90th minute Sheffield Wednesday winner heaps more misery on the Cherries

Match Report

AFCB 1 v 2 Sheffield Wednesday

3 February 2021

AFCB have lost their way - a managerial change coming soon?

Bournemouth are still finding it hard to put away opposition in the bottom half of the table. They found Sheffield Wednesday in sharpshooting mood and Begovic had to make a few saves before the mistake by Mepham let them in for their goal. Tindall was clearly not happy with the team and replaced three players at half-time. Wednesday continued to fashion chances but it was the quickness of Surridge that led to the penalty and Stanislas put away his ninth goal of the season from the spot. It looked like the Cherries might go on to win the game from there but a break in the last minute of normal time saw Jordan Rhodes head Sheffield Wednesday in front again. This defeat is going to see some soul searching. It will have drained the players and if they were low before the game, they will need something special to pick them up now. I'm afraid we may be saying goodbye to Jason Tindall very soon.


UPDATE: This morning Jason Tindall has indeed been sacked by the board at AFCB.

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Bournemouth gave a first start to Jack Wilshere since his new contract and Lloyd Kelly returned from injury and Junior Stanislas was also given a starting place. Ben Pearson was on the bench after signing for Bournemouth in the January window.

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Match Description
The Cherries got an early warning of their need to defend their box well in the first few minutes as Elias Kachunga found himself clear in the box with only Begovic to beat. Luckily the Sheffield Wednesday player slipped and hit his shot at Begovic.

Lewis Cook was looking most likely to create something with Solanke trying to get past the last man, but Soanke didn't time his run well enough to be onside.

Bournemouth's loss of possession saw Sheffield Wednesday counter and Barry Bannan's shot from outside the box brings out the best in Begovic with a superb save to keep the game goalless. Calum Patterson then blazed wide following the corner.

The Cherries finally won a corner after 23 minutes. Kelly got in behind and his pul back to Danjuma saw a deflected shot go for a corner.

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Adam Reach then went close with a shot from distance that Begovic saves. Stacey plays a good pass to Brooks who cuts inside but he's fired just wide.

A mistake at the back and Callum Paterson has scored for Sheffield Wednesday. Mepham passed it straight to the Sheffield Wednesday player instead of finding Begovic. A costly slip.

Brooks fires wide again, before the half closes with Bournemouth trailing 0-1.

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Second half
Lerma, Smith and Surridge replace Wilshere, Stacey and Solanke. Kelly and Danjuma link well Before Brooks fires over at the near post.

Paterson them comes off for Jordan Rhodes to come on. Sheffield Wednesday force another corner. and Tom Lees heads wide.  Rhodes heads on to matt Penny, but the shot is high and wide.

Bournemouth force a couple of corners, but nothing is happening for them in front of goal. Adam Smith plays a ball through to Surridge and he goes down - penalty! Stanislas makes it 1-1 on 66 minutes.

Josh Windass replaces Kachunga. Lewis Cook has a shot saved. Lerma heads wide after a cross from Danjuma. Mepham plays a long ball and Brooks has a shot saved. It's all Bournemouth now.

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Dunkley replaces Urhoghide, Harris is on for Palmer and Luongo comes on for Pelupessy on 79 minutes. Dunkley brings down Surridge when he was through, but it's only a yellow card. Stanislas goes close with a 30 yard Drive that Westwood saves.

Riquelme is on for Stanislas. Kadeem Harris gets down the wing and Spurs in a cross to the far post where Rhodes has made it 1-2 t the visitors on 90 minutes. Lerma has a chance but it's saved by Westwood for a corner.

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Summary
Another home defeat for the Cherries and to the second bottom team. Wednesday have done the double over Tindall and with two different managers. This defeat will hurt more than the first one and while Bournemouth made changes they still made mistakes and got punished. I suppose the team is lucky they haven't got a crowd watching them in the stadium. They just can't put a performance together and you have to ask why not by now? Tindall has to come up with some answers if he is given the chance to. It's just not going to happen if the team continues to drop points like this. Losing a game in the 90th minute make sit all the more harder to swallow. We may be looking for a new manager this week as the pre-season target of promotion is looking more distant than ever.

AFCB Subs: Dennis, Smith, Rico, Carter-Vickers,
Lerma, Pearson, Billing, Riquelme, Surridge.

Sheffield Wednesday: 1 Westwood, 2 Palmer (Harris 79), 6 Hutchinson, 15 Lees,
19 Urhoghide (Dunkley 79), 14 Penney, 10 Bannan, 8 Pelupessy (Luongo 79), 11Reach, 5 Paterson (Rhodes 55), 45 Kachunga, (Josh Windas 67)

Sheffield Wednesday Subs: 7 K Harris, 13 Börner, 16 Green, 17 Dele-Bashiru, 18 Windass, 20 Rhodes, 21 Luongo, 23 Dunkley, 28 Wildsmith

UPDATE: This morning Jason Tindall has indeed been sacked by the board at AFCB.

What does Eddie see in Glenn Murray?

There are several news reports led by South London Today linking AFC Bournemouth with a £3.5m bid this afternoon for Crystal Palace's experienced striker - Glenn Murray. The 31 year-old has not found regular football at Selhurst Park with form of Dwight Gayle and Marouane Chamakh. A loan spell at Reading saw him bag eight goals from 18 games last season but Murray is best known for his heroics at Brighton where he netted 53 goals in 118 appearances.

It was the 2012-13 season when Murray is remembered not only for his 30 goals in the Championship but also for that semi-final when he suffered a horrendous knee injury playing for Palace against his former Brighton club that point him out of the game for nine months. Murray still managed to return to the game and score goals for Palace in the Premier League so it was a bit of a surprise when he was loaned out to Reading last January. AFCB were said to be interested in the striker then as well but moved for Kenwyne Jones instead in the end. 

