I feel like I’m reaching into Saint & Greavsie’s black bag of clichés as this was definitely a game of 2 halves
Bournemouth started brightly and were 1 up in 6 minutes. The ball came to Pugh in the box with his back to goal. His trade mark Cruyff turn then bemused his marker who could do little more than bring him down. He did have the gall to protest but as even his team mates were too embarrassed to join in, it didn’t last long
Up stepped Pitman and he shot low to the keeper’s right, just in off the post. I say just, and I mean it. The way the ball was swerving there was an audible sigh of relief from the crowd before the deafening cheer.
From then on, each player was allowed to read the special message that they had been left in the pockets of their shorts. Unfortunately, instead of an Adkins uplifting message, it was a Groves’ message.
Need I say any more. Crewe passed the ball like we were expecting Bournemouth to, Bournemouth went back to passing amongst the defenders and keeper and giving us all heart in mouth moments. Please do not tell me Jalal is there for distribution – if he is, I’ll do that job, I’m sure I can kick into the stands as well as he did.
Crewe looked a very good side with a special mention for their number 11 – played like Messi – looked like Lescott. We seemed unable to dispossess him and I’m thankful that they didn’t give him the ball more often.
Despite all this negative play and the half chances that Crewe carved out, it was Bournemouth that should have scored next, in first half injury time. O’Kane threaded the ball through for Grabban and, one on one, he rounded the keeper and coolly slotted it in…….to the side netting, TAXI FOR GRABBAN
HT 1-0
Second half and McQuiod came out like he’d been room sharing with Lance Armstrong – he was electric!!! Time and again he burst down the right and put in some really(mostly) well thought out crosses
Pitman was the beneficiary of 2 such crosses and both times he tried to curl the ball into the top right hand corner. You have to feel sorry for the gentleman with the coffees in row Z as he’d only just replaced the first Brett had hit when the second went the same way. No lottery ticket for you, sir.
Chances were now coming thick and fast with Grabban hitting the keeper when through again and Arter missing a header from close range – although the Arter chance was by far the more difficult as it was the keeper that punched the ball onto his head from 3 feet – he did well not to take it in the face
On 66 minutes the lead was doubled. An Arter shot from long range was only pushed out by the keeper and McQuoid was on it like a flash. He spun away from the defender and fired the ball across the goal-line and Pitman was there to knock it into an empty net. Thank God for that – the breathing room we needed and deserved.
The East stand then provided some hilarity by rein-acting the Swansea ball-boy incident once and for all dispelling the rumour that the East Stand were made up of card board cut-outs ……. ;-)
There was little hilarity, however, 5 minutes later as a misplaced header from Pugh sent the ball straight into the path of an on-rushing attacker. He shot/crossed the ball across Jalal and it was put in right in the corner.
Damn – 2-1
Fogden then came on and with almost his first touch of the ball he carried it into the box and was felled. Sure, I could have done without the pike turn and the inverted finish – but contact WAS made and it was yet another penalty.
Pitman rounded off his hat-trick by banging it down the middle and the game was ours. The score-line should have been even more flattering and would have been if Grabban had chosen to pass to the free O’Kane instead of shooting from an impossible angle, or if O’Kane hadn’t run out of steam after he was put through – but a win is a win
Summary – A very poor first half but a much improved second. MK Dons will not be so lenient next week and so we now have a week to rest (a few today were carrying injuries according to Sir Howe) and prepare for a FULL 90 minutes, not just 45
Star Performer – Josh McQuoid – He galvanised the team in the second half into a much better tempo and performance
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