Match Report Saturday 22nd August
Bournemouth (Poppies) 0 - 2 Sherborne Town FC
Wessex League
Bournemouth FC 0 Sherborne Town 2
What a coincidence. When the Zebras were here for the final game of last season on April 18, Josh Haskett came off the bench and rolled the ball into an empty net following goalkeeping error for the winner in the 87th minute. This time it was substitute Liam Nardiello who did exactly the same, in the same net, on 88 minutes. It capped a fine all-round performance from the visitors and a perfect response to the previous week's capitulation against Petersfield.
The Poppies were unrecognisable from the team that started in the last encounter four months earlier. Only skipper Charles Medway and Jack Dacombe remained. As for the Zebras, they were still missing Henry Lawrence-Napier, Jordon Matthews and Brad Shephard.
The hosts threatened briefly early on with three corners and a long throw in the first 10 minutes. Jack Marshall had to scurry from his line to punch clear on one occasion but the danger soon passed. Poppies' first shot on target, from Alex Morris in the 12th minute, lacked oomph and was easy meat for the keeper.
Zebras grew into the game and opened the scoring in the 18th minute, the goal owing much to a barnstorming run down the right by Ant Herrin. Shrugging off two robust challenges, Herrin reached the byline before picking out Alex Murphy with his cut-back. The striker, pretty much ignored by the home defence, made no mistake from about 10 yards, lashing the ball first-time past the keeper, Jamie Bruce.
This allowed the men in green a degree of comfort in and out of possession.
The next chance arrived on 26 minutes following a slick passage of pass-and-move involving several players. It ended with Murphy's goal-bound effort being blocked in a congested penalty area.
An industrious Zebras midfield were not allowing the home players time to settle. On 32 minutes Ollie Crisp was crudely stopped in his tracks, earning the perpetrator a booking. From the free-kick, Josh Williams headed across the goalmouth for Herrin to bundle the ball over the line but the referee blew, presumably for either offside or an infringement.
Half-time 0-1.
Zebras started the second half with the more promising openings. Williams whipped a superb cross-field pass to Aaron White who did well to head the ball infield to Joe Crisp. It ended with a lob turned behind by Bruce for a corner.
Being only one goal down, the Poppies were always in with a shout. A fierce 20-yard drive on 65 minutes was palmed over the cross-bar by Marshall.
Zebras paraded no fewer than four attackers on the bench and just after the hour mark the first of them was introduced, Dec Cornish replacing Billy Mullins who had a busy game. The ever-dangerous Cornish soon linked up with Herrin whose wicked ball in from the right was missed by everyone as it flashed across the six-yard box. Then White, played in down the same channel by Herrin, whipped in a centre which was headed just wide by Duncan McCabe arriving at the back post.
The Poppies would not go away and on 80 minutes a back-post header was safely plucked out of the air by Marshall.
The encounter came to its conclusion two minutes from time in near-comic fashion when Bruce's intended clearance from way out of his area was charged down by substitute Ollie Hebbard. The ball spun across to Nardiello who, in splendid isolation, was left with a simple task to seal all three points.
Four wins on the trot now for the Zebras at this happy hunting ground, Victoria Park. A special mention in dispatches must go to the defence who, in restricting Poppies to a couple of measly half-chances over the 90 minutes, kept their first clean sheet of the campaign.
Team: Marshall, White, Graziano, Ansell, Williams, McCabe, O Crisp (Hebbard 74), Mullins (Cornish 61), Murphy (Nardiello 62), J Crisp, Herrin (Guppy 89). Sub not used: Hollard (gk).
Goals: Murphy (18), Nardiello (88).
Attendance: 68.