Cherries: Dunfield goal defeats Howe's men (From Bournemouth Echo)

Cherries: Dunfield goal defeats Howe's men

4:58pm Saturday 27th February 2010 in

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LUCKLESS Cherries left Shropshire with nothing to show for their efforts as Terry Dunfield’s second-half strike claimed the points at the Prostar Stadium.

Eddie Howe’s men had the worst possible preparation when key men Jason Pearce and Liam Feeney both suffered injuries in training yesterday.

Despite this double blow, Cherries enjoyed the majority of the play – and chances, particularly in the first half – during an entertaining clash.

But they eventually came up short when Dunfield struck with a low, close-range finish on 49 minutes to hand the hosts a 1-0 win.

Cherries’ plans for the game were hampered badly by last-minute injuries to Pearce (foot) and Feeney (hamstring).

Boss Howe drafted in Warren Cummings and Josh McQuoid to his starting line-up, with young prospect Jayden Stockley and assistant boss Jason Tindall handed late call-ups to a bench which included just one senior professional in Jeff Goulding.

Left-back Cummings, out of the side since his sending off at Aldershot, partnered Ryan Garry in central defence, with McQuoid wide on the right flank.

Despite the enforced changes, Cherries started brightly against one of their major promotion rivals.

Lee Bradbury’s lofted pass provided Brett Pitman with an early chance, but Cherries’ top scorer could not direct the high ball goalwards at full stretch.

Cherries continued to cope well with the in-form hosts throughout the opening exchanges, with keeper Shwan Jalal called upon just once, to keep out Lewis Neal’s dangerous, inswinging corner at his near post.

But as the visitors confidently kept possession with a series of neat passing moves, they came within inches of taking the lead on 25 minutes.

A free-flowing build-up involving Anton Robinson and Steve Fletcher allowed the marauding Lee Bradbury to find Pitman. The Jerseyman composed himself and sent a well-struck curler goalwards from 25 yards, with former Dean Court loanee David Button relieved to see it go narrowly wide.

The same pair combined again moments later, with Pitman’s header from a floated Bradbury delivery landing on top of Button’s net.

Marvin Bartley found his way into referee David Webb’s notebook when he halted Neal’s charge towards goal, although the Cherries midfielder’s sliding challenge had appeared to win the ball.

Pitman was again at the centre of things in the 36th minute as another chance came his way, but his ambitious left-foot volley flew well over after McQuoid, released by a Garry pass, found the unmarked forward with a deep cross.

Cherries, despite their numbers crisis, continued to force the issue as half-time approached.

A rapid counter attack, sparked by Alan Connell, saw Pitman play a precise through ball to Bartley. But the former non-league man, who had produced a storming run to reach the Shrews penalty area, could only direct his right-footed drive straight at Button.

It took Shrews until the 45th minute to produce a flowing move of their own – and it very nearly led to Steve Leslie breaking the deadlock.

Picked out by Jamie Cureton’s brilliant clipped pass, the midfielder saw his volley saved by Jalal.

Bartley fired a volley of his own wide on 48 minutes but, against the run of play, Cherries found themselves a goal behind moments later.

After Cureton had weaved his way into the box, the ball fell kindly for Dunfield, who made no mistake in firing low past Jalal from 12 yards.

Improved by their goal, the hosts came close to doubling their lead on 57 minutes when Jalal needed to be at his best to hold on to Neal’s fizzing 20-yarder.

Cherries regrouped and soon got back on the front foot, with Connell calling Button into action on 63 minutes with a nicely-struck volley.

The Tottenham Hotspur stopper had no answer to a powerful, low Pitman free-kick shortly after, but the Cherries striker saw his effort fly agonisingly off target.

With Cherries searching for an equaliser, the lively Cureton began to capitalise on extra space. The Norwich City loan man raced clear on to Neal’s pass on 71 minutes, but found Jalal equal to his shot across goal.

Cureton missed a glorious opportunity moments later when latching on to Dunfield’s high pass, before Howe decided to freshen up his frontline.

The Cherries manager handed Goulding the opportunity to impress by bringing him on for captain Fletcher.

But it was at the other end where a goal was looking more likely, with only an exceptional Jalal save keeping Cherries in the contest. The in-form keeper somehow kept out Cureton’s vicious volley with a tremendous reaction save.

Howe threw Stockley on in a bid to salvage a draw but it was Paul Simpson’s team which finished the stronger, as Jake Robinson and Neal both saw shots crash back off the woodwork with the clock running down.

Shrewsbury Town: (4-4-2) Button; Holden, Coughlan, Langmead, Skarz; L Neal, McIntyre, Dunfield, Leslie (Robinson, 69); Hibbert, Cureton. Unused subs: Murray, Van Den Broek, Hooman, Simpson, C Neal (g/k).

Booked: Holden

Cherries: (4-4-2) Jalal; Bradbury, Garry (Stockley, 87), Cummings, Wiggins; McQuoid, Robinson, Bartley, Connell; Pitman, Fletcher (Goulding, 76). Unused subs: Tindall, Thomas (g/k) Booked: Bartley, Cummings

Referee: David Webb (County Durham)

Attendance: 6,061 (including 272 away supporters)