Pitman is up for the battle

I was felt a bit unlucky not being able to see the Capital One Cup match against Northampton Town not just because it was another evening kick off at home but because those that were there were able to see a sharp Brett Pitman go about his work. It is not often that Brett really gets the attention that I feel he deserves. His starting place has come under attack with the signings of Yann Kermorgant and Callum Wilson, but he is showing that he is willing to battle for more time on the pitch and while he keeps scoring you can't ask much more from a number 10.

Pitman is pushing hard for a bigger role.

His task is probably harder than most at the club as Eddie Howe knows him inside out and if he is just slightly off his game Eddie sure knows about it. But from what I saw of the highlights of Capital One second round game, Brett was in the thick of the action and took his goal extremely well when it would have been easy to make a poor decision as he went through on goal. That he had the nerve and presence to calmly take the keeper out of the situation by rounding him and slotting home with ease was a master class for young aspiring strikers who might otherwise have taken a risk by shooting early. 

The joy at seeing others score is also very evident as far as I can see from Brett. He is enjoying his football again and I am expecting Eddie Howe to recognise that and see that he is given a bit more of a chance to show us all that there is nothing he lacks to be a top Championship striker. 

Many players are confidence players and Brett falls into that category for me. When he went on his goal scoring record run two seasons ago, having just rejoined the Cherries he felt wanted and the main man. Things have changed a little since then but he is regaining his swagger which means he is hungry again and whether it means he has to do his bit during the Capital One and FA Cup games to get selected for the league games, that should not be seen as a negative for him as AFCB are building a formidable squad. If Yann and Callum start to dry up in the goals department, Eddie knows he has a reliable performer he can turn to in Brett. 

Cherries' Capital One run goes on after beating Northampton 3-0

The Cherries needed a win in  the Capital One Cup to get some momentum back in their Championship challenge. The side that Eddie Howe picked was not taking the competition lightly as many of the players were used to be first team starters. It was a slight concern to me that Elliot Ward was still not in contention for a place and Simon Francis was also not among the squad. Home fans would see Rantie and Pugh working up front together though and Gosling made his full home debut along with Baily Cargill. It was clever that Eddie also started with Cook, perhaps to get his confidence back up after the Blackburn game. On social media there were a few comments of ticket queues at the stadium while the game kicked off.

AFCB started well with Eunan O'Kane central to much of the good early work and the Cherries got their reward when Dan Gosling fired them 1-0 up on 21 minutes. The lead was soon doubled on the half hour mark by Brett Pitman who rounded the Cobblers' keeper. The second half saw more pressure from the Cherries and while Pitman took a heavy challenge he carried on. Ritchie and Wilson got some minutes as the Cherries tightened up for the last 20 minutes. It was Callum Wilson who extended the goal tally making it 3-0 with 11 minutes to go.

AFCB Offical Match Tweets

The teams are out at the Goldsands Stadium. Can #afcb book their place in the @CapitalOne_Cup 3rd round with victory over #ntfc? #AFCBvNTFC01: The game is underway here. #AFCBvNTFC #afcb

01: Early chance for #afcb as @marcpugh7 breaks free on the left but shoots wide of Archer's goal. #AFCBvNTFC

05: @eunan10 drills in a shot from the edge of the area but it goes narrowly wide. http://bit.ly/1lctGYk #AFCBvNTFC

07: Off the bar! O'Kane's thunderous shot from the edge of the area cannons off the crossbar: http://bit.ly/1lctGYk #AFCBvNTFC #afcb

09: Collins comes close for #ntfc but he can't direct his free header goalwards. Lively start here: http://bit.ly/1lctGYk #AFCBvNTFC

12: Rantie weaves his way around the #ntfc defence but his eventual shot trickles wide. http://bit.ly/1lctGYk #AFCBvNTFC

13: Cook is the latest #afcb player to come close - he heads Harte's corner over. Chances aplenty here: http://bit.ly/1lctGYk #AFCBvNTFC

21: Goal to #afcb! http://bit.ly/1lctGYk#

21: Smith pulls the ball back for Gosling & he keeps his cool to slot it beyond Archer. 1-0 to #afcb http://bit.ly/1lctGYk #AFCBVNTFC

30: Pitman is put through one on one and cooly rounds the 'keeper, before slotting home. 2-0 to #afcb. http://bit.ly/1lctGYk #AFCBvNTFC

35: Mohamed fires the ball over the bar from the edge of the area. A rare chance for the visitors. http://bit.ly/1lctGYk #AFCBvNTFC

40: Pitman meets Smith's cross, but he is well marked by the #ntfc defence and heads wide. http://bit.ly/1lctGYk #AFCBvNTFC

45: There will be two minutes of additional time played here. http://bit.ly/1lctGYk #AFCBvNTFC

Half time: #afcb 2-0 #ntfc. Goals from Gosling and Pitman ensure the Cherries lead at the break. #AFCBvNTFC

Second half
46: The second half kicks off. #afcb are kicking towards the Aerial Direct @SteveFletcher33 North Stand. http://bit.ly/1lctGYk #AFCBvNTFC

49: It's a yellow card for #ntfc's Collins for a nasty looking foul on Pitman: http://bit.ly/1lctGYk #AFCBvNTFC

50: The #afcb striker receives treatment from physio Steve Hard and looks ok to continue.

