Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Howe: We have to be better on our own patch
PERFECTIONIST Eddie Howe has challenged his Cherries stars to sparkle on home soil after admitting: We need to be better.[LNB] Despite watching his team soar to the League Two summit, Howe has seen Cherries' Dean Court form stutter against their major rivals, with defeats at the hands of Chesterfield and Rochdale and a battling draw against Dagenham and Redbridge.[LNB] Much-fancied Notts County visit Dorset tomorrow in the FA Cup second round, giving Cherries a perfect chance to register a home win over high-profile opponents.[LNB] And Howe has outlined the areas where his team need to improve if they are to give the Dean Court faithful the result they want.[LNB] I think teams come and make it very difficult for us, said Howe, discussing his team's home performances.[LNB] Our away form has been slightly better than our home form recently and I think that's down to the fact that teams at home have the onus on them to attack. We've found that ideal for our game counter attacking and hitting teams on the break.[LNB] At home, when the onus is on us, I think we've got to be better on the ball, more clinical and take our chances when they come.[LNB] Being top of the table makes the task increasingly difficult, with Howe admitting opponents give Cherries more respect due to their lofty status.[LNB] In a bid to counteract this, the Cherries boss has called on his players to discover more cutting edge in the final third.[LNB] He said: Dagenham played very compact and put eight men behind the ball. That's not to say they came for a point because I don't think they did, but it's difficult to break down.[LNB] We need to be better. We need to know that's the challenge ahead of us and we need goals from all over the pitch.[LNB] The incentive of reaching the third round and the possibility of a glamour tie will provide the spur for Cherries when big-spending Magpies come to town.[LNB] Howe added: Hopefully we can get a good crowd in, get the atmosphere pumping and put on a better performance.[LNB] We're expecting a good crowd and a good game. It's up to us to rise to the challenge. The incentive is there for everybody to get into the third round.[LNB] We want to progress as far as we can in the competition. We're not thinking financially, we're thinking football-wise and to pit our wits against a club in the Premier League would be ideal for everybody.[LNB] They've got some really good players and I think they're a good side. It's going to be a really good test for us to see how far we've come and it's a challenge the players should really be relishing.[LNB] All through their side they've got quality, but so have we, so it should make for an entertaining game.[LNB] Cherries: (from) Jalal, Bradbury, Pearce, Garry, Cummings, Feeney, Bartley, Robinson, Hollands, Pitman, Connell, Igoe, Fletcher, Goulding, Partington, McQuoid, Thomas.[LNB] Notts County: (from) Schmeichel, Moloney, Lee, Thompson, Clapham, Rodgers, Davies, Bishop, Ravenhill, Ritchie, Hughes, Edwards, Westcarr, Hawley, Akinbiyi, Jackson, Hunt, Jones, Hoult.[LNB]
