Bournemouth v West Brom Saturday 1500

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The Pulis Derby. Not that anyone will remember that Pulis started off managing Bournemouth, and was terrible.

Last game at Dean Court for the season, with the contractors waiting menacingly by the South Stand with a set of screwdrivers waiting to dismantle it.

Howe openly playing an "experimental side" tomorrow.

The sun will be out on the south coast, the beachballs will come out, the beer will flow, and nobody will give a toss about the game.

 

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Started like a train, but not for the first time had all momentum lost by conceding a daft first goal. This one particularly special from Artur Boruc's top draw of brainless goalkeeping.

Of course Boruc in typical fashion makes himself the hero again with a penalty save, tipping it onto the bar I think. On the rebound, the pen taker looked the dead cert favourite to tap the ball into an empty net, but Steve Cook amazingly got back in time to clear. No idea how, was he encroaching perhaps? Otherwise it was superhuman.

A good rally to end the first half bode well for the second. Except West Brom came out second half and totally shut the game down. 6 across the back, smash everything into the stand, breaking with pace when the odd chance arose. It was hard to see us scoring.

And then we managed it through the most bizarre circumstances. West Brom and Pulis known for set piece robustness yeah? We sling a long throw into the box (unheard of for us) and Matt Ritchie, the smallest guy in Dean Court, heads into the net.

West Brom hit the woodwork on another counter attack with a shot from 20 yards, and we created a few openings once Josh King and Callum Wilson clicked into gear.

Fair draw probably.