No slip ups now as the Cherries enter the Lions' Den

The way the fixtures have worked out, AFCB can extend their lead at the Championship to four points with if Middlesbrough don't pick up a win today and with Derby and Ipswich having to wait until Monday to play their respective games. The strain on the chasing teams is just starting to show as Brentford, Watford and Norwich are really having to cling on to the top two now. Any slip up at the New Den though would give all six teams below AFCB reason to believe that they are in striking distance and a win for the Cherries would put the pressure on those still to play.

The New Den.

Millwal got thumped on Friday 6-1 at Norwich and that is a result that is bound to affect how Millwall go into the game with the Cherries. The Lions will be thinking about how they go about keeping out the Championship's highest scoring team and how to take the game to AFCB as the home side. Ollie (Ian Holloway) will pick a side that is proud to wear the Millwall shirt and AFCB have to expect a lot of fight from Millwall who have shown that they can get points when they don't give up like they managed at Dean Court at the end of November. Now sitting in 21st place the pressure is really on this Millwall side, because Wigan are starting to show form below them.

Marc Pugh highlighted in a recent interview after the Fulham match that Millwall managed to beat Brighton away from home in their last four games, so they can hold on to early leads and it is important that AFCB start with their now customary fast start. If the Cherries can strike early it could be a long day for Millwall fans and the Cherries don't look like slowing their goal fest over the festive period. It would be pleasing to see a few changes to AFCB's line up like Smith or Fraser coming in but Eddie Howe is as always very silent on a possible team to face Millwall.

It should be a cold but exciting day at Millwall on Sunday.

Millwall Home Form
WDLLL

AFCB Away Form
WWDWW

Tomorrow we have a Rival Lines with Millwall blogger Mark Litchfield. Don't forget to sign into Free Bet Negotiator if you are looking to get some good odds on tomorrow's game. 

Pitman is turning in top performances

Okay, it wasn't quite a perfect boxing day for Brett. A missed penalty never looks good on the match report, but there was so much more to Brett's game against Fulham that was positive that it is hard to dwell too long on that. I wondered at times if I was watching the same Brett Pitman that we have come to know over the years because he was central to most of the early play in directing the ball to Ritchie or Surman and playing little triangles to expose Fulham's back four. He did it time and time again and even won most of the headers he battled for. It was a great performance by AFCB's number 10.

When the goal came it was all rather quick and simple. Ritchie's corner caught out Fulham's marking completely and Brett had a golden opportunity to score with his dash to the near post and he took the chance cleanly. AFCB are not a strong heading team in front of goal, but it just shows that Brett can finish such moves just like Yann Kermorgant when he attacks the ball. Yann is more powerful for sure, but the first goal was all about the timing of the run and Brett judged that perfectly to put the Cherries ahead.

Brett's link up play was so good that even Eddie Howe
mentioned it in his post-match interview.

Eddie has made it clear that while the team is winning it is hard to change the team around. I thought Kermorgant would ease his way back into the team fairly quickly, but Brett is starting to score regularly now and it is great for the team. Whether Brett needs to think about a bit more variation in his spot kicks is something that I would expect Eddie Howe to say to him at some point, as AFCB are being keenly watched now at the top of the table. Any advantage other teams can find they will use against AFCB and perhaps a penalty blasted down the middle is a good option now and again. I'm sure Brett has that in his locker.

Brett is now on eight goals for the season and he is starting to catch Callum Wilson at this rate. It is all looking pretty good at the moment, but the Millwall match a few weeks ago is a reminder that even when AFCB go ahead in games it is not a simple task to kill off games, and Brett will want to be among the goals again on Sunday to see if he can help AFCB to another three points at the New Den tomorrow.

Did Arter steal Parker's midfield crown?

Harry Arter won the spoils on Boxing Day against his brother-in-law. It was always going to be a difficult game for the two players and I was pleased that they did not get into any situation where one of them might have been sent off. Thankfully, it was a fairly clean game with both sides playing some good football. The midfield scrap was full on, but Surman and Arter were more than a match for Scott Parker and Seko Fofana in the end.

Harry Arter scores against Fulham. Something
he'll no doubt enjoy talking to Scott Parker about in
future years.

