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Date: 21 August 2021
This was the fourth league game for the Cherries this season – and in each of the four they’ve scored two goals. Now they just need to sort out their defence!
I was lucky enough to get a programme this time – but once again they’d run out by half an hour before kick-off. Also, am I alone in missing the table of results and fixtures that used to be featured near the end, surely one of the more popular pages? Anyway, on to the match. We lined up pretty much as expected: Mepham standing in at right back, Brooks back on the right with Davis dropped, the only slight surprise being Stanislas in for Marcondes. And interestingly it was these two who made the two Bournemouth goals.
There was only six minutes on the clock when Stanislas teed up Solanke in a wide position to his right, the latter sliding the ball across into the net with a low finish. 1-0. Stanislas had been injured and replaced with Marcondes by the time, thirteen minutes later, Marcondes crossed to Solanke who scored his second – this time with a header. Unfortunately, though, this early goal-scoring spree now dried up, our best chance in the remainder of this half coming when Billing hit the side netting (and many, for a moment, thought he’d actually scored – which to be honest he should have done) very late on. Half time: 2-0.
Early in the second half, Solanke came really close to his hat-trick when he went on a solo run with the ball, unfortunately waiting a second too long before shooting, giving Blackpool’s Husband the chance to bring him down with a perfectly timed tackle. And this would prove costly.
Soon after this it was Husband again who was involved – but at the other end of the pitch – scoring for Blackpool at close range. Game on! Cheered on throughout the match by their very vocal fans, Blackpool subsequently won a penalty when Ibsen Rossi brought down an attacker in the box, and the penalty was easily scored, Travers diving the wrong way. Our two goal lead had been cancelled out.
Neither team seemed content with a draw, and there were more goal attempts at each end right up to, and through, the six minutes of added time. Our system remained 4-1-4-1 throughout, despite three substitutions, but unfortunately the only other moment of real magic came when the Blackpool goalie made an excellent save at point blank range close to the death. Full time: 2-2.
The team lined up as follows at the start of the game:
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Travers;
Mepham, Ibsen Rossi, Kelly, Zemura;
Kilkenny;
Brooks, Stanislas, Billing, Anthony;
Solanke
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Travers;
Davis, Ibsen Rossi, Kelly, Zemura;
Pearson;
Brooks, Marcondes, Billing, Anthony;
Solanke
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