Post Match report for the Bournemouth (FA Cup r3) game - Saturday, 5th January 2019
FA CUP THIRD ROUND; Bournemouth v Brighton
ALBION GOBBLE CHERRIES AS THEIR CUP COCKTAIL RUNNETH OVER
VENUE; the Vitality Stadium, Boscombe.
RESULT; 1-3 ~ Knockaert, Bissouma, Andone. (h-t 0-2) . SHAPE; 4-5-1 . REF; assisted by VAR but had a straightforward afternoon.
PREAMBLE; it was the traditional knockout tie to be played on first Saturday after New Year - albeit a lunchtime kickoff in distant Dorset.
Both these PL clubs entering at this stage would certainly look to progress into the fourth round - maybe to be drawn next time against a lower league side.
GATE; 10,522 . WEATHER; cold, dry & cloudy.
CHRIS HUGHTON historically makes changes for such Cup circumstances and today merely retained three players from the midweek evening PL fixture in east London.
Steel made his debut in goal, while other PL bench regulars, Bruno, Bong, Balogun, Bissouma, Kayal, Knockaert & Andone also all stepped up.
Returned on-loan defender Burn sat among 1st 11 substitutes, plus U23 goal-scoring forward Gyokeres.
TEAM; . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Steel
. . . . . . 2 Bruno, 4 Duffy, 14 Balogun, 3 Bong
. 11 Knockaert, 8 Bissouma, 6 Stephens, 7 Kayal, 9 Locadia
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Andone
BENCH; 27 Button, 22 Montoya (86), 33 Burn, 24 Propper, 42 Gyokeres (91), 20 March (73), 17 Murray.
GOALS; 31 - 0-1. Against run of play visitors go forward with Locadia most prominent. KNOCKAERT runs in behind to finish low & cleanly.
34 - 0-2. Good build up from Seagulls sees BISSOUMA getting forward and takes his chance well with a long strike in off an upright.
55 - 1-2. The tie changed in complexity as hosts were allowed possession while visitors backed off too deep. A drive beat Steele as he grasped at thin air.
64 - 1-3. A well practiced corner routine, delivered by Knockaert got headed over from Duffy and despatched by ANDONE from close range.
INCIDENTS; 42 - just prior to the interval travellers attacked down the left flank where Bong provided a cross for Locadia to head an attempt onto the post.
YELLOWS; 22 - Stephens with a foul, in the second half he was late again but Ref was lenient.
SUBS; 73 - March came on, Locadia went off. 86 - Bruno was withdrawn for Montoya. 91 - Gyokeres replaced Knockaert.
All alterations were routine rather than usually made to try and rescue an away game.
ANALYSIS; shades of deja vu from midweek shenanigans when after a sluggish opening period Albion took a two goal lead within a couple of minutes on opening the score. As in that previous PL fixture, hosts pulled a second half goal back to soil the possible clean sheet k-o.
But the script was rewritten for this likely sudden death climax when locals rally was contained and the two goal difference restored.
So the reserve side proved more than adequate against hosts second eleven and the BHA squad overall appears strong enough at present without obvious need for additions during this now open January window.
NUMBERS; shape 4411-451, poss 49%-51%, on target 3-3, off target 11-7, corners 8-1, fouls 6-7, yellows 2-1, subs 3-3. MoM - Duffy.
FS
