Source: Northern_Echo
Bournemouth 2 Darlington 0
Bournemouth 2 Darlington 0[LNB] A SEASIDE trip to relax in the Bournemouth sunshine sounds like a pleasant way for supporters to wind down the season.[LNB] Unfortunately, the team Darlington fans went to watch on Saturday were also in holiday mood, the result being a 2-0 defeat and an unhappy manager.[LNB] Simon Davey has repeatedly said he wants his players to demonstrate their services will be required in the Blue Square Premier. But during a lackadaisical display, too many went through the motions and a repeat of last Tuesday's impressive partypooping performance at Rochdale rarely appeared likely.[LNB] Perhaps Quakers believed they had earned enough credit with that win, though they succeeded in stifling their promotion- chasing hosts for long spells at Dean Court.[LNB] They frustrated thirdplaced Bournemouth for an hour, but then two goals killed off Quakers and Davey was left rueing a disappointing display.[LNB] He said: When a team has had so many defeats they can easily think here we go again' when they go 1-0 down. There were a few defeatist attitudes when we fell behind and that has to change.[LNB] Consistency levels need to be better if you're going to be a top side. They wouldn't be professional footballers if they didn't have talent, but there's a lot more to having talent than just playing well once in every four games.[LNB] You need to be playing well three out of five games, or five out of seven. You need a much higher ratio level of consistency.[LNB] From my five games we have won two, lost two and drawn one which, compared with the whole season, isn't bad.[LNB] But I expect more and I expect more between now and the end of the season.[LNB] Davey did not accept that the win at Rochdale being physically taxing could be used as an excuse, saying: From my perspective, professional footballers should be able to cope with playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday. That's what they get paid for. They get paid to be fit.[LNB] I don't believe the fitness levels are what they should be and we'll address that in the summer.[LNB] A consequence of sustaining injuries at Rochdale meant Davey could name only five substitutes at Bournemouth, while Ian Miller, who has a hernia, played through the pain barrier.[LNB] But the only change saw right-back Simon Madden recalled ahead of the injured Paul Arnison.[LNB] He suffered a hamstring strain in the smash and grab' at Rochdale, and again a fiveman midfield was employed.[LNB] As per last Tuesday, it was the hosts who had more possession, but Tadhg Purcell had the game's first chance, Darlington's Irish striker putting a lob wide with only the keeper to beat.[LNB] That came in the first ten minutes and proved to be Quakers' last sight of goal before the break during a half that saw the Cherries have more of the ball but struggle to force Quakers keeper Shane Redmond into action.[LNB] Their best chance came in injury time, when Steve Fletcher headed wide from close to goal.[LNB] After well over 500 appearances, the striker has become a Bournemouth legend and even has a stand at Dean Court named after him.[LNB] It was directly in front of the Steve Fletcher Stand, which features a huge image of the Hartlepool-born striker's face on the roof, that the hosts broke the deadlock on 56 minutes with a goal that disappointed Davey.[LNB] Midfielder Anton Robinson climbed above left-back Stuart Giddings to head weakly at Redmond, who let the ball slip through his grasp.[LNB] Davey said: It was soft from us. It wasn't a fantastic cross or fantastic header. It was a looping cross with no pace on it.[LNB] It wasn't the biggest Bournemouth player that got on the end of it and I was disappointed that the header went through Shane's hands.[LNB] So it was three errors and I'd like to think at least one was avoidable.[LNB] Heads went down and Darlington tired, so it was no surprise when Bournemouth made it 2-0 on 71 minutes.[LNB] Madden conceded a penalty for a handball and Brett Pitman converted to score his 24th goal of the season to push the Cherries closer to League One.[LNB] Davey added: The first half was quite an even affair but we gave away a sloppy goal in the second half and went out with a whimper.[LNB] We're coming to the end of the season and only had 16 players with us today but you've just got to deal with it and hope the players that go out there put in a performance.[LNB] Unfortunately today they've not been able to do that and they deserved what they got.[LNB] The manager hopes for an improvement tomorrow at Cheltenham, while Darlington are next in action at home on Saturday against secondbottom Grimsby, when a Quakers win would relegate the Mariners.[LNB] Match facts Goals:[LNB] 1-0: Robinson (56, header at the far post after climbing above Giddings to meet a left-wing cross)[LNB] 2-0: Pitman (71, penalty low to keeper's left after Madden had handled)[LNB] Bookings: G Smith (9, foul), Mulligan (45, foul); Pearce (48, foul); Dempsey (60, foul); Bartley (85, foul)[LNB] Referee: Paul Taylor (Enfield) generous in not booking White during the first 60 seconds but didn't hesitate to use his notebook thereafter 6[LNB] Attendance: 6,464[LNB] Entertainment: [LNB] BOURNEMOUTH (4-4-2):[LNB] Jalal 5; Bradbury 5, Cooper 6, Pearce 6, Wiggins 6; Feeney 6 (McQuoid 80), Robinson 7, Bartley 6 (Goulding 90), HOLLANDS 7; Pitman 7, Fletcher 6 (Connell 82).[LNB] Subs (not used): Thomas (gk), Igoe, Cummings, Guyett[LNB] DARLINGTON (4-5-1):[LNB] 5 Redmond: At fault for the first goal but redeemed himself with a super save to deny Connell late on;[LNB] 4 Madden: Recalled in place of injured Arnison but conceded a penalty in a disappointing display[LNB] 6 White: Relished the battle with targetman Steve Fletcher[LNB] 7 MILLER: Defended valiantly in the face of persistent pressure[LNB] 4 Giddings: Needs to rapidly improve if he is to earn a place in Davey's squad for next season;[LNB] 5 Mulligan: Subbed midway through second half when Quakers changed formation[LNB] 5 Convery: Started in a central role where the game passed him by, and later moved to left-wing[LNB] 6 G Smith: Determined as ever to stamp his authority on proceedings[LNB] 5 Dempsey: Unable to get the ball forward and replaced after one too many fouls[LNB] 5 Gray: Suffered an injury late on, but had struggled to make an impact;[LNB] 5 Purcell: Saw little of the ball but on the end of Quakers' only chances[LNB] Subs:[LNB] Groves (for Dempsey 64): Saw little of the ball in central-midfield 5 M Smith (for Mulligan 64): Had one opportunity to run at the Cherries defence but was shepherded away to safety 5 Moore (for Gray 75) (not used): Liversedge (gk), Bower[LNB] MAN OF THE MATCH[LNB] IAN Miller the reliable skipper showed a determination lacking in some of his team-mates.[LNB]
