AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Bristol City - Impressive performance despite loss

A team featuring no fewer than eight trialists put in an organised performance against Bristol City this afternoon and were extremely unlucky to go down 1-0 thanks to Dele Adebola's eighty-third minute header.

In a game of few chances it was the home side who created the majority and Cummings came closest to scoring with a low drive blocked off the line.

Cherries: Jalal, Bradbury (Hutchings 84), Cummings, Pearce, Shotton, Cooper (Ward 72), Bartley (Roberts 80), Anderton, De Laet (McQuoid 52), Igoe (Rutherford 59), Pitman (Richie 64).

Bristol City: Basso, Orr, McAllister (J Wilson 79), Carey, Noble, McIndoe, Skuse, Elliott (B Wilson ht), Sproule, Johnson, Adebola.

Att: 1,486.

On a beautiful afternoon at Dean Court the game took a while to get going, but a patient approach from the Cherries showed far greater ball retention than on Monday against Portsmouth. Anderton's killer pass left Cooper with a chance and a full stretch his connection forced Basso into a fine save for the first chance of the match.

Marvin Bartley was making promising runs into the area and one such dart gave Pitman space eighteen yards out to shoot over the bar. Bartley was full of energy throughout as was Sammy Igoe who was given a standing ovation when replaced an hour into the game.

The other chance of note in the first half developed when Warren Cummings' deep cross was kicked back into the danger area first time by Lee Bradbury. Pitman was on hand to unleash an effort at goal that Basso knew little about in saving.

The full back was close to scoring himself as the game was heading for a draw towards the end of the second half. Cummings' shot back across goal from Rutherford's right wing cross fizzed past Basso but was blocked off the line by Skuse. Anderton's follow up was also blocked by the City defence.

But it was Bristol City who scored the decisive goal, all be it against the run of play. Dele Adebola's frustrating afternoon hit a brighter note with seven minutes to go. Adebola opened the scoring for the visiting side in one of few chances the Robins created on the afternoon.

Portsmouth duo Matt Richie and Joel Ward both had a chance to impress late on while Chester's Paul Rutherford showed a business in midfield with a  quality range of passing and crossing.

Final Score: AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Bristol City