Murray might not be the most dynamic of strikers in his movement, but he knows where the net is and he has scored at just about every level of the game that he has played at. Eddie Howe is certainly looking to bring in another front man and while the likes of Rickie Lambert, Dwight Gayle, Jordan Rhodes and even Dimitri Berbatov (I know complete rubbish) have been suggested targets there is plenty of weight to the belief that Murray would play a reasonable supporting role if the Cherries suffered early injuries in their Premier League campaign. Good in the air and in and around the box, if Murray could add 10 or more goals to the Cherries tally it might mean the difference between mid-table safety and battling it out to stay up.

Can Ritchie force a starting place for Scotland?

Matt Ritchie is now attracting attention much further afield than on the pitch in England. His recent performances have been recognised to the extent that he has been awarded a Sky Bet Championship Award for being named in the team of the season, made up from Championship teams, and his international recognition for Scotland could be about to hit new heights with an international friendly against Qatar on 5 June in Edinburgh, and also a massive Euro 2016 qualifier against the Republic of Ireland on 13 June at Dublin's Aviva stadium, where he could be lining up against Harry Arter.

Ritchie can be a big hit across the border.

The two matches that Matt has played for Scotland this year were against Gibraltar and Northern Ireland in March and in both games Scotland came out with a victory. So is Matt now going to get the opportunity to see if he can make the right wing position his own in the team? Ritchie played the full 90 minutes against Northern Ireland but it was just a friendly, while against Gibraltar he was substituted for Gordon Greer in the second half which was perhaps disappointing for him, but Gordon Strachan's team was 4-1 at the time and Scotland didn't need to be overly attacking in the second half. James Forrest, 23, who plays for Celtic is probably going to be his main competition for the place in the coming games and Forrest already has nine senior caps to his name.

While Matt has had lots of playing time with Simon Francis at Bournemouth it is going to take him time to get his game flowing as well when he puts on a Scotland shirt. It is a new experience, but an exciting one for him and with players like Ikchi Anya, Darren Fletcher, Jordan Rhodes, Steven Naismith and Shaun Maloney in the team, the Scots are looking like a solid and strong attacking team these days.

The aim for Matt will just be to try and make a few headlines north of the border, so that he can then be involved in the next couple of Euro 2016 qualifiers in September, when Scotland take on Gibraltar and Germany. 

Harry Arter could also be involved in the unofficial friendly at the Aviva stadium when Ireland take on Republic of Ireland, although Harry sat out training the other day with a bruised foot.

While we are talking tournaments you'll find Cherry Chimes preview of the Copa America Competition on Premier Talk. 

Blackburn's Josh King - a risky signing for the Cherries?

Earlier today, Sky Sports was first to break the news that Josh King was thought to be a target for AFCB having not renewed his contract with Blackburn Rovers. The left-sided winger only made 19 appearances for rovers last season and 11 of those were from the bench. With a total of four goals for the season I suppose that you could say it could have gone better for him last season and AFCB were said to be interested in him last January.

King is an international player for Norway and having come through the Man Utd academy he certainly has pedigree but the presence of Jordan Rhodes and Rudy Gestede have limited his chance of making a bigger impression at Ewood Park. I do remember him scoring a stunning hat-trick in the FA Cup against Stoke City in February when he tore through the middle of the Stoke defence with great speed and power to take Rovers to the quarter finals.

How much of a risk though would it be for the Cherries to bring King into a 25-man Premier League squad? Frankly, I believe Eddie Howe has to take some risks and if King comes on a free transfer, financially it will be a good deal for the Cherries. Ensuring that King is over his injury problems will be key. In January he suffered a hamstring injury, he also missed the league match at Dean Court for the same reason and March he missed the sixth round tie with Liverpool with another hamstring problem. He did get back into the side as a sub for the Huddersfield game in April and Blackburn's last game of the season against Ipswich. While we know he can score against Premier League teams, Howe will need to know if he can give him enough minutes on the pitch.

A change in scenery for the 23-year-old could help his injury problems and get his career back on track. There has to be a reason why he breaks down so often and a change in training methods could help him to overcome some of his problems, but it would be a risk if the Cherries take him on. AFCB would need game time out of King and the medical could well be the most difficult thing in getting him to Dean Court. If King does come to Bournemouth though it would probably kill off any hopes of Demarai Gray coming to the club, but that would be a saving of £5+ million. 

Why can't Blackburn convert cup form to the league?

Gary Bowyer must be wondering what he has to do to get his side playing as well in the league as they are doing in the FA Cup. I am sure the Blackburn fans want to go as far as they can in the cup, but sitting in 10th in the league means they have lots of work to do if they are to challenge for a play-off place now. 

Even a gap of 15 points can be cut back and last season Blackburn Rovers put in a good run towards the end of the season, but it would be a major shock if they do that again, especially as their recent away form has not been encouraging. They have not won away in the league since beating Nottingham Forest at the end of October. It's a different story when they play at home and in the FA Cup, but that is not going to get them a play-off spot.

Hopefully Rovers won't bring their cup form to Dean Court.

If Blackburn are to challenge they have to beat the top sides and they had the perfect opportunity to start that in midweek when they met Norwich City, but they lost the game. AFCB will be another game where they will need to try and take points off a team that is above them. They'll need Rudy Gestede and Jordan Rhodes to keep putting away their chances, but it has been the two strikers who have kept Rovers from falling further behind in the race for a top six finish. Some other Blackburn players are going to have to start finding the net if they are to really push on now.

A few injuries to Ben Marshall, Chris Taylor and Corry Evans have not been helpful, but everyone is getting injuries to their team. One player that will be keen to get game time is Tommy Spurr who only made his first start of the season against Blackpool last weekend, but he did not feature against Norwich in mid-week.

