Cherries: Connell puts himself in the frame (From Bournemouth Echo)

Cherries: Connell puts himself in the frame

7:00am Monday 22nd February 2010 in

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WITH squeaky bum time fast approaching, it is a conundrum he could probably do without.

Cherries’ latest game of two halves has left boss Eddie Howe with a tricky selection dilemma.

Enlivened by the half-time introduction of Alan Connell, Howe saw his charges rescue a point thanks to the striker’s equaliser at the end of a vastly-improved second-half display.

Connell came on for Steve Fletcher, the impact substitute that Howe has been unable to leave out of his starting line-up in the past seven games.

Only time will tell whether Connell or Fletcher will get the nod when Cherries attempt to do to struggling Barnet tomorrow what they failed to accomplish against lowly Macclesfield.

Without Fletcher leading the line, Cherries have looked decidedly half-baked at times this season.

He will probably admit to having had a rare off day on Saturday, even though Nat Brown is unlikely to have had a free header for the Macclesfield goal had Fletcher still been in situ.

It could also have been a different story had Howe’s men supplied as many crosses in the first half and they did in the second.

In Fletcher’s absence, neither Connell nor Jeff Goulding has done enough to cement a regular place alongside star man Brett Pitman. Both have endured a fairly wretched season, for one reason or another.

Five league goals in 33 starts and 31 appearances from the bench between Fletcher, Connell and Goulding is testament to their combined lack of threat. It also goes a long way to explain Cherries’ dismal goal tally of 38, one fewer than third-from-bottom Torquay.

As a result, Howe’s selection policy has to be based on their respective other qualities.

A lesser man than Connell may have thrown in the towel against Macclesfield after two scuffed shots suggested another cow-and-banjo day was on the cards.

But despite fluffing his lines, the 27-year-old was rewarded for his persistence when he netted a well-executed equaliser to earn Cherries a potentially-priceless point, even though three had been expected.

After doubling his league goal return for the season to two, Connell invited his critics in the North Stand to hush their mouths by placing his finger over his lips in a ‘shush’ gesture.

Like him, the Dean Court faithful have also been suffering a lack of goal action, with seven in 13-and-a-half hours hardly likely to have had them raising the roof.

Had there been a sign for ‘thank you for your patience and understanding, now stick with us because we’re trying to do our best’, Connell probably would have used that instead.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, boss Howe revealed the half-time substitution had been “tactical”.

He added: “I just felt we weren’t getting any joy from going direct and felt we needed to get the ball down and play and Alan brings you that.

“The second half was a big improvement and also the big man had a bout of food poisoning in the week and wasn’t feeling 100 per cent.”

Howe was forced to shuffle his pack following a dire opening period when the Cherries play ers could have been forgiven for apologetically chanting at their supporters “we can see you sneaking out”. Burgers and beer certainly seemed more appealing after a helping of tripe.

Macclesfield threatened early on when Colin Daniel wasted a gilt-edged opportunity to head the visitors into a 17th-minute lead, nodding wide from just eight yards.

And Cherries sportingly repaid the compliment after the visitors’ attempts to catch them offside had backfired in spectacular fashion.

Despite being given the freedom of the 18-yard box, Pitman was culpable when he carelessly volleyed over after Jason Pearce had put Lee Bradbury’s free kick on a plate.

That was about as good as it got for Cherries in the first half, with audible groans from the crowd deservedly greeting numerous stray passes and over-hit through balls.

At the start of the second half, Silkmen goalkeeper Jonny Brain saved well from Bradbury before Shwan Jalal watched Richard Butcher’s curling effort fly past his left-hand upright. A rasping drive from Pitman also came crashing back off the crossbar as proceedings came to life.

Macclesfield silenced the home crowd when they had the temerity to take the lead after Brown arrived to power a header past Jalal from close range in the 62nd minute.

And although Cherries rallied, visiting substitute Emile Sinclair was errant with a chance that would have sealed it for the Silk-men had he not side-footed into Jalal’s arms with the goal gaping.

Connell made the visitors pay when he restored parity with a goal that left the visitors incandescent with rage, with referee Graham Horwood the subject of their ire.

Macclesfield boss Keith Alexander was convinced Connell had shoved defender Izak Reid in the build up and was banished to the stands after voicing his displeasure.

“I was very disappointed,” said Alexander. “He had to spot it, it was blatant and he was facing the play. It’s hard enough when you come to these places. The referee has got to get those decisions correct. It was absolutely scandalous.”

Howe was slightly less critical of Cherries’ powder-puff first-half showing, although still felt his side had deserved to win.

“I thought we did, especially on the second-half showing. We were excellent,” he said. “It was a bitter blow to go 1-0 down when we were probably having our best spell of the game.

“We created some good chances and the difference between the two halves was massive. We need to start games better here and get the opposition on the back foot.

“We came alive in the last 20 minutes and really needed to start like that. The crowd got with us and, if we’d had another 10 minutes, I think we would have got the goal but it wasn’t to be.”