GREG Abbott really should have learned from John Coleman and Keith Hill when it comes to helping out with Eddie Howe’s team talks.

Hill, of course, had the last laugh back in November 2009 when his ill-informed comments regarding Cherries’ finances did little to upset the Rochdale promotion push at Dean Court.

A battling 0-0 draw at Spotland on Easter Monday, however, all but clinched Cherries’ place in League One, while Hill’s inflated wheels fell off as the Lancastrians finished beneath Howe’s men in the League Two pecking order. Petty, maybe, but Howe, secretly, would have loved that league table.

As for Coleman, his thoughts on the Cherries books spurred Howe’s men to simple victory at the Crown Ground.

It would be wrong to place Abbott in the same bracket as those bosses, of course, with the Carlisle manager’s only crime being what he probably perceived to be a throw-away comment on Howe’s defence.

Cherries have shipped nine goals in eight league games – hardly cannon fodder – but Abbott’s description of Howe’s rearguard as “delicate with a soft underbelly” ahead of this clash was a little careless to say the least. Especially from a side boasting only three league goals on the road.

With that in mind, the Cumbrians were given barely a sniff all afternoon as Cherries set about backing up Abbott’s more informed soundbite: “They are scoring goals and will always be in with a chance of winning games.”

But for the heroics of Adam Collin, Abbott’s thoughts could well have come back to haunt him with alarming speed, with Josh McQuoid’s early snapshot expertly tipped over the crossbar by the visiting goalkeeper.

That was pretty much as good as it got for the 6,000-strong crowd during an opening period dominated by referee Dave Phillips and a series of baffling decisions.

But if the Dean Court faithful were hoping some half-time Vitamin C would assist Phillips in returning to his senses, they were wrong.

Comfortable in possession two minutes after the restart, a Cumbrian pass struck the official and set Marvin Bartley on his way.

Bartley fed Liam Feeney, whose burst up the right-hand side led to a corner for Howe’s men. Pugh crossed, Ryan Garry headed home and, barring any kind of Notts County-esque comeback from the visitors, it was game over.

“We expected to play fluent football and it was very scrappy at times,” said Abbott after the final whistle. “The first goal was always going to be important and I think the side that got that goal was always going to go on and take the game. That’s how it panned out.

“Their lad played a one-two with the referee and marched up the field to win a corner, and that led to a little bit of frustration on our part.

“He got a free header but it happens. We need to do that at the other end more often because we had enough corners and free kicks. It was a disappointing goal to concede.

“We had been reasonably tight at the other end and hadn’t conceded too many but Bournemouth, after they got the goal, looked like they got up a head of steam and we did well to contain it at that end.”

Adam Smith, deep into an assured debut at full-back following his loan move from Spurs in midweek, played a pivotal role in Cherries’ second when he was felled inside the Cumbrians’ penalty box by Francois Zoko just after the hour mark.

Substitute Michael Symes stepped up to send Collin the wrong way from 12 yards and, despite one or two half-chances for the visitors to get back into the clash, Howe’s men looked to have few concerns in the very place where Abbott believed they were vulnerable.

It was the same story in the middle of the park, with Zoko and Tom Taiwo having no answer to Anton Robinson and Marvin Bartley’s hustle-bustle. Bartley was again tireless, while both Pugh and Feeney dished out headaches for Frank Simek and Sean McDaid.

In truth, the introduction of Symes at half-time was a turning point, handing McQuoid a little second-half respite after an industrious opening period that yielded little in terms of chances for Cherries’ top-scorer. But for a lack of options up front, Howe could well have opted to rest McQuoid by now after a whirlwind few weeks for the 20-year-old.

When asked for his thoughts on Cherries following the match, meanwhile, Abbott, said through a hint of gritted teeth, added: “They looked a half-decent side. They get men forward but we asked them a few questions, although we couldn’t get a goal to put them under pressure.

“I thought they were better than we were. Their energy was better than ours was and their creativeness was better than ours was and I think their determination to win the game was ahead of ours so I have no complaints.”

Over to you, Mssrs Tisdale and Adkins.