The day started with mixed emotions. It was an AFCB away day which was excellent, but it was my turn to drive AND we were playing the best side I'd seen at Dean Court - an in form Derby County
@marksinkinson had tried to make it even worse by declaring that he thought there was a beer festival in Derby - that really would have been rubbing salt into the wounds....
So the usual awayday crew of myself, @eloiseee_gullis , @mattmorris1987 and @marashino68 set off at 8:00 with a first destination of Cherwell Services
After a typically fattening snack for 3 of us and an even more typically posh brunch for Matt we briefly met @craig687729 and his DVD machine destroying friend (a long story) - Craig also writes match day reports and if you haven't tried them you should - always an excellent review
Traffic was kind to us and we managed to park up at Derby well before we'd managed to eat all of Eloise's sweet supply
The plan was to go to The Merry Widows but we stumbled across The Crown and Cushion and we weren't about to look a gift horse in the mouth and went in there first
There we bumped into @korsikoff and his lad for the first time - reinforcing the good vibe of the day
We then went on to The Brunswick as we'd heard that was a popular meet up place but news must have spread that we were coming as we only recognised a couple of people before we headed off to the very impressive Ipro Stadium. I was going to continue to call it Pride Park but the hurt is still too fresh to be charitable........
Refreshments at the ground were an absolute disgrace costing loads and delivering very little - a real shame as it was one of the very few flies in the day's ointment.
The ground itself was amazing and I was really happy with the view and even happier that the main home support noise was just by our right - so often I've been to big grounds this season but heard nothing from the home support - hopefully today was to be different
Howe sprung the first surprise of the day by selecting a 4-4-2 formation with Rantie and Grabban up front. I would like to see Kermorgant given the nod but I'm happy to play the waiting game - at least we had the formation that I enjoy watching
Moments before the game started the PA system boomed with the voice of Beelzebub urging the home fans to sing the Derby song. Frightened the f**k out of me but after buying the pastie on the concourse I knew that my ticker was in fine shape - nothing could be scarier than that
The song itself was good and I like the idea of getting the crowd going, however, the video that went with it showing the successes going back as far as the 70's reminded me of the Forest video which smacked of a big club living in the past.
Derby are a good side NOW - there really is no need to look that needy
Derby's pocket rocket Russell impressed in the opening 15 minutes with electric pace but Francis isn't the push over he was at the beginning of the season. He's learned that Ritchie won't be back there helping him out so his positioning and decision making has improved with the responsibility of the role
Derby had the first real chance on 14 minutes as a cleared corner was hopelessly shot back but was going so wide it actually found a Derby player on his own in the box but he just wasn't able to deflect it on target
A minute later Francis timed a challenge on Russell to perfection and AFCB went on a swift counter attack with the ball quickly finding Rantie on the right
Ritchie ran to support him and as he was found by Rantie he cut inside the defender and smashed the ball against the base of the near post with the keeper beaten all ends up. On a luckier day it either rebounds off the keeper into the goal or falls to the on-rushing Grabban, but not today
The Derby Tourettes Team then remembered that Camp used to play for Forest and they "reminded" him of their dislike of his previous employer - they showed good imagination but even with his agility I'm really not sure he could achieve the position they suggested......
On 19 minutes Grabban played a good 1-2 on the edge of the box and fired his left foot shot just wide of the post. This was good, we'd settled well and were starting to get on top - but the keeper's gloves were still in pristine condition
Just 3 minutes late it was Rantie's turn to shine as a long ball had him in a foot race with the Derby defence. Just as we thought he was about to pull the trigger one of Derby's giant centre backs stretched out a telescopic leg and lifted the ball over the sliding keeper
The whole ground held its breath as the ball bounced goalwards but to Bournemouth's disappointment it went agonisingly closely wide
I mentioned that the keeper's kit was clean - the same could not be said of the Derby number 9 (Martin) - I'm not saying he was a blatant cheat but I don't think I have ever seen a player on his arse so often. In fact it might have been better for him to have had studs in his shorts - for someone as "rotund" as he, he was surprising easy to knock down
Even Rantie had him on the floor - I was just glad Fletcher had retired else he might have been the first ever PLAYER to be knocked into row Z .....
On 26 minutes Grabban showed a piece of real magic as the ball found him against the line on the left. In one movement he flicked it up and round his marker and he was away, bearing down straight at goal
Rantie had found a good position on the right but Grabban was due a goal and he fired it across the keeper to the far corner and Grant did brilliantly to save it
All over the pitch Bournemouth were more than matching Derby and even the highly rated Hughes found it tough with Arter continually snapping at his heels
We defended as a unit and attacked with pace and having Harte on the pitch meant that we were actually a threat at corners and that was proven with just a minute to go as one such corner had Elphick heading just wide
One thing I did notice, though, was that for Bournemouth corners Derby kept 2 men up front - a real show of confidence and intent
The half finished 0-0 with Bournemouth definitely having the better of things but as usual, failing to trouble the scoreboard
At half time we were attacked by a huge swarm of seagulls, in Derby. No, I didn't get it either - unless they were chasing the local speedboat winners from Bullseye.......
