A good response from the Cherries

Eddie Howe was sure that his team responded in the right manner to going an early goal down at Portman Road. The first half saw some great football being played even if the keepers weren't worked that hard. It was a very open game and not a game where defences were looking totally confident. That always made me believe that AFCB were more than capable of getting back into the game and the only worry Eddie Howe had was that some of the momentum did subside in the second half before he made a few substitutions.

Steve Cook found himself in the unusual position of
being subbed at Ipswich but it enabled Kenwyne Jones
to com on to get the equaliser.

The goal that Ipswich did score was not that great from a Bournemouth defensive point of view. I saw Cook, Daniels and Fraser I believe go over to close down Darryl Murphy, but they never really got anywhere near him. None of them got close enough to make a challenge and with Steve Cook lying deep, it played Freddie Sears onside and you can't expect him to miss from seven or eight yards very often when totally unmarked. Uncharacteristic it might have been and it could have been more costly had the Cherries not managed to find a way back in to the game, but they did.

That showed me that the Cherries are good even in adversity. They could have folded away from home and with a noisy and large crowd bellowing at them they fought for the ball and made it theirs for most of the fist half with possession stats that were 62 per cent in AFCB's favour at half time and it went up by another one per cent by full time. So it was a hard, but well earned point. 

Now Eddie Howe will be looking for an even bigger response at home. It is the sharpness that is now required in front of goal and so Birmingham City come to Dean Court knowing that the Cherries are looking to win and win big again.

Check out the Good Friday balance swings in the promotion race by visiting The Championship Run-in - Good Friday was great for Boro, Brentford and Norwich.