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Date: 23 October 2021
What’s not to like about a day when the Cherries began five points clear at the top of the Championship table and ended six points clear?!
The team lined up much as before with Stacey replacing the injured Smith, Kilkenny being preferred over Pearson or Lerma in the holding position, and the likes of Mepham and Lowe having to content themselves once again with a place on the bench.
A rousing ovation was given for David Brooks, who’s battling with cancer, in the ‘seventh’ minute because his squad number is 7. It was great to note how the Huddersfield supporters all joined in, though I couldn’t help but pedantically reflect that the time from 7:01 to 7:59 on the clock is technically the ‘eighth’ minute. If a goal had been scored in this minute (and play did of course continue) it would have been recorded as 8’. Fortunately there wasn’t a goal then – but there was one soon after. Most Bournemouth advances were today coming down the right hand side (Zemura passing back to Kelly or across to Kilkenny more often than usual as he couldn’t see a way through on the left) and sure enough it was from this flank that Kelly whipped a ball in to Solanke, who was brought down in the penalty area by Huddersfield’s Turton – and Solanke himself scored from the spot. 1-0.
Just ten or so minutes later we were two up, as a cross from the right found Billing within the penalty area, and he nodded it down to Solanke for his second goal of the match. Come the second half, we were totally in control of the game and it was hard to see how Huddersfield had started the day in sixth place. Several of our players, including Christie, had a shot on goal; but the one that counted came in the 64th minute. A corner from Bournemouth’s left was taken quickly – but short, much to the fans’ frustration, and passed around several players such as Kilkenny and Zemura – but then a clever pass found Kelly who was on hand to make it three. The game being effectively won now, Parker started to make substitutions, but it was noteworthy that so trusted is Anthony these days that he simply switched sides to accommodate Rogers on the left – whereas earlier in the season he’d have been pulled off. Just after we’d made a double substitution Huddersfield did indeed get the ball in the back of the Bournemouth net but – despite the loud cheers from away fans – their ‘goal’ was immediately ruled offside.
Solanke, despite being on a hat trick, was one player that was made to give way – Parker showing no evidence of sentimentality. But unsurprisingly, as the scorer of two goals, he was named as the sponsors’ ‘man of the match’. (Though I’d say Christie and Kelly were both candidates too.)
It was good to see Stanislas amongst the substitutions, and twice he almost scored; the other substitutes, Lowe and Rogers, each had a shot too. It had been a chilly afternoon, but the result – especially another clean sheet – was very satisfying.
The team lined up as follows at the start of the game:
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Travers;
Stacey, Cahill, Kelly, Zemura;
Kilkenny;
Christie, Lerma, Billing, Anthony;
Solanke
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Travers;
Stacey, Cahill, Kelly, Zemura;
Kilkenny;
Anthony, Stanislas, Billing, Rogers;
Lowe
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