Match 'report'....Oldham away

For what it's worth I thought I'd write a report so those of you who weren't one of the 131 idiots who paid money to watch that tactically inept performance can see how bad it was for those who had the misfortune of being there....

Lining up 4-4-2, I was quietly confident that today's team could actually score a few goals and give us the first decent win we've had in a while (excluding Brentford). Hines came in to join Stockley up front in a classic little and large(ish) combination that would hopefully bring goals, either through using Stockley as a target man, or by playing through our creative midfield.

The problem is, the team had lost the plot, playing route one football but not actually getting anywhere near either of our strikers. Whereas this tactic worked reasonably well against Carlisle last weekend when Cooper was doing the distribution, today it was left to the back four Addison and Cook, with balls flying everywhere and Stockley and Hines having to run after a lot.

Set pieces once again gave the opposition chances; basic skills like picking up the man running in (who'd have scored if he hadn't fluffed his shot) and not being offside at your own corner (seriously....) were embarrassing to watch at times, and with Oldham hitting the bar from a corner late in the first half, it felt like only a matter of time before they scored.

The second half started even worse than the first, Taylor coming on for Stockley in a pointless like-for-like change, and when we basically let Oldham score after 52 minutes you might has well have put the stoppage time board up. I have never seen a team walk through us like that before and, while they knocked the ball around well, lack of closing down made them look like Barcelona.

From there till about the 88th minute nothing really happened. Oldham had a cracking 35 yard shot hit the bar because no Bournemouth player could be bothered to close him down and After came on for Cooper. Bournemouth gave the ball away constantly, Hines kept falling over, we didn't have a shot on target or even look like getting a goal.

Finally when all seemed to be lost and I had gotten more interested in venting my frustrations on Twitter, Bradbury decided to lump Addison upfront and all of a sudden things looked up. Finally balls were finding the target man, Oldham's defence couldn't deal with Addison and, when his header sent Lyle Taylor through with an open goal, it looked like we'd steal an undeserved point.

However, Taylor was brought down a yard out and the ball trickled wide. Inexplicably, the linesman gave a goal kick, Cherries players complained, After got booked and the game carried on. Addison had another chance to salvage a point moments later but his header was cleared off the line.

All in all, some of the worst football I've seen from us. Hoofball never suited AFCB and when you can't even get it within five yards of the target then you should try something else

The problem is, when we got the ball down and actually played football, we showed the kind of passing that got us up in the playoffs. Pugh and Malone linked up well only for Malone to drive straight at the keeper. Pugh also linked up well with Hines who put in a decent cross.

Ratings:

Flahaven - 6 -As bad as we were, he didn't have anything to do. Can't really blame him for the first

Francis - 5 - Still not sure if he can quite cut it at this level

Cook - 5 - Shocking distribution. Seems to lack cohesion with Addison

Addison - 6 - Based on the last 3 minutes I'd give him an 8, however it's a 90 minute game. Upfront Tuesday night please.

Malone - 4 - Asleep at the back on numerous occasions. Looked like he would rather play higher up the field

Pugh - 6 - Only man in the team looking like creating something and yet we bypass him by playing hoof ball...

Cooper - 5 - Looked off the pace, needed t be the one dropping deep to distribute the ball

MacDonald - 5 - Game kind of passed him by today

Fogden - 6 - Yes he runs a lot (I could do that) and never gives up, but there never seems to be any point. A 6 just for effort

Hines - 4 - A couple of yards off the pace, thought he was supposed to be quick (he isn't). Caught in possession a lot

Stockley - 5 - Not helped by shocking distribution. Imagine asking Fletch to run for everything....



Sub:

Taylor - 5 - Largely inconspicuous. Brighter for the last 10 mins though when he started to link up with Pugh and Addison. Looked like he'd rather be at Hereford

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