Andrew Lloyd Williams reports from Dean Court

AFC Bournemouth 2 Yeovil Town 1.

Attendance: 2,655, including 218 Yeovil supporters

As the game slowly came to life, Alan Connell was put through by a lofted ball but as it flew over his head it was just beyond his outstretched toe.

Shwan Jalal confidently took a cross after ten minutes and quickly bowled the ball out to Feeney who ran the length of the pitch but was dispossessed just as he looked to cross. Sammy Igoe was controlling in midfield where he switched the direction of play several times in the opening exchanges.

As the home side began to apply pressure, Pitman and Connell saw headers claimed by Martin in the Yeovil goal.

Connell won the ball in the box despite the attentions of three players, setting up a chance for Pitman to fire a shot that cannoned off a defender for a corner. Pitman's resulting corner was hacked away by former AFCB loanee Terrell Forbes. Bournemouth players were in the wars, with Pitman and Feeney taking knocks to the ribs and left thigh respectively. Both players battled on with a little help from physio Steve Hard.

As Cherries came ever closer to opening the scoring, a Brett Pitman headed goal was ruled offside after half an hour. Yeovil's Tomlin had a shot pushed onto the post by a full-stretch Jalal as they registered their first shot on target on 35 minutes.

On the stroke of half time an excellent corner routine (a blast from the past from the Sean O'Driscoll era) saw Cummings pass to Igoe on the edge of the box, who stepped over for Pitman, stood behind him, to blast the ball into the right hand corner of the net.

Half time.

Yeovil came out fighting after half time and Scott Guyett cleared off his own line against his old club before Terrell Forbes' header was brilliantly clawed off the line by Jalal. Cherries instantly broke and Connell fired a shot that was well held by Martin.

The League One side kept up their pressure with Bournemouth captain Ryan Garry forced to make a timely clearance before Murtagh blazed over. On the hour mark Jalal could only stand and watch as a header clipped his post and bounced into his hands.

The Cherries weathered the storm and Garry cleared the ball. Igoe set up Pitman who saw a shot deflect out for a corner, Alan Connell rose to net a peach of a header from a cross on the left wing. Connell and his adoring North Stand supporters gleefully celebrated his first goal since returning to the Cherries from Brentford. Chants of "Alan Connell Alan" and "we're going to Wembley" spread across the ground.

Minutes later Connell back heeled beautifully for Bartley, who was tackled as he looked to net the Cherries' third. Cherries were all over their higher league opponents as another Connell back heel on 70 minutes saw the ball bounce for Igoe who sweetly volleyed a shot that Martin did well to parry away down to his left. Brett Pitman showed his dedication as he tracked back well after losing the ball to regain possession with 15 minutes left.

Yeovil's Williams did well to play in Obika on the right hand side of the penalty area and he slotted the ball under Jalal to give the visitors hope with a few minutes left.

Feeney nearly added to the home side's total as he was set up by Molesley and hit a defender then regained possession and hit a shot that had the keeper beaten but clipped the top of the crossbar.

O'Callaghan should have levelled for the visitors after 5 minutes of injury time but he was pressured in possession and the ball skidded past him.

Cherries brought on assistant manager Jason Tindall to shore up their defence in the closing stages and saw out the game, recording an impressive victory against the League One outfit.

Sponsors' man of the match: Alan Connell

Goals:

AFC Bournemouth: (45 minutes) Pitman, (65 minutes) Connell

Yeovil Town: (88 minutes) Obika

Substitutions:

AFC Bournemouth: (58 minutes) 20 Molesley for 8 Robinson, (82) 31 Tindall for 9 Pitman, (90 minutes) for 24 Webb for 6 Bartley

Yeovil Town: (45 minutes) 26 Obika for 10 Tomlin, (75 minutes) 32 McCollin for 11 Walsh, (77 minutes) 18 Lindegaard for 16 Murray

Bookings:

AFC Bournemouth: (43 minutes) Robinson

Yeovil Town: (50 minutes) Williams (55 minutes) Murtagh (72 minutes) 26 Obika

Team news: Bournemouth club captain Jason Pearce sat out with a calf strain. Pearce is having a scan tomorrow (Wednesday) and if he gets the all-clear will feature in the League Two match at Torquay United on Saturday. Steve Fletcher is still struggling with a hamstring problem. Substitute goalkeeper Dan Thomas is a second year youth player, ever-present in the youth side this season. The club's other goalkeeper Ryan Pryce is ill. Yeovil were without Danny Schofield who signed for Millwall this afternoon.

1) Shwan Jalal

23) Lee Bradbury

9) Brett Pitman

28) Warren Cummings

6) Marvin Bartley

10) Alan Connell

7) Sammy Igoe

8) Anton Robinson

2) Scott Guyett

11) Liam Feeney

3) Ryan Garry (C)

Substitutes: 30) Dan Thomas, 24) George Webb, 20) Mark Molesley, 31) Jason Tindall.

Yeovil Town

15) Richard Martin

23) Danny Hutchins

4) Stefan Stam (C)

6) Terrell Forbes

28) Nathan Smith

7) George O'Callaghan

8) Keiran Murtagh

9) Sam Williams

10) Gavin Tomlin

11) Andy Welsh

16) Scott Murray

Substitutes: 5) Steven Caulker, 18) Andy Lindegaard, 26) John Obika, 32) Andre McCollin, 33) Ben Roberts.