The cup run could be taking more out of Rovers than is good for them of course. With Jay Spearing, Tom Cairney and Grant Hanley in their side there is plenty of fight and experience, but succeeding in cup and league campaigns is going to be very demanding for them. In some ways the match they face against AFCB will be a good prelude to the Liverpool cup match. Their players will be playing for their shirt in that game so the Cherries should be aware that Rovers are going to be doing everything to improve their away record, because they can't afford to lose any more ground on the top six in the Championship.

It seems that set-pieces have been causing them problems of late and perhaps the Cherries can cause them problems with their corners. But beating Rovers will be a difficult task and AFCB must make the most of home advantage, which they couldn't do against Derby and Huddersfield.

Send in more score predictions for the match and I'll post them up on Cherry Chimes.

Late goals not enough for Cherries against Blackburn: 3-2

Blackburn Rovers v AFCB

23 August 2014

Attendance: 13,900

I believe Simon Francis travelled with the squad up to Blackburn but was not part of the squad so Adam Smith again slotted in at right back. Junior Stanislas also won a place in the starting line up on the left wing while Pugh was still absent. Brett Pitman did make it back on to the subs line up though and it as a pretty strong line up to face Rovers.

From what I can tell of match reports AFCB did not get of to a great start and to be 3-0 down in under half an hour it was always asking a lot to get anything from Ewood Park. But with the introduction of Fraser, Rantie and Pitman the Cherries did well to pull back two goals in the last few minutes of the game and to give the hosts a nervy end to the game. Pitman scored a penalty on 81 minutes and Steve Cook scored his first goal of the season on 90 minutes, but the Cherries still went down 3-2 from first half goals from Rhodes, Hanley and Gestede.

AFCB now drop down to 11th in the table, two points outside the play offs and have another hard away game to come at Norwich where they will aim not give themselves such a big deficit to pull back by half time.

AFCB official match tweets:

Here they are! The two teams are out here at Ewood Park and we are minutes away from kick-off. Do we have any score predictions? #BRFCvAFCB

01: We're underway at Ewood Park, where the Cherries begin proceedings shooting away from the traveling fans. #BRFCvAFCB

03: Early chance for #afcb as Stanislas shoots from the edge of the area. Robinson spills, but claims before Wilson can pounce. #BRFCvAFCB

09: First sight of goal for #brfc. Olsson rifles in a shot from the corner of the area & Camp parries away http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

13: Cook is caught in possession by the byline, and Rhodes keeps his cool to slot the ball beyond Camp. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

19: Stanislas retreives Wilson's under-hit pass on the edge of the area, but shoots straight at Robinson. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

21: Hanley heads beyond Camp from Cairney's corner to double #brfc's lead. #afcb now trail 2-0. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

24: Conway's long-range effort is deflected off Gustede to wrong-foot Camp. #brfc 3-0 #afcb. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

26: Ritchie tries his luck from inside the area, but his looping shot fails to trouble Robinson. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

27: It's almost four as Gustede almost meets Conway's cross from the right. It goes wide - just. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

28: Olsson cuts the ball back to Rhodes, but his left-footed shot cannons off the far post. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

39: Marshall's shot from the edge of the area is palmed away by Camp. #brfc look dangerous going forward. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

41: Cook is booked for a foul on Gustede on the edge of the area. The resultant free-kick comes to nothing http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

Half time at Ewood Park: #brfc 3-0 #afcb. #BRFCvAFCB

46: The second half is underway, and it is confirmed - Fraser replaces Ritchie for #afcb. #BRFCvAFCB

46: Fraser almost immediately has an impact as his cross towards Kermorgant in the area is headed away. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

48: Close for #brfc. Marshall's cross from the left is inches away from being met by Evans in the middle. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

50: Stanislas' free kick cannons off the wall, before Kermorgant's follow-up shot is tipped over. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

53: Better! Wilson forces Robinson into a smart save at the near post. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB #afcb

55: Wilson has an effort from a similar position. Robinson parries & quickly gathers the follow-up. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

64: Second substitution for #afcb as Kermorgant is replaced by Rantie. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

65: Left-back Olsson bursts forward before firing his shot into the side netting. Still #brfc 3-0 #afcb. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

67: Substitute King's shot deflects off Elphick, before Baptiste heads over from the resultant corner. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

69: Rhodes fires over from the corner of the area, under the tight surveillance of captain Elphick. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB
74: Final substitution for #afcb as Pitman replaces Stanislas. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x

79: Pitman smashes the ball into the top corner from the spot, after Smith was tripped in the box. #brfc 3-1 #afcb. #BRFCvAFCB

86: Arter shoots from 25 yards out, but it goes way over Robinsons goal. Still #brfc 3-1 #afcb. http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

88: Cook rises highest to convert Daniels' corner. Now just one more... #brfc 3-2 #afcb http://bit.ly/1sfot0x #BRFCvAFCB

Full time: #brfc 3-2 #afcb. #BRFCvAFCB

AFCB
Camp, Smith, Daniels, O'Kane, Elphick, Cook, Ritchie, Arter, Wilson, Kermorgant, Stanislas

AFCB Subs
Gosling, Rantie, Pitman, Harte, Fraser, Flahavan, Cargill

Blackburn Rovers
Robinson, Lowe, Olsson, Crainey, Hanley, Baptiste, Marshall, Evans, Gestede, Rhodes, Conway

Blackburn Subs
Henley, King, Eunn,, Eastwood, Varney, Williamson, Taylor. 

No easy ride expected for Cherries at Blackburn

The Cherries played fantastically at Ewood Park last season but will need similar resolve this time if they are to come away with anything. Blackburn are one of the side I believe should be in the top 10 with their quality and perhaps the form they showed against Cardiff indicates that they could do even better. I think a lot of how well Blackburn do will depend on not only Jordan Rhodes but Rude Gestede has started most matches with Rhodes this season.

Blackburn will be another difficult test
that will show whether AFCB are
likely to be top challengers this season or not.

