AFCB - @grocklefree: #afcb 3

So, having lost 5 in a row, we’ve won 5 in a row and to get automatic promotion we have to make that 9 in a row. Surely that’s too much to ask, isn’t it?

I’d taken the fact that I’d queued behind a woman wearing a plastic bag over her right foot and sandals at the ATM as a good sign.

Also Blandford Phil turned up in another stomach churning old #AFCB shirt and having done that on Monday, another good sign.

The 3^rd good sign and the clincher in my eyes, is that it wasn’t MY beer that Arter hit with one of his warm-up shots – I could have looked at it that the shot was so errant how on earth are we going to score – but I needed that 3^rd sign.

The game started with Notts County in a rather fetching pink kit but it was soon Bournemouth that were blushing a more furious pink.

Seem like lovely boys

A ball was slipped in on the inside of Daniels and County’s impressive Campbell-Ryce ran through and crossed to the unmarked Jeff Hughes who planted a header to Allsop’s right.

He got his hand to it but from the weakness of wrist which failed to keep the ball out I can only imagine Rocky is spending too much time alone since his transfer from the smoke – the boys need to get him out of the house more.

Bloody 0-1 after 1 minute – Bugger

AFCB responded immediately and Francis burst forward and after a 1-2 with Pitman forced the keeper into a low save.

It was all AFCB now and Pugh, Ritchie and Arter all going close and County were looking ragged giving away free kick after free kick.

On 16 minutes Daniels had a 1-2 with Pugh and fired a cross along the ground behind Tubbs and Pitman but there was Ritchie.

Bialkowski had been seen before the game studying shots from Ritchie and so, figuring the ball was to fly in the top corner, took off like an exocet.

Unfortunately for him, Ritchie drilled it on the floor straight down the middle, and under the flailing keeper.

1-1

AFCB were pouring forwards now and County were left hitting on the break through mostly Campbell-Ryce but the visitors were looking second best.

On 24 minutes Pitman played the ball up to Tubbs and whether by mis-control, a sneaky hand ball or a defender’s foot in, the ball fell back to Pitman who smashed the ball in from the edge of the box to the keeper’s right – Unstoppable

2-1

Pitman had 2 further close misses in the first half but when Boucaud fouled Arter in injury time and was shown a red card, surely the game was in the bag

At half time, the crowd chanted for the lino to give us a wave which he obliged with a boyish smile – you make more friends with sugar than sh*t – maybe this was the North Stand’s olive branch

Second half started and for the first 10 minutes I had socks and shoes off to help count the players on the pitch as it looked like AFCB were a man down

It didn’t help that we gave away 2 needless free kicks at the edge of the box in the space of a couple of minutes which we were all grateful to see go wide.

Pugh was finding things difficult as their right back had nailed his knicker elastic to the side line but luckily twinkle toes Daniels stepped up to the plate and often bemused their right back after weathering those opening 10 minutes

On 62 minutes one such cavalier run sent him to the by-line where he crossed back to Arter whose fired shot was brilliantly tipped over by the keeper.

A pity then, that 5 minutes later when Arter burst through on his own he chose to pass to Tubbs rather than putting his f****** foot through it. Tubbs, typically, controlled the ball, then fell over. Never a penalty, a wasted chance – and this was getting nail-biting

County were playing better with 10 men than they did with 11 and were stretching AFCB on the break. Their strikers were strong and pacey and finding way too much space. Our midfield were sitting too deep and were a little guilty of ball watching rather than marking.

Saying that, I think that County were playing really well and despite AFCB’s constant switching from left to right and back, looked full of running.

Grabban then came on for Tubbs and MacDonald for O’Kane (injury) and the former was to be the master stroke.

Despite his poor recent scoring record his pace instantly stretched County and soon their defence was being pulled all over the place.

It was Grabban that broke down the right on 84 minutes and as the ball broke kindly back to him after his first attempted cross he passed the ball back to Ritchie who hit the ball first time past the keeper’s left

3-1

County were still giving it a go and had 5 minutes of late pressure which AFCB did well to resist and the parting shot was from Pitman who ran the length of the pitch and fired a curling shot just past the left post

Summary – The sending off changed things but AFCB were the better side 11 v 11, although it was a bit more even once County went down to 10. The County supporters should be proud of their players’ fighting spirit. AFCB fans should be grateful that with a few notable exceptions we are starting to shoot more and with that the goals are coming. AFCB need 3 wins and other results to go for us, but with the resilience shown today, that looks a lot more likely than just a few weeks ago.

MOM – Daniels – Today was doing the work of 2 – attacking and defending with footwork that Ashley Banjo would be proud of.

Many thanks to Louise Cornick for the better photography - finally this blog has some class