Derby made a double substitution at half time and that seemed to energise the team as they came catapulting out of the traps like they'd been Brollied by the manager
The pressure was now on Bournemouth and even the crowd seemed to be responding. To be fair, the fans to our right were singing for a lot of the game but to have only a few hundred singing out of a crowd of 27,000 you do have to wonder just how successful the team would have to be to get the backing I would have expected
For all the pressure though Camp was untroubled and the first real chance fell to Rantie. He ran on to the ball on the right and charged at the goal until he had a decision to make - either shoot, or pass to the open Ritchie on the left
He decided on the surprising plan C of passing it to no-one and the ball went out for a throw in
I honestly don't think I've ever seen a player that worries an opposition more than Rantie, without actually carrying any threat
Howe was obviously on the same page as me as 4 minutes later Rantie was off and Kermorgant was on
I just want to mention that substitution again for one important point - it was made BEFORE we were losing and it was a positive move - BRAVO
With 23 minutes to go Francis made his one and only mistake. A long ball was hoofed towards him but instead of meeting it on the full he let it bounce and the speedster Russell nipped in and rounded him before charging at goal
He crossed it from just left of the goal and it took 2 heroic blocks by Cook and Elphick to stop Derby from going ahead. This is what you want to see from your defenders - a real will to win and a belief that nothing is lost
Either side of a Kermorgant header just going wide Fraser came on for Ritchie and MacDonald came on for Pugh and I for one applauded both moves
Don't get me wrong, both were having good games (especially Pugh) but to make those changes to try to win at such a strong side as Derby takes balls and we are going to need plenty of that kind of thinking to progress - it won't always work but I'd rather we were looking forward like that than just replying to things going wrong and playing catch up
In the last 13 minutes Bournemouth's efforts were starting to catch up on them as a series of poor clearances kept Derby on the front foot until 6 minutes from time when the whole game was ruined for Bournemouth by 2 mistakes
The first was by the ref as he adjudged Elphick to have brought his man down on the edge of the box. Countless replays have shown that it was a clean tackle and the usually calm Elphick was incandescent with rage
I honestly thought that the vein in his forehead was going to burst and he was going to turn green and throw the short sighted weasel out of the stadium
The second mistake, was unfortunately that of Camp.
Martin took the free kick ( the run up of 3 paces being the longest he'd run all day without falling over) and he smashed a fantastic shot into the top corner. A truly great shot I can't deny and he was due the applause he received.
Obviously he never made it to the crowd to fully celebrate as they were 30 yards away and he fell over in the first 5, but it was a strike to be proud of
Where's the mistake I hear you ask?
Had that great strike gone over the wall, there simply wouldn't have been one - but it didn't
Had it gone over the wall I might have been tempted to clap myself, but as it went into the other corner, had Camp trusted the wall, in my opinion , he would have just caught the ball and we might be sitting here one point better off
He didn't and rather like being beaten at the near post, I think you have to say it was a goal that shouldn't have happened
This isn't me saying he's rubbish - I think he's possibly been our best buy and has already saved us lots of points but today, I have to say that it was an error and it cost us the draw we so richly deserved
The final few minutes were greeted with some of the crowd noise that I'd been expecting but even that was short lived
Pride Park (OK I'm a gown up - no grudges:-) ) could be a really intimidating place to come to if the fans ever decide they are a part of the set up and realise just how important they can be but hey I've sat through some quiet home games so who am I to preach
Final Score : 1-0
Summary : The reason I am so gutted is that for me, this was the best that Bournemouth have played all season and I think if we'd even come away with a win, let alone a draw, there would even be some Derby fans that would begrudgingly agree that that was fair enough
We have come so far this season and to think how we are mixing it now with the big boys and are feeling genuinely disappointed that we are not getting anything from games like this proves this point - and let's be honest Derby ARE a very good side
I know I'm saying it was a defensive mistake and for me it was, but for the other 89+ minutes they were superb and I appreciate that we have a poor clean sheet record but the rest of the team need to do their bit
We have an attack with goal stats of a midfield and a midfield with the goal stats of a defence
Scoring goals would take so much pressure off the defence and the wins would come. Despite all our opportunities today, the keeper wasn't worked enough and you can't win if you can't score
Star Man: Cook - A colossus at the back - power and pace and like all of the Bournemouth players today, didn't deserve to be on the losing side
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