the play-offs and Derby have lost all of theirs, so I’d take them.

CC: Tyrone Mings has received 10 yellow cards now so who do you think will fill in for him against AFCB and how much of a miss will he be for Ipswich?

TWTD: Mings is a good player so he will definitely be missed but I think Jonathan Parr will fill in for him provided he’s recovered from his knock. Just remembered, we signed Zeki Fryers on loan before the international break. He could replace Mings if Parr isn't fit.

CC: Mick McCarthy has brought in a few players to Ipswich on loan in recent weeks - who has stood out for you and given you a real boost?

TWTD:: Richard Chaplow provided a boost with his winning goal against Watford but apart from that the loan signings haven’t made a great deal of impact.

Luke Varney and Chris Wood haven’t managed to score for us yet and I think that’s what you have to judge a striker on in terms of the difference he has made.

CC: Did you have any injury concerns following the Watford game and have you got many players on international duty?

TWTD: Christophe Berra featured for Scotland alongside Matt Ritchie – Ritchie set up Berra for his goal against Northern Ireland – and we might see David McGoldrick return after a long spell out, but he didn’t feature in the U21 game against Coventry on Monday night.

CC: Did you feel that things were going against Ipswich after the early part of March when the team lost to Norwich and were beaten by Boro?

TWTD: Not so much going against us. Norwich and Middlesbrough are good teams and you expect hard games against them. I think the most concerning thing was the manor in which we lost and the poor performance in each game. We seem to have put that behind us now and need to keep the momentum going.

CC: Are you ready for glory or despair on the last day of the season?

TWTD: I’d consider a play-off spot glory at this stage and I think we can definitely achieve that. Sitting in sixth now means it is ours to lose with the possibility of nicking second-place still at the back of my mind.

CC: Do you feel that the Ipswich squad can get promoted if it has to do it through the play-offs?

TWTD: As I mentioned earlier, momentum is a big part of winning the play-offs and Ipswich will have to keep winning between now and the end of the season to be in there. We have a very good team spirit just now and that could play a big part in a play-off campaign.

CC: Are you surprised that AFC Bournemouth have hung in at the top of the league despite fall off the top in February?

TWTD: Not overly. AFCB are a good team and everyone around the top has had a wobble at one time or another, at one stage it looked like no one wanted to win it!

CC: What is your score prediction for Ipswich v AFC Bournemouth?

TWTD: 1-0 for Ipswich

Well, I almost thought I was winning Blair over, but he came out very confident with a 1-0 home win prediction in the end. Looking at recent games in the Championship between these two sides the draw is certainly the safe bet although both teams have so much to gain with a win that they are likely to leave nothing on the pitch for this one. It could certainly be a Good Friday for one of these teams and the late kick-off will just add a little more drama to the occasion with the TV cameras looking on. I suppose I also have to give a score prediction and I am going for a 1-2 away win - come on Kenwyne!

Please check out the  TWTD site which has some news on players coming back from injury and lots of views on Ipswich's run-in.

Expect more grumbles from Mick McCarthy

It's probably fair to say that Mick McCarthy has been keen to stress that AFCB's good fortune is more to do with their bank account than any other factor from the comments he has made in previous encounters with the Cherries. Attracting good capital these days though is half the problem for many teams that are finding it difficult to manage their finances. AFCB should not be looked down upon though because they are now doing things right. Perhaps other clubs can learn from how AFCB have secured better funding and have been able to come through the league and to compete against clubs with much bigger fan bases.

AFCB v Ipswich last November.

Ipswich are of course one of those clubs that AFCB fans would consider a big club and they have also been bringing in some loan players ahead of the run-in with Johnny Williams and Zeki Fryers joining from Crystal Palace. The Suffolk side have also kept hold of Luke Varney and Richard Chaplow until the end of the season. Mick McCarthy also brought in Freddie Sears from Colchester who has done well since joining Ipswich. Elliott Hewitt has also been recalled from Colchester as possible cover for Tyrone Mings who will miss the clash with the Cherries. Striker David McGoldrich might also be back for the big match against the Cherries, along with Darren Ambrose perhaps.

Ipswich will know that a win against Bournemouth would draw them just three points behind the Cherries and could give them vital distance points over some of the teams vying for a play-off place. But Mick McCarthy will also know that a defeat would make it very hard for Ipswich to finish in the top two being nine points behind the Cherries. Ipswich need to make up ground and whether that means they come at the Cherries and leave holes in behind we will have to wait and see. Previous encounters in the Championship between the two sides have ended in draws but I don't think either side would be overly pleased with a draw this time around.

Ipswich's home form is pretty strong and with the TV cameras at the game it should be a very lively game, because AFCB never go to any ground and hold back these days. I'll be looking forward to Mick's post-match comments though. It will probably go something like - how can they afford someone like Kenwyne Jones? Only kidding Mick, you were the first to stop calling us "little Bournemouth" - just don't tell him AFCB's players have been training in Dubai. UTCIAD!

Ipswich Town Home Form
WLWDW

AFCB Away Form
WLLWD


Make sure you check out Cherry Chimes tomorrow as we have a Rival Lines interview with Independent Ipswich fan site TWTD.

Eddie has been looking for balance

After the match against Middlesbrough, Eddie Howe said that he had been looking for the right balance and that he felt that he had found it for that match. It was a surprise for many supporters that Brett Pitman was not starting after the last few games he had been involved in but whatever weaknesses Eddie saw in Middlesbrough, the team were able to exploit it with stunning effect.

Crowd reaction to the third goal going in against Middlesbrough.

It is not always easy to drop a player that has been doing well. But it is the overall team on the day that has to be the most important consideration and Eddie Howe has never been afraid to go against what people expect to get a result on the pitch. I am sure some of his independent thoughts together with collective decisions with Jason Tindall have carried AFCB to the very top of the division and you can't argue with that. Against Middlesbrough he chose Yann Kermorgant and he put away the first penalty well, while Brett still got his opportunity later on from the spot.

Yann has been in and out of the team of late, but if Callum
Yann fit he tends to be the preferred partner.

The balance of the team against Middlesbrough seemed stronger to me on the left though for once and Charlie Daniles and Marc Pugh were pretty sensational that day. Simon Francis was not as prolific up the right wing as he has been and he had to be alert to the breaks by Middlesbrough, especially when Lee Tomlin was drifting and trying to get in between AFCB's defence and midfield.

The balance of the team could well be altered again for the Ipswich match. I have not heard news about Marc Pugh yet but I am sure we will soon find out how he has been doing and if he can take part in the matches over Easter. Callum Wilson looks out though having not trained in the last two weeks. All those on international duty will also need to be assessed and some of the players out in Dubai just might have caused some rethinking with their form. I would not think that Kenwyne Jones will get many training sessions in with the squad before Friday and yet he may well have to lead the line.

Whatever the selection for the Ipswich game, it is going to be bigger than the last game in terms of pressure I feel, but the players have shown that they can deal with that. Being away at Portman Road one would imagine that the pressure on Ipswich will be equally as high and even higher if they find AFCB can get off to a flyer.

You can vote on our poll in the side panel which asks if you think Kenwyne Jones will have a successful loan period at AFCB - the poll closes at 10pm.

Cherry Chimes April Newsletter - is out now!

Cherry Chimes' April Newsletter picks over the top stories from the blog in March.

You can read extra posts as well that are not on the blog entitled: 'The scrap for the title is on and the special newsletter story: 'Is Pitman under-rated by fans? All you need to do is sign up here if you don't already receive the newsletter:

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