Graham Pearcey

Date: 13 October 1999

A spirited Cherries side did well to keep a clean sheet against the might of West Ham - a squad fifty percent larger than ours and a starting line-up of first-team players (unlike some other Premiership sides in this round of the competition) - until the second half. Bournemouth's heroes were certainly the three centre-backs but, as so often before, a lack of creativity in midfield reduced our scoring opportunities. Having said that, Jorgensen and Robinson both had opportunities which on another night might have resulted in a goal - Robinson hitting the post in the last minute of the game. Stein looked a lot livelier than of late and gave the game everything. There were no weak links in the Bournemouth side, which is the reason I have awarded all scores of seven plus (see below).

The abiding memory of the night will almost certainly be the behaviour of the dirtiest player I have witnessed in a long time - Paolo Wanchope. Not only did some appalling fouls on his part go unpunished (he only got one yellow card all night) but his behaviour inciting the Bournemouth crowd - especially after the second goal - was quite disgraceful. Late in the game, by which time his every touch was being booed by the away crowd, Harry Redknapp brought on Paul Kitson in his place.

Once again Mel Machin's substitution decisions were bewildering. Huck came on for Warren with only ten minutes to go, and O'Neill for Jorgensen with only about one minute!

The team lined up as follows (my scores out of ten):

Ovendale (8);
Young (7), Broadhurst (9), Cox (9), Howe (9), Warren (7);
Mean (7);
Robinson (7), Jorgensen (8);
Fletcher (7), Stein (8)

My 'man of the match' : Cox.

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