Match Report and MOM v Spurs

Travers and Ake make Garth Crooks team of the week. He then spoils it by criticising "officious refereeing".
Wonder who he used to play for
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48171718
On Final Score Saturday (having seen the game footage live on Sky earlier you'd assume) he commented that he was disappointed in the result but that the ref was entirely correct with red cards, and in fact had gotten a couple of penalty shouts wrong.
Wonder what changed his mind?
 
Just been reading that spurs forum.

Great for a laugh. Everyone and everything is a melt. Swear filter seems to be broken. Ref was on the take. It's all Levys fault for not buying Messi and Ronaldo in January. Bournemouth are diving cheats. Son shouldn't have been sent off as he only pushed Jeff in the chest. Dier is dire. Alli doesnt care and surprise surprise AFCB should be relegated due to our ground not costing £1bn.

There saved you an hours reading.
 
Also seems to be a groundswell that Lerma should not have gone to ground. As if any of their players [or indeed any a player from anyone else] would have stayed on their feet
 
Yep. Thanks Neil. Always an enjoyable read and I pretty much agree with what you have to say on all your reports. You’ll be headhunted by those at DC soon.
 
Much like the three motd pundits, all ex spurs and couldn't have been much more one eyed if they'd said 'we' everytime they mentioned them

Lineker said something like, 'Tottenham looked as if they might hold on, but alas..." Alas? Alas? Yes, if you only see the Tottenham view. Spurs were disgusting and deserve every condemnation.

Otherwise, a very hearty yay! There were scenes of great joy for 90% of the people at Dean Court and possibly each and every one of any neutrals watching on TV. No alas, more like we' ve got what we deserved against this dirty, cheating bunch of [insert expletive of choice]. Spurs were disgusting and deserve every condemnation.

I should write a stiff letter of complaint to the BBC.
 
he meant alas referring to their aspirations of needing a win. and he is an ex player. do we really need neutrality from a footy pundit? really? its sposed to be a game!
 
he meant alas referring to their aspirations of needing a win. and he is an ex player. do we really need neutrality from a footy pundit? really? its sposed to be a game!

Well said. Harry Redknapp still talks about Bournemouth like he works for us but we don’t complain about him. Of course Lineker wants Spurs and Leicester to win. It’s not politics, can’t we allow an allegiance with a smile?
 
Everything that turns up at DC from now should be battered ...Steve Cooked! Its the way it can be every time. Respect No other team.
Just Steam into the Prats with Pace...dont give em time to think! We have done it only occasionally up to now...
Once the game starts.....the Tinpot label means nothing.....and the fat, lary fans of Spurs, Arsenal etc can only stand there with open mouths and pop - eyed glaring looks of incredulity and despair.......as their Ziggy Capopolinos and Jordy Ratcatcherinhos and double-barrelled named Divas from Essex slip and slide , circumnavigating the nutmegs and chips on the lush ultra green carpet.....capitulating to the Rampant Cherries and wishing their Satnavs had f#cked up and took them to Alum Chine instead for a game of hide and seek in the salty - aired woods!
Bournemouth Away........Aaaaggggh.....that soul destroying, dream shafting fixture !
 
Did none of the TV or online experts comment on their other cynical hacks and continuous picking the ball up, kicking it away and general "gamesmanship"

Any club paying Alli, Rose and Kane has no right to moan about diving!
 
Late Heart-ake for Spurs..

Well, that was eventful. A game that set the definition for 'tetchy'. A game of penalty claims, two sending offs, a fair few fights, a teenage keeper with a debut to remember and a late winner. Hard to believe it was only one-nil - but that was the scoreline as Bournemouth saw off nine man Spurs with a late flash of dreadlocks....

It was an odd team selection with Travers named in goal. Begovic chucked his toys in the week and Boruc had some toys in the car ready for his new-born so had to be on advanced notice to depart at any moment. In stepped the little known (outside of Weymouth and Dublin) Mark Travers, a good season for the kid with his first full international call up and Premier League debut. Finally we had five in midfield which crucially allowed us to keep more of the ball. Ibe played behind Wilson in the free role with King and Fraser either side of Lerma and Ake. Smith was back at fullback.

The first half belonged to Mark Travers, we probably over-egged his saves a little with the excitement but it was still a very notable debut under such pressurised circumstances. He nearly caught a cold when Moura tried to chip him from the half-way line but the ball dropped the wrong side of the post to much relief. He then got his confidence going with a smart save to deny Dele Ali.

Bournemouth were back into it with lots of good breaks, Ibe central to a lot of these in an impressive first half performance. Shorn of any defensive responsibilities he is a different player, emphasised by his fading when put back on the wing in the second half. Too often the attacks floundered on the final ball. Spurs were dangerous when they countered and Travers again denied Moura from a header and then stopped him again when he was put clean through. The crowd were warming to the giant keeper and his final save of the half from Dele Ali was the pick of the bunch, one handed and leaving the England man with his head in his hands...

