Home page
Top Sport
Tennis Tips
Cherries
Cherries News
Cherries Reports
Cherries Team Photo
Cherries Postbag
Cherries Contacts
Pirates
Bowls
Columnists
Swimming
Non league football
National Sport
BFA football
Great sporting videos
Rugby
Golf
Cricket
Site Map
Search Advanced Search
Cherries News
EDITOR'S CHOICE
GETTING CANED
If you can't beat 'em...
DELIGHT WITH DENTIST
Fangs ain’t what they used to be!
COMBAT HAY FEVER
Hay there!
TOP AWARDS
We're the best in town
VOTE
Do Sats put children under too much pressure?
Yes
No
GET OUR NEWS BY E-MAIL
Most read Comments
Rob issues battle cry
Rob Newman
Rob Newman

ROB Newman is convinced Kevin Bond's troops must win the battle in order to win the war as Cherries prepare to lock horns with old adversaries Gillingham.

Newman believes a clash of contrasting styles could be on the cards when the League One relegation rivals go head to head at Priestfield tomorrow (3pm kick-off).

The uncompromising Gills are currently one place and seven points above Cherries having plummeted into the mire following a dismal run of just one win in 13.

Cherries assistant boss Newman said: "Our current form is better than theirs and they are struggling a bit. Unlike us, they haven't lost 10 points and both teams are desperate for the win.

"I know their manager Mark Stimson and he does like to play football. But they are a physical side as well and we will need to match them.

"They've got a lot of players from non-league and sometimes they try to intimate the opposition. We've got to make sure we don't go down that road because if you crumble then the football goes out of the window.

"We've got to be strong enough to stand up to the physical battle, which we know we can expect and, hopefully, the players we've got are better than theirs and we can get the three points.

"It is a physical league and sometimes teams do try to beat you up if they know you are better footballers than they are because they have to stop you playing and rightly so.

"Our results and performances have picked up since Christmas and sometimes we've been in situations where we've had to stand up and be counted and we've done that.

"If we had done it at the start of the season then we wouldn't be in the situation we are in now but the players can only do what they're doing now so full credit to them."

Cherries head to Kent on the back of a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Yeovil six days ago and will be hoping to end a run of three successive away defeats.

And having been denied victory by Andrew Crofts's injury-time equaliser last season, Cherries will also be looking for their first win at the venue since 1983.

Newman added: "It was a comfortable win against Yeovil but you've still got to do it. We're going there full of confidence and thinking we've got a really good chance of winning."

Defender Warren Cummings admits he is "very unlikely" to feature after having a minor operation to clean up a shin injury following the Yeovil victory. His absence would leave boss Bond without both first-choice full-backs as Neil Young is also ruled out by an ankle injury. Lee Bradbury and Jo Tessem both return after missing the past three games.

New Gills loan signing Kevin Maher will be forced to sit out after collecting a three-match ban following his sending off against Crewe last week.

Cherries: (from) Forde, Cooper, Gowling, Pearce, Cummings, Gradel, Bartley, Hollands, Pitman, Vokes, Kuffour, Bradbury, Tessem, McQuoid, Partington, Franks, Finlay, Pryce.

Gillingham: (from) Royce, Fuller, Bygrave, King, Nutter, Bentley, Crofts, Miller, Mulligan, Facey, Oli, Jackson, Griffiths, Clohessy, Lewis, Stone, Howard, Cullip, Stillie.

7:00am Friday 21st March 2008

Print   Email this   Comment
Posted by: cherryfan, Horndean on 1:00pm Fri 21 Mar 08
Rob issues a battle cry? I bet the players are quaking in their boots. There hardly going to get dropped if they play badly are they!
Posted by: Neil Weedon, Sutton Coldfield on 5:59pm Fri 21 Mar 08
"There hardly going to get dropped if they play badly are they!"

That should be "they're" as in they are but anyway it's not like they're playing for their careers is it? It's not like at the end of the season there are hundreds of players desperate to get a contract to pay their mortgage or feed their families is it?
Posted by: Throopmill, Mt Everest on 8:07pm Fri 21 Mar 08
Yawns again, More BS coming from Dean Court . The place os a daaam shambles.
Posted by: kevvo, The dog house again on 6:33pm Sat 22 Mar 08
If thats what happens after your battle cry please take a leaf out of your Chairmans book and remain silent in future
Posted by: kevvo, The dog house again on 6:47pm Sat 22 Mar 08
Neil Weedon wrote:
"There hardly going to get dropped if they play badly are they!" That should be "they're" as in they are but anyway it's not like they're playing for their careers is it? It's not like at the end of the season there are hundreds of players desperate to get a contract to pay their mortgage or feed their families is it?
Ha Ha What a pity that doesnt seem to apply to non performing Management Staff . Anyone who is out of contract here will be going
Posted by: kevvo, The dog house again on 7:17am Sun 23 Mar 08
What value does the continued employment of this Man add to AFC Bournemouth. Its the same as Bonds stupid statements :
Add your comment
Please note: to publish your comment you must be registered on this site. If you are already registered, please enter your details below.
Email:
Password:
Archive
'
On Par Dorset - Spring 2008



Terms & Conditions
Privacy Policy © Copyright 2001-2008
Newsquest Media Group
A Gannett Company
This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network