AFC Bournemouth
Victory over Stoke City on Tuesday saw Scott Parker’s team pen a new chapter in the AFC Bournemouth record books.
The 1-0 win at the bet365 Stadium saw the Cherries keep a sixth successive away clean sheet in the league for the first time in the club’s history.
Since joining the Football League in 1923/24, the feat of keeping five had previously been achieved twice – by Harry Lowe’s team in 1947/48 and by Eddie Howe’s Cherries in 2012/13.
Ken Bird was in goal 74 years ago when the Cherries went on to finish as runners-up in Division Three (South), while Ryan Allsop was between the sticks in 2012/13 as Howe’s team finished second in League One.
This season, goalkeepers Mark Travers and Orjan Nyland have both played a part in the memorable achievement, along with a solid all-round defensive effort from the outfield players.
Travers, who has made 16 league appearances for the club, has kept a total of seven clean sheets, including five in the record-breaking run.
And Nyland marked his Championship debut for the Cherries by helping them register a 0-0 draw at Hull City, the second clean sheet on the way to Parker’s class of 2021 making history.
Here, afcb.co.uk looks back at the clean sheet runs involving Bird, Allsop, Travers and Nyland as the club’s goalkeepers carved their name in the hall of fame.
1947/48 – BIRD STARS FOR HIGH-FLYING CHERRIES
Ken Bird set a new club record when he kept five successive away clean sheets in the league in Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic’s promotion near miss.
Bird played a starring role as the Cherries were pipped to a place in Division Two by QPR after finishing as runners-up in Division Three (South).
Harry Lowe’s team wrote several new chapters in the club’s record books, including 24 wins in a season, 11 away victories and just 35 goals conceded.
The defensive record ensured Bird, Fred Marsden, Joe Sanaghan and Fred Wilson would be long remembered by the club’s supporters.
Bird’s run started on Boxing Day 1947 when goals from debutant John Barclay and Paddy Gallacher saw them inflict a first home defeat of the season on Southend United.
Although the Shrimpers became the first team to win at Dean Court a day later, convincing home victories over Brighton and Ipswich kept the Cherries firmly in the hunt.
Bird kept back-to-back clean sheets as Dudley Milligan scored the only goal at Norwich, the same player bagging a hat-trick in a 4-0 win at Bristol City at the end of January.
Following a 2-0 home win over Reading, Bird played his part as the Cherries drew 0-0 at fellow high-fliers Walsall before he conceded his first goal in six games during a 1-1 draw with Leyton Orient at Dean Court.
His famous five was completed when Dudley Milligan’s double and a goal from new signing Billy Lunn earned the Cherries a 3-0 victory at Watford.
Despite winning three of their final four games, the Cherries lost out to QPR by four points with only the champions promoted.
2012/13 – ROCKY RISES TO THE CHALLENGE
Ryan ‘Rocky’ Allsop matched Bird’s feat as the Cherries gained promotion to the Championship under Eddie Howe in 2012/13.
Signed from Leyton Orient in January 2013, Allsop was drafted in for the final ten games of the season and kept six clean sheets as Howe’s team finished as runners-up to Doncaster Rovers.
His five consecutive shutouts on the road came in the final nine games of the season as the Cherries embarked on an eight-match winning run before closing with a 0-0 draw at Tranmere.
Allsop’s run started with a 1-0 win at Stevenage as the Cherries ended an alarming sequence of five successive defeats.
Brett Pitman’s first-half penalty sealed the three points with Allsop making a series of fine saves to preserve their lead.
Four days later, Allsop kept the club’s first clean sheet in their history against Oldham at Boundary Park, the goalkeeper saving Jose Baxter’s penalty after Pitman had again netted the only goal.
A convincing 4-1 home win over Bury was followed by another 1-0 victory on the road, Pitman scoring for the fourth game in succession as the Cherries climbed to second place in the table.
Back-to-back home wins over Scunthorpe and Notts County were followed by a resounding 3-0 victory at Shrewsbury, Pitman’s double and a Jermaine Grandison own goal helping the Cherries keep the heat on leaders Doncaster.
After promotion had been secured following a 3-1 home win over Carlisle, Allsop kept his fifth clean sheet on the trot on the road at Prenton Park, a 0-0 draw not enough to bring back the title to Dean Court as Doncaster claimed a dramatic victory at Brentford.
2021/22 – TRAVERS AND NYLAND HAVE SIX APPEAL
The record set by Bird and matched by Allsop was finally broken when Travers and the Cherries defence stood firm to prevent Stoke scoring on Tuesday.
Travers had started the Cherries’ current run of away clean sheets, making a couple of important saves early on in the 2-0 win against Birmingham at St Andrew’s Trillion Trophy Stadium in August.
And after the Irishman had thwarted Tahith Chong and Jonathan Leko, late goals from Dom Solanke and Jaidon Anthony earned Scott Parker’s team all three points.
Orjan Nyland replaced Travers for the visit to Hull City, the Norway international keeping a clean sheet on his league debut for the club in a 0-0 draw at MKM Stadium.
Travers returned from illness to regain his place for the trip to Cardiff City in September and played his part as the Cherries registered a hard-fought 1-0 win thanks to Phil Billing’s strike.
The Republic of Ireland international had to be on his toes after Gary Cahill had diverted a cross from Will Vaulks towards goal in the fifth minute, Travers pulling off a top-drawer save to keep it at 0-0.
Solid defensive efforts in front of him saw Travers relatively untroubled as the Cherries made it five consecutive away clean sheets from a 0-0 draw at Peterborough and a 2-0 win at Bristol City.
And history was made at the bet365 Stadium when Parker’s team extended their unbeaten start in the Championship to 13 games and forged six points clear at the summit.
The Cherries had an escape when Jordan Thompson’s shot hit the post before Travers dived full length to parry Mario Vrancic’s free-kick in the closing stages.