The game was starting to heat up, Lerma in the centre of it unsurprisingly. He'd had a run in with Dele Ali and then appeared to stamp on Son when retrieving the ball. The officials hadn't spotted it but they did spot the Korean's retribution and he was gone. Two penalty shouts then added to the controversy - King rounding the keeper but the referee judging correctly that Loris had touched the ball before flattening the Norwegian. The second should have been given, in a cluster of bodies Wilson had his legs cleaved when about to flick goalwards. Dier stopping King going through was also a potential red leaving Pawson with that wonderful refereeing moment when you are booed off by both sets of fans.

HT Bournemouth 0 Spurs 0

The second half saw ten man Spurs withdraw their other two booked players so Pochettino must have been incredulous when one of the subs, Foyth, embarked on an early run and after a heavy touch went over the top on Jack Simpson for another straight red. Now down to nine men Spurs banked two banks of four and settled in.

This led to frustration for Bournemouth, and the crowd. Some right idiots in our stadium
It had to be said. Whinging as to why we couldn’t walk through two solid banks of world class players and the World Cup winning keeper. You despair sometimes you really do.

Bournemouth didn’t help themselves though by keeping four at the back against zero and the game resembled so many recent home games when we have been losing with a lot of possession but little threat.

Too often the crosses or final balls were poor and as the game ticked on and on it looked, with no Bournemouth chances to worry Loris that we would be denied our first win v Spurs. Jordan Ibe forced the Frenchman into one great save just before he departed for Mousset.

It was the French sub who inspired the winner. He turned brilliantly in the corner to win the corner kick. We don’t know if either player will be with us next year so it may be fitting in the final game of the season that Fraser topped the assist charts with his fizzing delivery and AKE’s head did the rest. There was time for one more Lerma/Ali head butting scrap before the referee blew and will be glad to get home tonight I would imagine.

Bournemouth 1 Spurs 0

Travers 8- welcome to the big time!

Smith 7- kept at it and lively return
Simpson 7- very solid looking and read well.
Cook 7 - normal busy organising self.
Clyne 7 - starting to come on to game again

Fraser 6 - quieter and less accurate but assist!
Lerma 7- pick of the outfield. Strong and sure.
Ake 6 - not his position but finished it!
Ibe 6 - great first half, poor second.
King 6- some strong runs but some periphery

Wilson 6- battled manfully

Mom. As others pointed out, saves you might expect but because it’s a new player they stand out and a couple superb saves. Confident and good with feet as well. What a day for the lad Mark Travers

Verdict

Great to see us looking like a side again. Thank god Eddie has realised a five man midfield is worth trying as it made all the difference in competing football wise and made the players playing there look better. Ibe is good in the ten role too as we saw at Chelsea once before. Hopefully a sign of things to come next year.

The second half was always going to be odd. We lacked vision which is what you need, but with Ake and Lerma as ball winners and no options on the bench it was going to be hard. The game was crying out for a through ball but it went wide and then was blocked. That’s a reflection of the personnel available though and will improve when they all return.

The cohesion was back though and the appetite looked strong. The relief at the winner was palpable and showed what it meant. We have seen the last of Begovic, I wonder if he will be alone? I suspect quite a transitional summer for this team with players earning a move up and some deserving a move down. Eddie won’t want to do too much change, it’s not his style, so it should be fascinating.

One player it was sad to say goodbye to was Marc Pugh, a player we will all take to the grave in our hearts for what he helped us achieve. I don’t think a player has given me that much pleasure over such a sustained period. Legend is an overused word in sport but he is a club legend here for sure.

So, that’s it from me for another season. It’s not been the greatest time lately after the dynamite start but a late goal against top six makes stepping into the summer a better place..

See you all next year, god willing for all of us!
Great report, thanks Neil. I agree re Mousset, he made quite a difference when he came on, injected some pace and won the corner which led to the goal (and arguably should have scored himself with a free header just before). I said to my son half-way through the second half, ‘we’re not going to score.’ We looked a little clueless to be honest. But it’s not very week you play against 9 men. Credit to Spurs I guess for sitting deep and frustrating us..

Anyhow, a really enjoyable game, particularly the first half, it had everything. We looked great on the break, King in particular, fantastic pace. How we didn’t get two pens, I’ll never know.

Thanks for all your reports this season, Neil. Roll on 2019-20!
 
Just been reading that spurs forum.

Great for a laugh. Everyone and everything is a melt. Swear filter seems to be broken. Ref was on the take. It's all Levys fault for not buying Messi and Ronaldo in January. Bournemouth are diving cheats. Son shouldn't have been sent off as he only pushed Jeff in the chest. Dier is dire. Alli doesnt care and surprise surprise AFCB should be relegated due to our ground not costing £1bn.

There saved you an hours reading.

It was worth the read!!
Hilarious...spot the post without the F word. Credit to the one guy who predicted a last minute goal and 1-0 to us just after kick off ;-))
 
Also seems to be a groundswell that Lerma should not have gone to ground. As if any of their players [or indeed any a player from anyone else] would have stayed on their feet

Lerma was shoved quite hard, I'm not sure any player would have stayed on their feet. Whether he should then have got straight back up is another matter though.
 

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