Arter did not push forward too much early on in the match. He was aware that Fulham were capable of dictating matters if he let them win the midfield, and we quickly saw his usual passing game start to spread the ball to both wings efficiently. It was when the Cherries came under pressure in the second half that I thought, now Harry is really playing. Fulham were on top and were trying to get that equaliser, but Harry was racing around the field trying to cut down the time and space for those who could hurt the Cherries.

Ross McCormack looked most likely to find a gap somewhere, but no one got away from Arter for long and at the end of the game it was just reward for all his hard work that Harry got the final goal to seal the win. He had had chances earlier in the game, but to run from the half way line and to smash in his shot so precisely in the corner was a real champagne moment at the end of the match for AFCB fans.

I still feel that Harry can have even more influence in games, but it is pleasing to see that he is enjoying his chance to get on the score sheet when he can. I am not saying that he is better than Scott Parker yet, but he is going to start to get noticed if he plays like this every week.

An international call up can't be far away for Arter now.

More photos of the game yesterday are on Match Day Gallery.

Irresistible Cherries turn on the style to beat Fulham 0-2

Match Report

AFCB 2 v 0 Fulham

26 December 2014

Attendance 10,926

Tommy Elphick and Scott Parker step up for the captains' coin toss.

This Boxing Day treat was always going to be a great day for either Harry Arter or Scott Parker. As it was, Arter came out the winner in a match that saw AFCB extend their unbeaten league record to 13 games, and truly stamp their authority on what was a confident Fulham side who had been playing well of late, but AFCB's slick passing caused them problems from the start, and in wide areas Fulham could not stem the flow of crosses into their box. It was a bit of a surprise that the first goal came from a corner, as Brett Pitman headed in on nine minutes, but Bournemouth were cutting through Fulham in open play before that, but the Cherries had to be patient for the win which was only secured after a late spectacular goal from Harry Arter who is growing in stature every game.

AFCB kick towards the Ted McDougall stand.

Pre-match AFCB huddle.

Ross McCormack and Bryan Ruiz get set to kick off.

All ready to go.

More pictures can be viewed on Match Day Gallery. 

Eddie Howe made no changes from the Blackpool match with Pitman starting and designated penalty taker for the Cherries. Scott Parker was selected by Fulham to lead their side and he would have a scrap with Bournemouth's Harry Arter for 90 minutes and I was intrigued to see who would come out on top. Fulham looked to match AFCB by setting up 4-4-2 and with experienced strikers such as Bryan Ruiz and Hugo Rodellega,  as well as Ross McCormack, I expected a busy day for Tommy Elphick and Steve Cook in the heart of AFCB's defence. The misty, rolling, rain wasn't going to make it easy either.

Cherries Chimes' FanCam: Clive and Harry give a pre-match view as Fulham fans.

AFCB started the match with plenty of attacking intent as Callum Wilson forced Marcus Bettinelli into a first minute save as his shot deflected off of Lasse Vigen Christensen. Fulham's first attack saw Ross McCormack flagged offside. Seko Fofana was stretching his long legs in midfield but showed some anger when Pitman fouled him on five minutes. Fulham might have been fired up, but it was AFCB that were passing with precision. AFCB also won a free kick, but took it too quickly when it was in a good shooting position on the edge of the D.  Pitman then fired a shot over when he should have made the keeper work!

The pressure was building though and Callum Wilson looked like he would get the break though as he shot inside the box, but the shot was some how deflected and went out for a corner. Pitman then ran straight to the near post and made a glancing header that put the Cherries 1-0 up on 10 minutes! It had been another lightening start from the team in red and black shirts. 

Daniels and Pugh were enjoying their time on the left wing and were really testing Fulham's Grimmer. It looked like AFCB would go two up on 14 minutes with a ball into Wilson, but the flag went up for offside. Daniels conceded the first corner for Fulham on 18 minutes, but Francis won the first header and while the ball bobbled around in the box, Artur Boruc raced out to grab the ball at Rodellega's feet.

Bournemouth kept forcing the pace and Callum Wilson took another shot that Bittinelli was able to cling on to easily enough as it hit him right in the midriff. Francis put in crosses that Wilson was not able to stretch far enough for, while Pugh on the other wing was tricking his way past defenders with ease. Pitman won a free kick on 25 minutes on the edge of the box and it gave Ritchie a chance to test the Fulham keeper which he did, making him dive down low to his left. Although the ball spilled out, AFCB could not take advantage of the loose ball and Fulham cleared.

