AGONY: Jason Pearce

OPTIMISM counts for nothing when football fails to follow the script.

As the best part of a 1,500-strong Cherries army made its way towards Cumbria in the early hours of Saturday morning, even the early start and 350 long miles in front would have failed to dampen the spirits of the Dean Court faithful.

And at just after 5pm, as Kevin Bond's heroic charges trudged their way towards the Waterworks End of Brunton Park, the waves of fatigue and disappointment were soon replaced by a tsunami of pride.

It's easy, in among the unbreakable belief that a six-game winning run can spark, to forget that Cherries were 14 points away from safety and cast adrift in the League One drop zone as recently as Easter Monday.

The points hit of administration had given Bond's men no hope of avoiding the League One trap door. And that was the end of that. Done. Dusted. Finished.

But, talking of not following the script, the men that matter, the players, had other ideas and put together a fitting run of victories to equal that of Bond's own father in 1970.

And that is why they deserved better in Cumbria on Saturday.

It was a brave, brave effort by Bond's men after Scott Dobie had put the Cumbrians in front after 58 minutes.

Brett Pitman gave Cherries hope 10 minutes later, but Cheltenham Town had heroic ideas of their own in ending Doncaster Rovers' hopes for automatic promotion and sending Bond's side down in the same goal.

But with fingernails at a premium among the rolling Cumbrian hills, the fact that Bond's men were in the bottom four all afternoon was an unfair reflection on what was a blood, sweat and tears performance.

Both sides had a series of half-chances to break the deadlock in a cagey opening five minutes, with Sam Vokes's header straight at Keiren Westwood the best of Cherries' early opportunities.

And as Bond's side dominated possession, Danny Hollands's speculative 25-yard volley flew well wide of Westwood's goal, while Jason Pearce's dangerous back-pass to David Forde after-a-quarter-of- an-hour was dealt with well by the Cardiff loan goalkeeper under pressure from Danny Graham.

Westwood then did well to hold on to Maxi Gradel's thunderous drive from just inside the Cumbrians' box after 20 minutes.

With Cherries coming under increased pressure from Ward's side midway through the first half, news filtered through of Cheltenham leading Rovers, while Simeon Jackson had also put drop-zone dwellers Gillingham a goal to the good at Leeds.

With precision timing, Bond's side then had the best chance of the opening period when Gradel cut in from the right-hand side and unleashed a fierce left-foot drive.

The Ivorian loanee's 26th-minute shot, however, struck Hollands and bounced back off Westwood's post.

Vokes then went close moments later, but the young Welshman scuffed his shot into the hands of Westwood when well-placed.

Simon Hackney's dipping 30-yard effort on the half-hour was easily saved by Forde, while Hollands's acrobatic bicycle kick flew wide after the former Chelsea man latched on to Vokes's flick-on.

Josh Gowling was called into action to head clear under pressure from Graham at the near post with 35 minutes played, while Gary Madine should have done better when attempting to get on the end of Hackney's cross two minutes later.

Dobie's appeal for a penalty under Jason Pearce's challenge was rightly waved away by referee Michael Jones with five minutes of the first half remaining.

And the former West Brom man was receiving the same signal from Jones just minutes later after crashing to the floor for a second time.

With Crewe 2-0 down at home to Oldham at the break, as things stood, a win for Cherries would have kept them up alongside Cheltenham, with the Railwaymen crashing through the League One trap door.

Peter Murphy's flying block just after the restart denied Hollands after he had pulled the trigger from long range, before Graham miscued a header from Grant Smith's cross.

Forde was well-placed to collect a Dobie header, before Gradel's drive after 55 minutes appeared to strike Smith on the hand, but Jones dismissed Cherries' strong appeal for a penalty.

With the Cumbrians on the attack, Bond's worst fears were realised when Ward's side took the lead just before the hour.

The Cherries defence failed to clear their lines and Dobie turned and fired past Forde from close range after Madine's initial shot had come back off the post.

The strike was dubious to say the least, with Dobie appearing offside on TV replays.

Bond didn't hang around following Dobie's opener and made what was to become an inspired substitution in Brett Pitman.

The Channel Islander, on for Darren Anderton, was in the thick of things from the off when he blasted a fizzing drive towards Westwood's goal after 64 minutes, only to watch his effort smash Murphy full in the face.

Despite having time on the ball moments later, too, Pitman could only fire a 20-yard strike deep into the Unison Stand.

But a goal was coming and Pitman, a constant threat, made no mistake with 22 minutes remaining when he volleyed home on his 100th appearance for the club.

The youngster poked the ball past Westwood after Vokes had played him in following good work on the flank from Lee Bradbury.

Pitman's equaliser undoubtedly galvanised Bond's charges, with Jo Kuffour unlucky not to test Westwood after 71 minutes, the former Brentford man unable to get the ball under control in a dusty, lumpy six-yard box.

With Sean O'Driscoll's Rovers equalising at Cheltenham with 18 minutes to play, the crowd's reaction at the Waterworks End would have told Bond's troops all they needed to know. Another for Rovers and a Brunton Park draw would be enough.

Hollands, though, could have handed Cherries a deserved lead on 75 minutes, but the Daily Echo / Micky Cave player of the season turned his shot wide after being played in by the ever-busy Pitman.

Dobie almost doubled his tally with eight minutes remaining, before Cherries' survival hopes were all but ended when Cheltenham regained the lead against Rovers.

A last-gasp winning goal at that stage, though, would have been enough for Bond, with capitulating Crewe 4-0 down against Oldham.

Cumbrians sub Marc Bridge-Wilkinson, meanwhile, drilled an 88th-minute fizzer past Forde's right-hand post, while Pitman's free kick moments later was just too far in front of Vokes.

Marvin Bartley, on for Warren Cummings, drove straight at Westwood deep in stoppage time and, at the other end, Danny Carlton's close-range effort flashed past the post.

Bradbury, clearly frustrated, was lucky to stay on the field in the dying moments after appearing to stamp on Darren Campion and with Cheltenham's win over Rovers confirmed with Cherries still pushing forward, their brave effort was in vain.

Steve Jones's 84th-minute consolation meant little in the end as battered Crewe, despite two defeats in their final two games, held on to their League One status.

Gillingham, meanwhile, were beaten 2-1 by Leeds to end their hopes of staying in the division, while Cheltenham, thanks to Paul Connor's winner on 85 minutes, clung on to life in the third tier by the skin of their teeth.

8:00pm Sunday 4th May 2008

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