Gary Bowyer has not signed that many players in the summer or at least has not splashed the cash. Alex Baptise was a loan deal from Bolton, Chris Brown also joined on a free transfer from Doncaster. Looking at the signings though they don't look like players who will put Blackburn in the top six, but stable performers is perhaps how I see the squad as a whole and I imagine the club's financial circumstances are starting to dictate how much can be spent now.

On the pitch it appears that Balckburn are going to be hard to beat and in the Championship that is not a bad starting point. Kilgallon and Hanley will make sure that they don't concede that many and Dunn and Tom Cairney are always powerful in midfield. AFCB have to make sure they keep things tight and don't overplay against Blackburn because it only takes Rhodes a second to get the wrong side of defenders and punish them with his quality. Coming away with a point from Ewood Park is never a bad result and if that is what the Cherries get rewarded with this weekend it won't be anything to moan about.

If you had not noticed Kyle Cotter has been busy checking out new possible talent for England's next campaign in the Euros. He has a profile on Calum Chambers who is at Southampton - see Kyle's Cups.

Good luck to Jayden Stockley who has gone on loan to Cambridge Utd until January 2015.

Cherry Chimes talks to Rover Stan

Rival Lines
Blogger Interview: Rover Stan
Batch Preview Blackburn Rovers v AFCB

I managed to catch up with Rover Stan who we talked to last season to get his opinion on the current Blackburn Rovers team and to see how well he thinks they are playing at the moment. here are his thoughts ahead of the match against AFCB. Make sure you drop in on his site at RoverStan.

CC: What is the best thing to have happened to Blackburn Rovers over the summer - Jordan Rhodes' new contract?

RS: A new contract for Rhodes was a real bonus for the club. Whilst there's no guarantee he'll stay, if anyone wants him they will have to stump up big money to get him. The best thing to happen over the Summer has to be the sound of silence, with Rovers for once out of the headlines.

CC: You had a good run towards the play-offs last season what reasons have Blackburn fans to be more optimistic of a top six finish this season?

RS: The squad is settled and morale seems to be good. They certainly gave it their best shot towards the end of last season before finally finishing in 8th position. The high wage earners have had to go to comply with the new Financial Fair Play rules but Gary Bowyer has assembled a new squad that is keen to play for him, whilst being considerably cheaper.

CC: Are you pleased that Leon Best has gone on loan to Derby County, a possible promotion rival?

RS: I think most Rovers fans are delighted to see the back of Leon Best. He looked good in pre-season games when he first arrived but after he came back from injury he has never produced a good performance. He did quite well at Sheffield Wednesday at the end of last season but his high wages make him an unattractive buy.

CC: What do you expect to see from new signings Luke Varney and Chis Brown this season?

RS: Chris Brown and Luke Varney have been signed as cover up front. Varney didn't impress last season on loan and hasn't improved so far this season. We haven't seen Brown play yet as he's injured but reports suggest he could be a useful addition to the squad.

CC: Is Paul Robinson still up the task in goal?

RS: Yes, is the simple answer to that question. His experience will be invaluable this season. It's like having a second captain on the field. His job has not been helped by injuries to Tommy Spurr and Matt Kilgallon, which leaves us short of quality in defence, although we have signed Alex Baptiste on loan for the season from Bolton Wanderers. Expect Robinson to want to be part of the promotion party.

CC: Grant Hanley has to be one of the best centre backs in the division so are you surprised to have kept hold of him?

RS: It's hard to believe that Grant has come so far in such a short space in time. He's now played 102 1st team games for Rovers and currently wears the Captain's armband at just 22 years of age. He certainly wants to show who's boss against any opposition but has been prone to the odd rash challenge, leading to a red card. Another good season with Rovers will surely put him firmly on the radar of other clubs.

CC: What does Rudy Gestede give you that other strikers at the club don't?

RS: Gestede is the perfect partner for Jordan Rhodes up front. He's a target man, good with his feet and excellent in the air. He's taken some of the pressure off Rhodes who has inevitably found himself tightly marked last season. Confidence grows when you score goals and that's just what he's done.

CC: Was there anything you saw that was encouraging in your first game against Cardiff City?

RS: All the signs were there of a team that are playing for each other and keen to carry on from where they left off last season. Tom Cairney scored a goal worthy of inclusion in the Goal of the Season competition. Expect more from him in the coming months. Rovers have been guilty of not delivering the ball to the front men but Craig Conway was desperate to impress against his old club. Conway regularly claimed the Man of the Match award last season and looked like he wants to continue this time around.

CC: Did you feel the team played a lot better against Blackpool and Norwich?

RS: 3 League games. A draw, a win and a defeat. I think the performances have been OK so far. Rhodes is carrying a bit of an injury and having two key defenders out of action doesn't help. By all accounts we should have had a penalty against Norwich and we played well despite losing 3-1. I expect them to come out all guns blazing against Bournemouth. Watch out!

CC: What should AFCB fans make sure they see when they come to Blackburn? (It's a long trip after all)

RS: If you've never been to Blackburn Rovers before then you should take a few minutes to walk round to the Blackburn end where you will find the RoverStore. All the usual stuff, shirts, scarves etc plus the gnomes which are probably just like Bournemouth gnomes but ours are Blue & White. You might find on a rack in the centre of the store last seasons home programmes where there may be a copy of the Bournemouth game. Outside you should look at the statue of Jack Walker our beloved benefactor who was responsible for rebuilding this club and achieving all our dreams in winning the Premier League trophy in 1995. As you go back round to the Darwen End you will see the blue sliding doors where the players enter as they come off the coach. Look carefully and you may catch a glimpse of the trophy in a glass case on the wall. Another nice touch to look out for is the photographs on the overhead walkways linking the Jack Walker stand to the Darwen End and Blackburn End. Our club history for all to see.

CC: How is Ewood Park looking these days?