Bournemouth were well on top but were not finding it easy to get the second goal. On a rare incursion into Bournemouth's half Staffylidis saw his shot go high and wide with Boruc a spectator. At the other end we were calling for Francis to shoot when he made a darting run towards the goal, but he chose the wrong option by passing to Wilson who ran out too wide. 

Pugh was then seen hobbling after he was caught on the edge of the box, but when Ritchie took the free kick it was high and wide of the left post. The chances kept coming though and Arter was next to blast over on 34 minutes, having seen Surman, Daniels and Pugh carve out the opening.

Fulham won a few headers in the centre of the field off of Bryan Ruiz, but they were struggling to get a grip on the game. Fleeting glimpses of Ross McCormack were not enough to worry AFCB's back four while Surman and Arter were controlling the pace of the game. The scoreline of 1-0 at half time was the least that the Cherries deserved on their play.

Cherry Chimes' FanCam: AFCB fan Peter Gill tells us how the match is going at half time.

Second Half

Some one must have said something to Ross McCormack at half time, because he suddenly looked a threat. He came out and had an early shot that went wide across the box. Bournemouth's reply was immediate though when Wilson was pushed over by Grimmer in the box and won a penalty on 49 minutes! Bodruov argued for some time but Pitman took the ball and put it on the spot. I was praying that Pitman would shoot right having seen his two penalties last game that both went to the keeper's left. Bettinelli was bound to have known that and yet Brett hit his shot again to the left, and Bettinelli had surely done his homework and made the save down to his left! In the race for the ball, the follow up was missed by Callum Wilson and Fulham had escaped. 

The incident seemed to gavlanise Fulham who started keeping the ball better and Cook and Ritchie were having to defend well in front of Rodellega. This was a storm that Bournemouth would have to now get though. Fulham were coming on strong now and Seko Fofana was next to shoot over on 57 minutes, before a short corner saw him shoot wide. A distance shot then came in from Scott Parker that was deflected only just wide of Bournemouth's right post.  This was Fulham's best spell, but they just could not get a shot on target for Boruc to do any work.

After a short corner from AFCB there was a shout of handball, but referee Keith Stroud was not about to give AFCB another kick from 12 yards. Fulham were just seeing all their efforts go wide and Jack Grimmer could only add to that statistic.

Fulham tried to change things by subbing Lasse Vigen Christensen for George Williams on 65 minutes. Bournemouth were still creating chances though and Daniels played Pitman through only for Brett to shoot wide on 70 minutes. AFCB started to take the sting out of the game and were looking more comfortable even though their lead was just by a slender goal as we entered the last 15 minutes. Fulham brought on Patrick Roberts for Bryan Ruiz.

There was a bit of laughter when Harry Arter hit a shot straight at Scott Parker, although the two just carried on with the game. Pitman was shown a yellow card moments later for shadowing and eventually blocking Bittinelli's kick. However, time was running out for Fulham and Ritchie almost killed the game with a shot from the right wing that flashed past Fulham's left post at speed. Pitman was then subbed for Gosling on 85 minutes and Fulham took Rodellega off to allow Cauley Woodrow on. A moment of anxiety than took place as Williams ran towards the box and went sprawling on the ground! Pleasingly, the referee decided it was simulation and the yellow card was handed out to Williams.

The smiles were even wider two minutes later when Harry Arter picked up the ball on half way and tore towards the Fulham goal. He fainted to look to get a pass off to Wilson before cutting back inside and released a low, powerful drive from the edge of the box that beat Bettinellli and nestled in the bottom right corner of Fulham's net - game over 2-0!

Eddie Howe soaked up what extra time there was by putting on firstly Yann Kermorgant for Wilson and then Adam Smith for Matt Ritchie.

2-0 was a smaller margin of victory than it might have been.

Fulham and AFCB players at the end of the match.

Full time at the Goldsands Stadium.

Time to get out of the rain.

Summary

I believe the penny is starting to drop for rival supporters. AFCB need to be taken seriously. This is not a small team that is lucky to be leading the Championship, but a cleverly moulded and well organised side that are taking out teams with larger budgets by their overall game. At times in this match the passing was sublime against a hard working Fulham side. It was not a poor performance by Fulham, they battled and gave it their all having been outplayed in the first half, but AFCB just kept coming at them, just like the persistent rain. Even a missed Cherries penalty was not enough to see Fulham recover charge of the game for long and the final score of 2-0 was no less than the Cherries deserved for a very professional performance that keeps them top of the league. Fulham will have to reflect on a whole 90 minutes and not one shot on target from their team.

