Howe: Conditions really ruined the game

AFC Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe was pleased with how his side defended against a free scoring Swindon Town outfit.

During their last three games Paulo Di Canio's side had scored 14 goals without conceding and during the first half an hour both sides looked to play really end to end attacking football.

David James made some important saves, while Harry Arter put the Cherries 1-0 up at half time.

The pitch was given an inspection during half time and with the
Swindon players putting pressure on the officials to abandon the game, an extra five minutes was needed to work on the pitch.

The players did eventually come back out though and whilst conditions were tough with both sides making errors with short and long passing, the game continued to prove exciting and entertaining.

James was called upon once again to make an excellent save with his legs, while Swindon's Foderingham also made an excellent save to deny the Cherries.

Swindon's pressure paid off with five minutes remaining, a short clearance from David James fell straight to the away side, the former England international rushed out to make the clearance, but it was Swindon who got the luck bounce with players diving in and Williams came away with the ball to strike into an empty net past the helpless Steve Cook.

Howe told BBC Radio Solent...

'It was a really good match up until the heavens really opened after about 30 minutes, it was end to end, two teams really going at each other.

'I think the conditions really ruined the game which was a real shame from our perspective being a football team. It was difficult to play our normal game, we had to slightly adjust and I think that played into their hands.

'In difficult conditions I thought, in the main, we defended really well.'

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