Cherries defeated by Poole

AFC Bournemouth lost their second pre-season fixture to Southern League Division One South and West Poole Town on Friday evening.

Cherries manager Paul Groves elected to split his first team squad into two for the double header with Poole Town and Winchester City, so half the squad featured last night, while the other half will feature this afternoon at the Denplan.

Shwan Jalal was named in goal with back four of Gary Bowles, Miles Addison, Adam Barrett and Wigan trialist Darius Waters at left back. The midfield involved Lewis Grabban, Harry Arter, Steven Gregory amd Marc Pugh with Wesley Thomas and Matt Tubbs up front.

But despite a strong side the game didn't prove to be the goal fest of the previous friendly against New Milton and the Cherries fell behind after eight minutes, when two Cherries youth team graduates combined to put Poole ahead.

Carl Preston set up Luke Burbidge to open the scoring, while Burbidge turned provider when he set up Alex Baldacchino to put the home side 2-0 up at half time.

Groves began to make the changes at half time with Baily Cargill and Jamal Bajandouh replacing Bowles and Arter.

Cargill moved into the left back position, while Darius Waters switched to right back.

Around the hour mark Harrison Gilkes, Ryan Case, Alex Moth and Jayden Stockley replaced Grabban, Barrett, Tubbs and Thomas, but Poole continued to control the game.

Groves made two late changes bringing on Clive Makoni and 15 year old Sam Matthews for Gregory and Pugh and the Cherries did get one goal back through Case.

After the match AFC Bournemouth manager Paul Groves told the Daily Echo...

'You get one or two things answered as you go through pre-season. The New Milton game was totally different and we knew this would be another couple of levels up.

"One or two questions were answered about one or two personnel. It is up to them to react and it is up to us to address one or two things as well. It is a process you will go through.

"I don`t think we can be happy with the level of performance in terms of what was shown over the first hour. Having said that, they have come off the back of a hard week but I am not going to make excuses. It is pre-season and we are trying to bed in things which takes time."

The Cherries third game of the pre-season campaign is this afternoon at Winchester.

Groves is expected to give a debut to Dutch striker Frank Demouge, while new signing from Torquay Eunan O'Kane will not feature, the midfielder missed Torquay's last pre-season game with a hamstring injury.

Admission is £9 for adults, £5 for senior citizens and students, £2.50 14-16 year olds and free for under 14s.



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