52: Fraser sends in a cheeky chip from the edge of the area, but Archer backtracks & it's an easy catch for him. #AFCBvNTFC

56: Rantie's quick feet deceive #ntfc & he forces Archer to save with his feet at the near post. http://bit.ly/1lctGYk #AFCBvNTFC

Tonight's attendance is 5,250 which includes 332 #ntfc supporters. #AFCBvNTFC

65: Fraser is caught late by Diamond, with the referee awarding #afcb a free-kick in a dangerous position. #AFCBvNTFC

65: Pitman's free-kick rebounds back off the wall. #afcb still lead #ntfc 2-0 here. http://bit.ly/1lctGYk #AFCBvNTFC

70: Rantie receives treatment before being replaced by Wilson, whilst Pugh also makes way for Ritchie. http://bit.ly/1lctGYk #AFCBvNTFC

72: Archer reacts quickly to push Wilson's close-range shot away, before Pitman blasts the follow-up over. http://bit.ly/1lctGYk #AFCBvNTFC

75: Fraser plays a neat one-two with Wilson before unleashing a shot which goes wide of Archer's goal. http://bit.ly/1lctGYk

79: Archer parries Gosling's effort away from goal, but it's straight at Wilson who heads home from close range. 3-0 to #afcb. #AFCBvNTFC

82: Final substitution for #afcb as Pitman is replaced by Stanislas. #AFCBvNTFC http://bit.ly/1lctGYk
Full time: #afcb 3-0 #ntfc. Goals from Gosling, Pitman and Wilson ensure #afcb are into the third round. #AFCBvNTFC

AFCB: 
Camp, Smith, Cook, Cargill, Harte, Fraser, O'Kane, Gosling, Pugh, Pitman, Rantie

AFCB Subs:
Flahavan, Kermorgant, Wilson, Ritchie, Daniels, Stanislas, Elphick

Keep a lid on it - the Cherries are looking strong

It's easy to get carried away with one good performance. AFCB's first league match of the season though resonated right across the Championship with them scoring four goals away from home. Some will say that Huddersfield just had an off day, but I disagree. There was more to it than that and it does not credit AFCB with a strong performance if you just say Huddersfield were poor. I have always felt that Huddersfield will be a mid-placed team this season. However, I felt sad for Mark Robins on Sunday morning though as I heard that he had left Huddersfield Town. Nobody likes to see someone lose their job and on the first day of the season seems particularly harsh. If Robins was not the man for the Terriers I would have thought he could have been released at the end of last season, not after a summer of preparations and a first day defeat, but that is something for Huddersfield fans to consider.

Harry Arter and Yann Kermorgant do some stretching.

It is clear though that AFCB dominated for large periods of the game without playing at their very best in my opinion. There is room for improvement and Huddersfield did not look like they would get many good chances to sneak a goal and that is what makes AFCB a different prospect to last season if they can continue in that fashion.

I have been questioning about the decision not to being in a new central defender to add to the squad, but I can see that the more time Howe and Tindall have with the current players at the back the better they seem to understand what is needed to keep a clean sheet. They held their line so much better than in many games that I saw last season. The defending was stout and strong in front of the back four as well. Howe was perhaps surprising for his selection of both O'Kane and Arter starting having played Gosling in many of the pre-season friendlies. The choice was a good one as Arter and O'Kane know each others game so well, and it could have been less of a solid performance if some of the new players still have to find the level of understanding that the players from last season and before have already built up.

Callum Wilson of course looks like a real predator up front, perhaps even more so than Lewis Grabban. To be honest though, we can really see goals all over the team which is very encouraging. The team has the bit between its teeth but how long can it keep that desire and intent up for? That's what we will find out over the coming months. Eddie Howe is right to keep things steady and calm down any hype, but AFCB certainly have the shape and purpose about them that will see them as contenders for the top places in the Championship if they can sustain the levels they reached in their first away game.

Last night the Capital One Cup second round draw took place and AFCB will be taking on Northampton Town at Dean Court on Wednesday 27 August.