Match Report Wednesday 21st October
Sherborne Town FC 1 - 1 Bournemouth (Poppies)
Wessex League
Sherborne Town 1 Bournemouth FC 1
These two clubs had both gone nine league games without a win, so perhaps a draw was the most likely outcome.
The Zebras, who hadn't scored in their previous four matches, were given a dream start with a goal inside three minutes, but they couldn't hang on under sustained pressure in the second half. Having drawn level, Poppies will rue missed opportunities to bag a late winner.
Zebras' opener was well-worked. Jake Graziano played the ball down the line to Ant Herrin who foxed the red-shirted defenders with a dummy, allowing Joe Crisp to scamper clear. Crisp's square pass across the goalmouth was perfectly weighted for Alex Murphy to nonchalantly guide the ball wide of keeper Callum Watson and into the corner of the net from about 10 yards.
The quality of the goal was not a sign of things to come, as the duel developed into a midfield scrap between two sides desperate for points. The blustery conditions didn't help with the long-ball game.
Lewis Harvey, the Poppies centre-back, was an imposing figure with a forehead seemingly chiselled out of granite. Not much was getting past him, particularly anything launched into the air.
Scoring opportunities were few and far between. Josh Williams had a shot blocked following Joe Crisp's long throw, then Duncan McCabe fired wide from distance.
In the 40th minute Poppies did manage to find the back of the net following a free-kick but Harvey's effort was ruled out for offside.
Three minutes later the visitors had a let-off when Ollie Crisp, cutting in from the left wing, saw his low drive cannon off the near post. The rebound struck a prostrate Watson on the back of the head and nearly ended up in his own net. From the corner, Henry Lawrence-Napier's flick-on was met beyond the back post by Murphy but his header landed on top of the netting.
Half-time: 1-0.
Zebras, now playing towards the Clubhouse End, needed to up the ante. However, the only ante-upping was done by the men in red.
Scott Rowles was introduced and immediately kept Aaron White on his toes with darting runs down the right wing. Rowles was looking dangerous throughout, which begged the question: why wasn't he playing from the start?
The hosts did threaten briefly on 53 minutes following a smart kick-out by Jack Marshall which released Murphy down the right flank. His cross was fumbled by Watson who had a defender to thank for mopping up the loose ball.
Two more substitutions for the visitors seemed to inject even more zip up front and they attacked furiously. In the 64th minute Charlies Medway went close with an effort just wide.
Zebras threatened most with set-pieces. In the 70th minute following a free-kick, Watson again failed to convince with his handling under pressure from Murphy, and Williams wasn't too far away with a follow-up lob just over the cross-bar.
The home management team made their second change, sending on Dec Cornish for his 200th appearance for the club, with a sore big toe to boot. Great effort Dec.
Meanwhile Liam Nardiello, who played an 18-minute cameo for Yeovil in front of 2,000+ fans the night before, failed to get a look-in here in front of 73 die-hards. Not that he would have seen much of the ball the way things panned out.
Poppies drew level on 78 minutes, and it had been coming. They forced two corners, one straight after the other, and from the second Sam Bentley nodded home.
The Bournemouth outfit had their tails up. Franco Bertorelli burst through but Marshall was alert to the danger and smothered the ball at the attacker's feet.
On 88 minutes Connor Leclercq banged an effort just wide. Then two minutes later Bertorelli was played in one-on-one with Marshall but failed to beat the keeper. That was a huge chance squandered.
There was still time for a flashpoint in stoppage time when referee Reed misled players with his hand signals. Thinking he had awarded Poppies a free-kick their players jogged forward but the decision had in fact gone the other way. Zebras played it quick and before you knew it Murphy was bearing down towards the penalty area before being hauled down by Medway.
Visiting manager Lewis Rezzougui did a good impression of Mount Vesuvius in the technical area and was on the brink of blowing his top. Heaven knows what would have happened had Zebras scored from the free-kick, but after a back-post scrimmage the ball was knocked over the bar.
As Rezzougui continued chuntering away Reed's final act before blowing the final whistle was to amble over to the dug-out and brandish a yellow card, presumably for dissent.
Team: Mitchell, Graziano, White, Lawrence-Napier, Williams, Mullins, O Crisp (Bryce 67), McCabe (Cornish 70), Murphy, J Crisp, Herrin. Subs not used: Ansell, Gaylard, Nardiello.
Goal: Murphy (3).
Attendance: 73.