AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth battled the wind and rain on Saturday to come from behind and beat Sheffield United 2-1 and return to top of the Championship.
Morgan Gibbs-White's 56th-minute goal signalled the first time the Cherries had gone behind in the league this season and Scott Parker was full of praise for his team after a coming back in a tough game against the Blades.
“It was a real battle, the conditions were horrendous today, I think we all recognised that, and I thought both teams adjusted well to that,” he said after the game.
“I experienced a group of players that have gone behind for the first time this season, and the reaction I saw from those players when they did go a goal behind is what pleased me the most.
“As quickly as we went a goal behind – before you know it – within six, seven or eight minutes we were 2-1 up.
“The real massive factor in my head was when the penalty was in the back of the net and I saw a group of men who wanted to grab the ball, put it back on the centre circle and think, right, we can win this game?”
Parker knows that the team will face more periods when they are up against it as the season progresses and always knew his team would face adversity, but it is how the team responded to that adversity that particularly pleased him.
“As always, in any Championship game when there is only one goal in it, we are going to experience what we have seen in this match,” he said.
“Every day I am always learning things and I knew this day would come when we would go behind.
“What is the reaction of my team? How do they cope in those situations? Have I got a group of players here that believe one goal down is not the end of us and can come back and get back in this game?
"They ticked those boxes today and we are going to need that mindset throughout this year."
Parker was also full of praise for substitute Chris Mepham who put in a strong appearance to help see the team over the line as Sheffield United searched for a late equaliser.
He added: “Chris Mepham today has come on for ten minutes and he has come on in the last two or three games and I am saying to him you just need to see this game out for us.
“You need to bring something to this game, which is aggression and winning headers.
“This is someone who has sat on the bench for 80 minutes and watched it and instantly does exactly that, aggressive front foot defending and defending the box.”
The Cherries go into the international three points clear of West Brom as the only undefeated team left in the EFL, but Parker is not getting carried away with so much of the season remaining.
He said: “It’s massive for us, top of the table and undefeated. There is still a lot of football to play I am sure there will be many more twists and turns sometimes will get jabbed on the nose but it is pleasing to be where we are."
