Andrew Lloyd Williams reports from Dean Court.
A late Brett Pitman volley stole Bournemouth a win in the last minute of the game to ensure the team had achieved their best ever start to a Football League season. The home side had to cope with the absences of Mark Molesley, Ryan Garry, Joe Partingon and Marvin Bartley, with only three men on a bench that included assistant manager Jason Tindall and 16-year-old Jayden Stockley.
In a tentative first half, the home side lacked a bit of precision with the final ball. The backline linked with midfielders effectively, with Cummings and Bradbury in particular setting up chances. Bradbury skillfuly directed a header out to Feeney on the right hand side to send the home side on the attack.
After 25 minutes, Feeney persevered after being fouled and beat two defenders to cross. Pitman connected with the centre but it was deflected out for a corner. The game went quiet around the half hour mark as both sides hit efforts wide of the mark. The midfield battle was hard-going as the old heads of Mc Grath and Simpson made sure Hollands and Robinson were forced to fight for every ball. Burton were growing in confidence, with Penn causing a lot of problems as the game approached half time.
In the second half, Burton started on the front foot, with wingers Shroop and Penn causing problems for the home side, without anything truly troubling Jalal. Hollands started to dominate the midfield tussle and fed Pitman, who we denied by a last-ditch James clearance. Minutes later, Hollands fired a volley over the bar from 35 yards out. The physical nature of the game took its toll on Cummings and Penn on the hour mark when a clash of heads left both on the turf. In an incident typical of how the game was going, Harrad did well to wriggle free but dragged his shot wide of the goal. Minutes later, Hollands smashed a volley overvthe crossbar from 25 yards out.
Brett Pitman scores the winning goal
Alan Connell joined the frontline with Brett Pitman moving to the left wing. Connell escaped the attentions of two Burton defenders to provide the chance for Feeney to cross from the right. Steve Fletcher met the cross but his towering header was pushed around the post by Krysiak. Burton substitute Pearson forced a save from Jalal with ten minutes left when he escaped the attentions of Bradbury and Pearce and hit a shot to the left hand side of the goal. Pearson provided another scare minutes later when he turned Guyett inside out and was one-on-one with Jalal, but his shot skidded wide to the right hand side of the goal.
Brett Pitman won the game for Bournemouth with the 90 minutes up. Connell, in he centre of the pitch, played the ball to Pitman 25 yards out on the left hand side of the penalty area. Cherries' number nine controlled the ball then smashed a dipping volley with the outside of his boot over the head of the goalkeeper and into the top right hand corner of the goal. Once again despite not firing on all cylanders, Bournemouth had secured the three points. Minutes later, Pitman was in action down the other end of the pitch, when he headed a dangerous cross clear. A late corner was cleared by Guyett as Cherries were careful not to let their lead slip.
Deep into injury time Connell could have doubled the advantage when he was put through by Hollands. The young striker's crisp shot was held by the keeper. The final whistle was soon blown and Eddie Howe's men kept their place at the top of League Two.
Today's statistics:
Goals:
AFC Bournemouth: (90 minutes) Brett Pitman
Burton Albion:
Yellow Cards:
AFC Bournemouth: (67 minutes) 8 Robinson
Burton Albion: (20 minutes) 9 Harrad, (66 minutes) 12 Shroot, (75 minutes) 2 Boertien
Red Cards:
AFC Bournemouth:
Burton Albion:
Substitutions:
AFC Bournemouth: (60 minutes) 10 Connell for 17 McQuoid
Burton Albion: (58 minutes) 18 Pearson for 10 Walker, (72 minutes) for 17 Phillips for 12 Shroot, (90 minutes) 19 Maghoma for 6 Mc Grath.
Squads:
AFC Bournemouth
1) Shwan Jalal
2) Scott Guyett
5) Jason Pearce
8) Anton Robinson
9) Brett Pitman
11) Liam Feeney
14) Danny Hollands (Captain)
17) Josh McQuoid
23) Lee Bradbury
28) Warren Cummings
33) Steve Fletcher
Substitutes: 10) Alan Connell, 31) Jason Tindall, 29) Jayden Stockley
Burton Albion
30)Artur Krysiak
2) Paul Boertien
-
Michael Simpson
5) Tony James
6) John McGrath (Captain)
7) Darren Stride
9) Shaun Harrad
10) Richard Walker
12) Robin Shroot
15) Ryan Austin
16) Russell Penn
Substitutes: 13) Shane Redmond, 8) Andy Corbett, 3) Aaron Webster, 19) Jacques Maghoma, 17) Jimmy Phillips, 18) Greg Pearson.Our apologies for no match updates due to a technical problem.