RS: The pitch is looking superb at the moment. You should also find good facilities in the Darwen End. The pies aren't bad either!

CC: What is your score prediction for Blackburn v AFCB?

RS: I'm afraid after our defeat in midweek against Norwich the boys in Blue & White will want to get back to winning ways. Its going to be a Rovers win 4-1 with Gestede getting a hat trick! But then I would say that wouldn't I.Regards to The Cherries Supporters!

CC: Thank you RoverStan for such a wealth of information about your team and the aspirations of many Blackburn Rover fans I am  sure. While I am sad that I can't come and visit your ground for this game it may be good if the game goes as you predict. Still I aim to come and see the jack Walker statue at some point and maybe if Blackburn and AFCB get promoted I'll be able to do it in the Premier League nest season! All you AFCB fans should go and have a good read of RoverStans' blog as you will not find a better source of information on the Blue & Whites.

Is speed up front a must have in the Championship?

Looking at the Cherries's squad we quite a few strikers and while we may pick on one or two for being slightly pedestrian when it comes to pace I wonder how important it is to be quick these days? AFCB used pace to good effect last season with Grabban and Rantie especially among the most rapid players in the Championship. Those on the bench like Pitman may be wondering if he just wasn't pacey enough to fit into Eddie Howe's plans.

Has Eddie Howe got the right balance of
different types of striker at the club?

But is it the same at other clubs? I don't remember Mickie Quinn being quick on his feet in his day and yet he was a top striker. Perhaps things have changed, but then how would you explain the success of Jordan Rhodes or Derby's Chris Martin? They are not among the quickest of sprinters that I have seen and yet they put away plenty of goals. I would say that Eddie Howe has chosen to play in this way deliberately and his next forward buy could be another speed merchant if it turns out to be Callum Wilson - fingers crossed he could join the Cherries today.

Yet, do English clubs put too much importance on speed in their forwards? I would say Yann Kermorgant has shown that touch, skill and accuracy are just as important and maybe even more so. If anything I think it's the change of pace over a few yards that is a danger to defences and quickness of thought more often than not over physical pace. 

This World Cup has been very much about pace and play on the break. Still teams don't just use pace as a constant tactic, like England have so often, but they'll  pick and chose their moments and use the surprise of the unexpected. Perhaps that is a quality that some of the English Championship teams are still short of, but in Yann Kermorgant I can see that the Cherries have a thinking striker who has his radar firmly set on attack even when he may not look the quickest player on the park. The use of Rantie or Wilson playing next to him should give the Cherries a strong cutting-edge in the Championship. But if the Cherries do not pick up Wilson they will surely look for another player with pace to bolster their front line.

Grabban has made the grade

At the start of the season not everyone would have put Lewis Grabban as the most likely to be AFCB's top scorer in the Championship. It was Brett Pitman who had been the sharp shooter in the previous campaign and the competition from Wes Thomas, Matt Tubbs and Josh McQuoid during preseason could have seen a much different front line from what we see at the club today. Yet, Lewis has gone on to cement his starting place in the team and to have scored 22 times with one game to go is a tremendous achievement for him.

Lewis receives the Junior Cherry player of the year Award.

Lewis picks up the supporter's player of the year Award.

Don't get sidelined by thinking many of the goals were scored from no more than 12 yards. Scoring from the spot is no simple task - ask any England fan. Lewis seems to like the pressure though and when he is on the pitch he has little problem in shutting things out to concentrate on putting the ball in the back of the net. While he did miss a spot kick against Watford he can even claim that that one was saved rather than missed. 

At the moment there are only two player names above him in the Championship scoring chart. Ross McCormack and Jordan Rhodes are the players he chases while Troy Deeney has the same number of goals as Lewis. To be in such company is fantastic for Lewis but I do fear that it will attract the eyes of Premiership clubs and hungry Championship sides that will be able to splash large sums of money for such talent. Having rebuffed an approach from Brighton already it is clear that Lewis is a commodity that is already a prized possession of the Cherries. His price tag is certainly high now but he seems to like the club and Eddie Howe will be in no mood to see any more offers for him coming in.

This season Lewis has improved immensely with his off the ball runs and his holding up of the ball to bring in other players. It is the all round ability of Lewis that we could see developing last season and now the whole package is what Lewis will be working to make even better. The snap shots he takes from outside the box and his one-on-one forays can be areas where he can add goals and perhaps he can learn from Yann Kermorgant how to score even more goals with headers. There is always things that players can do better and Lewis seems to have the right attitude. As winner of the Supporters Player of the Year Award, the Exiles' player of the year Award and the Junior Cherries Award, Lewis Grabban can look back at a job well done for this season.

For those of you who also saw Lewis' post-Forest interview there was also a wry smile on his face when he mentioned how nice it would be to score against them on Saturday - so maybe there is still some unfinished business for Grabban. 

If you would like to recall a couple of earlier 2013/14 games I have uploaded the Bolton wanderers and Derby County home game pictures to Cherry Chimes on Facebook. You can search Cherry Chimes on Facebook which will get you to the page or download the Cherry Chimes Android mobile phone App and click on the Facebook symbol.

Blackburn are still finding their feet

The heavyweights are starting to make their move in the Championship table. Among them are Blackburn Rovers who have steadily seen performances come together under Gary Bowyer, despite losing their last two games. While it is hard to read anything from the fiery derby match against Burnley, Rovers will be aiming to win at home no matter who they play in this division.

Blackburn players warm up at Dean Court.

Despite their upward graph since Bowyer's appointment, Blackburn are a team that you still feel could be doing even better. A thoroughbred that is shaking off the burden its recent past and still not quite sure how it should refine itself in a Championship that is unforgiving for big spenders that don't then perform week in and week out. If Rovers results had been more consistent since the New Year rather than being a bit up and down they could have been sitting much closer to the play-offs. Still, four wins and three draws in the last 10 matches is not a bad stat. What has slowed for them are the goals from Jordan Rhodes, just one goal in his last 10 games.