AFCB

Boruc, Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels, Ritchie (Smith 93), Arter, Surman, Pugh, Pitman (Golsing 86), Wilson (Kermorgant 93)

AFCB Subs
Camp, Gosling, Smith, Kermorgant, Fraser, O'Kane, Cargill

AFCB Ratings
Boruc 6, Francis 8, Elphick 7, Cook 8, Daniels 8, Ritchie 7, Arter 8, Surman 8, Pugh 8, Pitman 8, Wilson 7

Fulham
Bettinelli, Grimmer, Bodurov, Hutchinson, Stafylidis, Parker, Christensen (Williams 66), Fofana, (Roberts - 80), Rodallega (Woodrow 87), McCormack

Fulham Subs
Kiraly, Zverotic, Roberts, Woodrow, Williams, Hyndman, Burn

Referee
Keith Stroud 7/10 - not too many contentious issues to deal with.

Finally, if you are at a loose end today and had enough of the sales, I believe Wimborne Town are playing Bashley at 3pm in what should be a good local game. Wimborne really need a big crowd today. Chairperson Paula Henley has promised to donate £500 to the charity LEAF if the gate passes 750. See Wimborne site for prices.

The next game is always the hardest

Any game in the Championship can be difficult. Unexpected results come thick and fast every week. So now that AFCB are topping the league it is even more important that they keep a consistency that enables them to stay ahead of the pack. But Fulham are a team that can derail anyone's fast running train and AFCB may need to approach this game with a few safety barriers in place if they are to keep their unbeaten run in tact.

Bournemouth play Fulham today (Boxing Day)
the only team they have not yet faced this season.

Thoughts of an early-season rift in the Fulham camp have been more or less dispelled now that Kit Symons is in charge and while there has been talk of Ross McCormack being a target for Premier League clubs this January window, I believe that Fulham have ambition to keep hold of their talisman while being more than capable of knocking over some of the top order in the Championship as it stands at the moment.

This is by far the hardest fixture in my book for the Cherries this Christmas period. While the game is at home it has been the away performances that have really marked out the Cherries as being something special in this league. At home it has not always been such smooth progress and an expectant home crowd is not always such a positive for the players who need some energy to feed off of. As home fans we have to make this a special day and sing right through the match from start to finish. We can give the team momentum and can show them that we are delighted with them sitting top, but if we just sit quietly in our seats we will hand Fulham the initiative so come on let's really make some noise today.

This is a very big game, make no mistake. It could be the game to really start growing daylight at the top of the Championship and a defeat now would start to melt AFCB's position of strength. On the back of a pleasing home win the Millwall match will seem a lot easier, but Fulham will have a very big say in how AFCB fan's mood is at the end of the Xmas period.

I am very excited about today's game. Let's make it a day to remember. I also 
have my fingers crossed that other results go our way. UTCIAD!

The Cherries are purring at the top

There was a part of me that has seen in recent weeks that this Cherries side has the quality to run away with this league but also has a mental hurdle to cross that the players really believe that they can achieve whatever they want this season. You can look for weaknesses in this side and you'll probably find a few, but you'll also come across superb technique and a desire that is truly unmatched by many of the other Championship clubs. Whether that is enough to give Eddie Howe and his team what they so deserve we will have to wait and see but any AFCB supporter cannot fail to see that this is the best Bournemouth squad that has been assembled and that 2015 is a year that all fans of the Cherries can look forward to.

A few weeks a go we saw the visit if Ipswich and Millwall to Dean Court and felt rather sickened that the Cherries had not managed to secure more points from these games. On the back of the Blackpool game there is a new reinvigorated energy about this squad that tells me that this is going to be a special season. The competition is still close and all around and we all know that one defeat or draw will see others overtake AFCB, but the players started to live with being at the top of the table when they went to Bloomfield Road. Others have been at the top but have failed to stay there. Yet, all the time that unbeaten league record keeps on being extended by the Cherries. There is not a week that goes by when they are not putting pressure now on other teams who might just see AFCB as the team that are the most prolific and powerful in the Championship.

AFCB players will aim extend their time at the top of the table on Boxing Day.

