Graham Pearcey

Date: 2 December 2000

It's hard to believe that after eighteen months without the Cherries winning two matches in a row, we've now won four.

This may not have been the best ever Bournemouth performance, and there were even frustrating weaknesses in some departments, but by all accounts 3-0 was a great score away from home. We overran Wycombe and ended up singing Jingle Bells ("Oh what fun it is to see Bormuff win away") and of course the inevitable "Can we play you every week" as the home fans left the stadium in droves with ten minutes to go.

First the weaknesses: Some of Gareth Stewart's goal kicks were worryingly short. Purches and Cummings had very quiet games. Carl Fletcher and Hughes made a few atrocious passes. Jorgensen is not in form at the moment and seems to have lost his passion for the game. And Eribenne (brought in for the injured Steve Fletcher to give some height to the attack) won nothing in the air and was therefore not as good a choice as Hayter would have been.

Eribenne's selfishness, when Defoe was unmarked, prevented Defoe getting a goal in the second half. But Defoe on his own fared better five minutes later. Taking on several players, and displaying some fancy footwork, Defoe scored Bournemouth's second goal.

The first and third goals were both scored by Carl Fletcher. His first was headed at close range when he met a cross from the left. His second - near the end of the game - was assisted by substitute Hayter.

Elliott had a good game. One brilliant manoeuvre would have won us a corner if the referee hadn't mistakenly awarded a goal kick instead. Having said that, we didn't look very strong on corners - often having as few as four players forward.

The starting line-up, with my scores out of ten :

Stewart (7);
Purches (7), Tindall (9), Howe (8), Cummings (7);
Elliott (8), C Fletcher (7), Hughes (7), Jorgensen (6);
Defoe (8), Eribenne (6)

After three substitutions the final line-up looked rather different :

Stewart;
Purches, Broadhurst, Tindall, Howe, Cummings;
C Fletcher, Grant, Elliott;
Hayter, Defoe

My 'man of the match' : Tindall.

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