Rhodes still currently stands on 17 goals and we know he is the archetypal predator that marks out the top teams from the also-rans in the Championship. Once a player has his instinct and knowledge of where to be at the right time it is not usually much of barren spell before you start sticking the ball away again. He even managed it with a bad hand against AFCB earlier in the season and he alone makes this game against AFCB at Ewood Park a match that is so much harder than the average away fixture. There will be no hiding place for AFCB's back four and not a moments peace. The bad news is that he scored against Burnley in Blackburn's last game and we don't need him finding top form again now.

Rhodes is still the main man to watch.

Luke Varney similarly seems to know where the goal is and AFCB will do well to try and get on the front foot with such a potent attack force lining up against them.  We know that they have also added Liam Feeney to their squad and at the back they have Michael Keane, who is an England U21 player, to add some strength who is also on loan until the end of the season.

A point at Ewood Park would be huge for the Cherries having had good success in the last two matches, but this one won't be at all easy. Blackburn won 1-3 at Dean Court last September, but the Cherries are a better team now and I want that unbeaten run to continue so 1-1 would do nicely tonight.

Blackburn Home Form:
DLWDW

AFCB Away Form:
DLDLW

Did you miss the blogger interview? You can still catch up by visiting Rival Lines to hear what RoverStan has to say.

Match Preview: Cherry Chimes talks to the RoverStan blog

Match Preview
Blackburn Rovers V AFCB
Blogger Interview - RoverStan

Cherry Chimes speaks with RoverStan of the RoverStan blog who has some optimism now that Gary Bowyer is bringing some stability to goings on at Ewood Park. Blackburn did not have to play on Saturday, so they played on Sunday when they just fell short against their arch rivals Burnley, but they have also had a heavier defeat to Bolton as well. Please note that the questions were set before the Burnley game when RoverStan did not know the result. I get the feeling that they might prefer to play a southern team this week. So how does RoverStan think Blackburn Rovers will do against the Cherries?

CC: Are you surprised at how Gary Bowyer has started to turn things around so quickly at Blackburn Rovers?

RS: No, not at all. Gary Bowyer proved last season during two spells as caretaker manager that he was capable of steadying the club and saving us from free fall to Division 1. It was with some relief that he took the position full time at the end of the season. He has previously worked with many of the current squad and they seem to want to play for him.

CC: What happened against Bolton the other week?

RS: A previously settled back four was upset by an injury to captain Grant Hanley which prevented him starting the game. Then Matt Kilgallon went off injured. Rovers have been down to the bare bones in recent weeks in that department following Scott Dann’s departure to Crystal Palace. This resulted in players having to play out of position, leaving Robinson exposed at the back. Bowyer has now moved quickly to bring in young centre-back Michael Keane from Manchester United on loan until the end of the season, so expect a much tighter unit to face The Cherries in mid-week.

CC: Which game do you think was the catalyst to the team's recent good form if we discount the Bolton match?

RS: Rather than single out any one game I would say it has been a gradual improvement over the season as the younger players and new signings get to know each other. Gary Bowyer has had to rebuild the squad to try and comply with Financial Fair Play rules. This has meant shipping out players on Premier League wages and replacing them with a mixture of young players from our own Academy together with promising new signings. The return of the experienced Paul Robinson has also been a major factor.

CC: Which players are really in form for you at the moment?

RS: Rudy Gestede has been in fine form in the last few months. He has allowed Rovers to play a more conventional 4-4-2 by partnering Jordan Rhodes. He is good on the ball and in the air. He’s certainly going to be a handful to play against. Tom Cairney is another one to watch. He is the attacking midfield player that Rovers have needed for so long. He will be trying to make the team against Burnley, following injury, and if he does then his contribution can be a game changer for subsequent games as Rovers try to make the top six.

CC: Have you sneaky feeling that you could make the play-offs?

RS: A win against Bournemouth could put us back in the hunt for a play-off place. You have to keep in mind that this time last season we were looking like relegation candidates so to be comfortable in midfield with a chance of a play-off place is a bit of a luxury this season. I think we could achieve the play-offs but if we did get promoted then there would be an awful lot of work to be done to compete at the higher level.

CC: Paul Robinson is back and you've been getting some clean sheets is that no coincidence?

RS: Jake Kean and Simon Eastwood have both played their part in goal over the last couple of seasons but they are both young and still learning their trade. They have both been guilty of goalkeeping errors and the return of Robinson has given a massive boost to the whole team. He suffered a blood clot on a lung following a knee operation and was out for almost a year. Since his return he has been in magnificent form.

CC: You have the Burnley derby the game before meeting AFCB so would the atmosphere for our night game might depend on how well you have played a few days earlier?

RS: I’m sure the players will be treating the Burnley game as just another 3 points but for supporters it is the game of the season. The crowd will be large and Burnley have sold their allocation of 4500 tickets. Such is the rivalry between the two that the police insist that games between Blackburn and Burnley are all ticket and visiting supporters must travel to the game only by coach. This results in a huge fleet of coaches travelling the 5 miles down the M65 accompanied by police for protection. The game on Sunday will mean that some supporters will not afford to come to the Bournemouth game. If we beat Burnley (sadly Blackburn didn't this time) this may encourage a higher attendance. Typically crowds have been down to around 12,000-13,000, a far cry from the 23,000 we would average in the Premier League.

CC: Do you feel that Blackburn would need to shed more high wage players if you don't make it back up this season?

RS: The high earners have mostly been sold now. The exceptions are Robinson, Etuhu and Rhodes. I think we can expect Rhodes to be subject to offers at the end of the season. The key to keeping him will be our own promotion. He must be worth more than the £8M we paid for him.

CC: What has happened to Jordan Rhodes, can you put your finger on why he has not been finding the net of late?