This is something that Leicester City managed to do last season and having that aura of being at the top and taking that to other grounds is a new feeling for our players. Eddie Howe has also not been in this position in this league before, but the smiles are what pleases me because I can see that they are enjoying the challenge now instead of being burdened by it. The pleasure of playing well is now evident in all the players and it should hold the team in good stead with the tough tests that it will have to take on in the new Year. 

Fulham will be one of those teams that will ask serious questions of this Cherries team, but I am confident that the AFCB players will want to win this game more than most because it will be the message that they want to lay down on the rest of the division. Beating Blackpool and Birmingham well away gets attention, and thumping Cardiff at home also sent out warning signals. What message does a good win against Fulham at home send out? That AFCB are worthy leaders of the Championship as the second half of the season approaches. 


I was recently interviewed by Andrew Beck of Cottagers Confidential who wanted Cherry Chimes' opinions before the game on Boxing Day. I'm questioned about the Cherries run of form and whether it really is a team that is taking the Championship by storm or whether AFCB have just had a couple of big wins, and perhaps we are just getting carried away - see Cottagers Confidential. 

Distant Exiles can have their say

To all Cherry Chimes readers and fans of AFC Bournemouth - Happy Christmas!

I was sent a kind email by an AFCB supporter living in Israel this week and he has asked me to see if other Bournemouth exiles living in far off places would send in an article about their memories of watching the Cherries, so that we could post one story every  two weeks or one a month from the Distant Exiles on Cherry Chimes.

I think it is a great idea but I would need you foreign exiles to start emailing me stories like this to cherrychimesblog@gmail.com  - I can't write them for you. If it is popular I'll give Distant Exiles their own column on the blog. 

Here is what Jonathan Baker had to say - perhaps you remember standing next to him in the South End.

I live in Tel Aviv, Israel and have done so for 18 years. Raised in Bournemouth and attended Bournemouth School for Boys, in my younger days myself and a group of friends were regulars in the South End and occasional visits to the main stand, when the old man was paying. 

During the 1986-89 seasons we travelled home and away to matches watching Harry and the Lads, a long coach journey to Old Trafford sticks in the mind for an FA Cup draw and an away fixture at Fratton Park against Pompey ,driving the 52 miles in an open top white Triumph Herald on a glorious day. 

In 1990 after completing my A Levels I took a year out and spent the year in Israel before returning to study at UCL. During my gap year the gulf war broke out and I spent the 6 weeks of the war being bombarded by scud missiles from Iraq. I am telling you this not to brag about my bravery but that I have a photo of me at 3am in a sealed room against chemical warfare, me fitted with a gas mask wearing.... Yes my Bournemouth scarf to keep warm as it was a cold January night.

Jonathan  with his scarf and gas mask in Jerusalem, Israel..
I'm glad we don't all have to wear a mask like that
for home games, although I am going to Millwall on Sunday!

The past two seasons under Eddie and Jason have been incredible and we are now experiencing something very special with promotion to the most exciting league in the World is attainable. In Eddie we trust and he will deliver. Supporting the Cherries from overseas is made easier by Kris and Willo weekly gracing the radio waves and the Facebook and YouTube updates put out by the club. So it just leaves me to say Shalom from Israel and Boscombe back of the net!Lastly, in my office I have an away shirt the black one from last season signed by Eddie and framed, it was from our away game at the Riverside and worn by one of our subs. UTCIAD!

Come on Distant Exiles, Cherry Chimes would love to hear from you. Let us know what lengths you go to to keep in touch with AFCB while you are abroad - I'll need at least six entries to make it a regular feature so come on be one of the entries.

Just to inform you of the countries outside the UK where Cherry Chimes is read most. In the last month some people in Indonesia and Bangladesh have been logging on, which is a little surprising! But here is a list of the top following places where there must be many AFCB fans who like to follow the team via this blog.

1. USA
2. Germany
3. France
4. Ukraine
5. Australia
6. Russia
7. Ireland
8. China

9. The Netherlands

10. Spain All Departments has a special Christmas podcast with Steve Fletcher. Find out why it took three-quarters of last season to prepare for Callum Wilson's signing. Listen by visiting the All Departments' website or by scrolling down the side panel on Cherry Chimes until you reach all departments and click on the sound bar.

Happy Christmas! Now to open some presents.