WHEN it comes to heroes and villains, Jeff Goulding can now lay claim to being up there with the best and worst.

Just days after silencing cocky Notts County, the striker blotted his copybook against cocksure Grimsby Town.

His dramatic equaliser a week ago helped Cherries complete what had appeared a Mission Impossible as the clock ticked into added time at Meadow Lane.

In keeping with the film theme, Goulding added a new meaning to Gone In 60 Seconds when he hit the self-destruct button at Blundell Park on Saturday.

Within a minute of coming off the bench, Goulding was disappearing down the tunnel with his tail between his legs following what could prove a very costly rush of blood.

For reasons known only to Goulding, he decided to give referee Rob Shoebridge every opportunity to reach for his red card following an off-the-ball clash with Grimsby defender Jude Stirling.

Goulding was given his marching orders after allegedly elbowing Stirling and, although the evidence was compelling, the accused did not wish to take the stand.

Cherries boss Eddie Howe was adamant that Goulding should have been given first use of the soap, while the striker had an unlikely character witness in Stirling.

Irrespective of the verdict, and with Cherries’ resources already stretched to the limit, Goulding was guilty of compromising himself.

With an automatic three-match ban on the horizon and the season at such a critical stage, his ill-advised actions were hardly a ringing endorsement for a new contract at Dean Court.

Howe will be both judge and jury on that particular indictment with the final six games of the season now possibly taking on greater importance for Goulding.

In mitigation, it was an out-of-character reaction from the normally mild-mannered 25-year-old, a gentle giant despite learning his trade on the unforgiving non-league circuit around London.

Stirling, who was raised on the tough Broadwater Farm estate in north London, joined Grimsby in a loan move from MK Dons on the morning of the match.

He said: “It was one of those situations where a striker and a defender are both tussling for the ball. I think he got a bit frustrated because I was all over him.

“I didn’t want him to run through and, as I tried to get in front of him, he caught me with his elbow. These things happen but I think he could feel a bit hard done by.

“When you’ve just come on, the adrenaline is flowing. I think he got a bit excited. It was hard luck but, any time you raise your arms, you’ve got to be a bit wary of the consequences.”

Stirling, one of five loan players on the Grimsby team-sheet and one of only two not to score, played his part as the Mariners turned League Two on its head.

A first Cherries win in Cleethorpes since 1977 was rarely on the cards as Howe’s men were put to the sword for long periods.

There was to be no extension of the friendly and hospitable welcome afforded to visitors to Blundell Park as the hosts made their intentions clear from the first whistle. And while Cherries may have been the recipients of a gifted goal, the ultimate prize belonged to the Grimbarians.

Having succumbed to Jamie Devitt’s 27th-minute opener, Cherries rallied and had restored parity by half-time thanks to Lee Bradbury’s unopposed header, his first goal for a year.

The interval scoreline owed much to the Trojan efforts of central defensive pairing Ryan Garry and Marvin Bartley, while goalkeeper Shwan Jalal’s reaction save from Rob Atkinson was also key.

Cherries’ appeals for a “blatant handball”, after Michael Coulson had restored Grimsby’s lead on the hour, fell on deaf ears. The visitors were convinced the on-loan Barnsley midfielder had punched home Peter Sweeney’s inswinging corner with his fist.

Regular travelling supporter Steve Brown had an excellent view of the goal and felt the finish was decidedly fishy, while television replays showed it was the most blatant handball of the century.

“It was the hand of cod!” moaned Steve, as he and friends contemplated their 300-mile trip back to Dorset.

Despite the injustice, Cherries broke straight from the kick-off and Grimsby goalkeeper Nick Colgan was betrayed by his own handling as the ball squirmed through his grasp after Liam Feeney had taken aim with a tame right-foot shot.

Colgan partly atoned when he saved from the same player after Goulding had made his exit, although Jalal was by far the busier of the two goalkeepers as the Mariners piled forward during the closing stages.

And their efforts were rewarded when Leicester City loan youngster Ashley Chambers netted a quite majestic winner in the first of four minutes of injury time.

Ex-Cherries goalkeeper Colgan told the Daily Echo: “Maybe we met Bournemouth on a bad day, but we thoroughly deserved to win. It was a poor error by me but Ash dug me out of a massive hole and we got the three points our performance warranted.”