RS: Expect him to find the net very soon! Injuries to wide men King and Marshall has meant that service into the box has been limited. Jordan is capable of scoring goals without that service and has been unlucky in recent games not to score. That was demonstrated with a magnificent strike at Reading a couple of weeks ago which was brilliantly saved by their keeper. He will find the net very soon.

CC: If Blackburn are to reach the play-offs you'll need to beat teams like Bournemouth at home so do you expect an attacking line up from Bowyer?

RS: He should play a 4-4-2 with a fairly settled team with the only unknowns being how well Hanley, Kilgallon, Cairney and Dunn have recovered from injury.

CC: What will Bournemouth fans make of Ewood Park? And is parking good nearby?

RS: Away supporters are accommodated in the Darwen End of the ground. The stadium was rebuilt on 3 sides around 1991 and visiting supporters should enjoy great facilities in the lower tier behind the goal. Those fans travelling by coach will be dropped off in the car park right outside the Darwen End. If travelling by car then there are some car parks nearby but note that the streets nearest the ground are resident only parking and traffic wardens are very active on match days. You can find paid parking on several industrial estates in Lower Darwen on Branch Road. This will give you easy access back to the M65 motorway. The club shop, The Roverstore, has all the usual club memorabilia and is situated at the opposite end to the Darwen End. There are bars inside the ground or away supporters are welcome in the Fernhurst on Bolton Road, which also has hotel accommodation.

CC: Thank you for your answers RoverStan. We have seen that Mr Rhodes is already starting to score the goals again and I am sure our fans will be interested in Rudy Gestede who we have not heard much about and Michael Keane looks a good prospect as an England U21 international. While Blackburn have been on the end of a couple of defeats I think that makes it a much harder game for the Cherries as 3pts will be seen as a must for Gary Bowyer and his men. If you want to catch up with more opinions from RoverStan please have a look at RoverStanblog which has just been updated with a recent report on his visit to the Madejski stadium where Rovers came away with a good 0-1 win. 

Cherries' form dips as Blackburn record first away win 1:3 (plus Match Day Gallery)

Match Report

AFCB 1 v 3 Blackburn Rovers

28 September 2013

Attendance: 9441

The Cherries looked in good spirits before this game and with a win it would have been possible for them to sneak into the top six, but that was never going to be the case when AFCB met a team that got on top of them right from the start. Even with one wrist in a cast, Jordan Rhodes looked an ominous predator, stalking his prey, while the Cherries were unusually nervous and stuttered rather than getting into gear or finding any flow to their game. By half time the game would be virtually out of sight and while one team would again go down to 10-men, it wasn't going to be to AFCB's advantage this time, although they were much brighter with a man less in the second period.

Bournemouth made one change to the starting line up with Shaun MacDonald coming in for Richard Hughes in central midfield. Ryan Fraser was held back on the bench along with Mohamed Coulibaly and Andrew Surman if required.

Tommy's routine did not bring much luck this time.

From the start it was clear that Blackburn saw this game as very winnable and they set up to counter AFCB's three at the back with a 4-4-2 formation with Best and Rhodes working hard all afternoon to press well up the pitch. After a couple of free kicks either way, it was a nervy start with Blackburn having a throw near AFCB's box that was met by Elphick before falling to a Blackburn player who looped it up harmlessly into Allsop's hands. 

MacDonald was struggling to get the ball out from the back and it was O'Kane who perhaps showed how Bournemouth could have mixed it up with a superb long pass out to Francis. Grabban brought a bit style with a fabulous quick turn and AFCB had a corner on five minutes. Taken short, the ball quickly found its way to Tokelo on the near post and we all thought he had scored a good goal, only to find that an off side flag had gone up. 

Just as we were getting over that, it was Rhodes on the spin and in on goal at the other end and Ward just about did enough to hold him off, with Allsop rushing out to make a scrambled save. Allsop was a bag of nerves and as he slowly went about working who to pass out to he was easily closed on by Leon Best who charged down his kick for a throw in. I'm not sure that Allsop ever recovered all game. He didn't seem at the races and neither did his team mates in the first half.

A few moments later and Best provided a ball into the six yard box from the left wing and in an instance Rhodes had run in front of Cook and, with a diving header in the six yard box, he put Blackburn one up with nine minutes gone. Oh dear! Shades of Ricardo Fuller and the Blackpool game there.

Blackburn were looking more powerful and quicker to everything. So quick in fact that Rantie was given a not so glamorous kick in the face by Evans for which the Blackburn player received the first yellow card. Bournemouth then managed to see Cook get on the end of a Pitman cross which Kean plucked safely out of the air, but at least it was goal bound.

Blackburn soon had possession back and won a corner which Cook headed out only to find King go on one of his mazy runs to earn another corner. Bournemouth were really struggling to get any grip on the game with MacDonald and Pitman guilty of conceding possession too easily with stray passes. Blackburn seemed to be able to turnover play at will. MacDonald's frustration resulted in a yellow for a foul on King.

Rhodes took the free kick on 15 minutes from the edge of the box and Allsop pulled off a diving save. It was a physical game with Blackburn out muscling MacDonald and Elphick at times. On the rare moments Grabban received the ball he looked mighty confident and was easily AFCB's best looking player of the first half. Rantie was not capable of holding the ball up as well while Francis and Elphick at the other end were having to cut out defence splitting passes. Tommy was doing his best but picked up a yellow for a challenge on Leon Best on 22 minutes.

Blackburn were dominating the pattern of play. Pitman was swamped and laid a poor pass off allowing Evans to find himself running right at AFCB's defence and he slotted the ball over to Best who had a simple task of making it 0:2 after 23 minutes. The Blackburn fans were jubilant having not had an away win yet. 

Grabban and Pugh were instrumental in winning a corner on 25 minutes, but the ball came straight back down the pitch and Macca still could not hold on to Best who was causing havoc by now. Ward tried to clear a ball in the box with Allsop helping, just doing enough to punch it away. A glimmer of hope came when Rantie pulled a stunning turn on the centre back, but he then overran the ball. Grabban was having to come deeper to collect the ball and a further problem for Eddie Howe then matured as MacDonald had to go off with a knee injury. He was replaced by Richard Hughes just after the half hour.

As a contest a boxing referee would have stopped the contest by now. Allsop was hesitating and looked dumbfounded whenever standing with the ball in his box, not knowing when to throw it out quickly or when to kick. Even the usually comfortable Hughes was one of those who did not look pleased to receive the ball on the D with an on rushing Blackburn player on his back.

AFCB were still fighting with Pitman and Rantie up the pitch trying to get their shots off, but they were getting squeezed out and when Pitman did cross there would be nobody there on the end. Leon Best was back on the ball and creating more menace with a shot that went over and then working another move into the box by turning Ward and shooting wide. AFCB were being forced to defend most of the time with  Elphick next to make clearance. Best was picked out on the edge of the box for a wicked drive that caused Allsop to make a good save on 38 minutes.

The game was virtually decided then when Elphick chose to shove King in the box, seeing it as the only way he could deal with his energy. It was untidy, probably unnecessary and left the referee with little option but to point towards the spot. Rhodes then stepped up and stroked in one of the laziest penalties you will see, with Allsop diving left and the ball headed for the right hand bottom corner. That was that then, 0:3 and five minutes to half time.The home fans were pretty dismayed by now.

Grabban and Rantie kept the ball at the Blackburn end towards the end of the half with Rantie beating a couple of players before seeing his shot blocked out for a corner. Elphick was the given a yellow having taken down King and disagreeing with the referee more than anything. The first half was one that the Cherries were just going to have to write off.

There is a Full Match Day Gallery - click here.

Second Half
Pitman was relieved of his duties at half time allowing Fraser to come on. The referee was keen to keep the card count up and what seemed on the advice of the Blackburn players after a high kick Hughes found himself on a yellow card, which Eddie Howe later said should not have earned a booking . Grabban again looked our best hope of getting something from the game and had a shot go over. After another speculative effort from Best, the game became a total fiasco for the Cherries when Hughes was given a second yellow on 50 minutes. He didn't even bother to wait to see the red card. 

Grabban dropped back into centre midfield and Tokelo played up front on his own. Allsop was forced to come out to claim in front of Rhodes whose shot went out for a corner. Best then had a break where he ran virtually the length of the pitch before Ward caught up with him on the edge of the box.

AFCB then came so close to getting a goal back. On 56 minutes Francis and Fraser worked the ball up the right wing before finding Rantie who fed the ball on to Pugh on the left and his shot smacked against the left upright. Fraser's follow up was blocked and the chance had gone. Pugh managed a cross moments later when Fraser seemed to be hold back from heading it.

Blackburn made some substitutes on 62 minutes with Best being replaced by Olsson and Evans being replaced by Williamson. AFCB were starting to play the better of the two teams now. A corner from the right almost had the desired effect when Elphick met it on the volley only for Kean to pull off a superb reaction save at  virtually point blank range. It just wasn't going to be our day.

Pugh seemed dead set on seeing Fraser head the ball from one of his crosses. Meanwhile, Lowe was given a yellow card for a challenge on O'Kane. Blackburn were pushing for a fourth goal but Francis made a good covering tackle on 68 minutes. O'Kane showed his skill and composure on the ball more than once or twice in beating players and turning them inside out, but he had had a fairly quiet game.

Another Pugh cross to Fraser was palmed away by the Blackburn keeper for a corner and a resulting cross from Fraser saw the keeper go down holding his hip. Kean did not seem that worried at the time but he was less pleased when, on 74 minutes, Rantie supplied Fraser on a darting run on through the middle, a few moments later, and the young Scot bagged his first goal for the Cherries to the obvious delight of the home fans, stroking the ball home with precision.

While AFCB fans may have hoped for a last 20 minute salvage act there was no further fire from this one spark of life. In fact, Rhodes almost sneaked in again by hitting the post but was caught offside. 

Pugh made way for Coulibaly on 81 minutes and Marrow came on for Blackburn after 84 minutes replacing Lowe. While Rhodes saw another of his shot go just wide on 89 minutes the game that was just about the end of the action. 

Summary
AFCB did not get going today until the second 45 minutes. They were pressurised extremely well and beaten to the ball just about everywhere on the pitch. The hesitation from Allsop just sapped any confidence the team had for playing out from the back and with the crowd then getting frustrated and on the players backs for the sloppy passes it went from bad to worse. 

Some days you get the breaks at the right times and the game goes for you. Today, AFCB were beaten by a well organised team that harried and work to get a result. They made Bournemouth look poor and at times we probably were short of our best. Still, you have to accept that AFCB are learning their trade in this league and there will be difficult days like this.     

AFCB
Allsop, Francis, Cook, Elphick, Ward, Pugh (81 Coulibaly), O'Kane, MacDonald (32 Hughes), Pitman (46 Fraser), Rantie, Grabban.

AFCB Subs
Flahavan, Harte, Addison, Hughes, Surman, Coulibaly, Fraser, 

Balckburn Rovers
Kean, Kane, Spurr, G Hanley, Dann, Lowe (84 Marrow), King, Evans (63 Williamson), Cairney, Best (63 Olsson), Rhodes. 

Blackburn Rovers Subs
Eastwood, Kilgallon, Morris, Olsson, Williamson, Taylor, Marrow.

Player ratings
Allsop 3, Francis 5, Cook 4, Elphick 4, Ward 5, Pugh 6 (sub Coulibaly 5), O'Kane 4, MacDonald 4 (sub Hughes 4), Pitman 4 (sub Fraser 8), Rantie 5, Grabban 6.

There is a Full Match Day Gallery - click here.