By Albatross
October 3 2003

It's a long way to Tipperary, and almost as far to the Fitness First Stadium where Hartlepool United take on Bournemouth tomorrow. Will we find the Cherries ripe for the taking though? Pools Online previews the game.... It was about this time last year that we last played at the Fitness First Stadium, going down 2-1 in terrible conditions just after the Tory Party conference had finished. This time it's the Labour Party that they will be trying to tidy up after, it's not on TV, and the weather should be a bit better - but Pools will still do well to come back with anything out of the game.

After coming up via the Playoffs, Bournemouth didn't do much in the way of squad strengthening. A shaky start to the season saw them take just two points from their first four games, but things have improved considerably since then and they now sit in 11th place. Undefeated at home, their three defeats have all been by a single goal margin - at Port Vale, QPR and the in-form Colchester. In midweek they needed a late equaliser from former Poolie (and Cherries Legend) Steve Fletcher to earn a draw at Chesterfield.

Fletch (who has now made over 400 starts for Bournemouth) is also their leading scorer so far this season with three goals. If you think that indicates the Dorset club is struggling to find the net, you'd not be far wrong; twelve in eleven games is not a huge return. Goals have been shared around a little though, with Northern Ireland International Warren Feeney bagging a couple along with James Hayter and defender Stephen Purches.

The Cherries do seem to be struggling somewhat with injuries, and having a relatively small squad will not help them any. Defenders seem to be worst hit: Shaun Maher looks likely to miss out with a knee injury that saw him taken off early on at Saltergate, Marcus Browning is also unlikely to play, while Carl Fletcher, Neil Young and Karl Broadhurst have all been struggling but should be able to take some part in the match.

For Pools, the main injury conern seems to be Marco Gabbiadini. After missing Tuesday's win though, he's travelled down with the squad today and may yet come in to start the game ahead of Eifion Williams, who played with a cold against Wrexham. Someone else pressing for a spot is Adam Boyd; having recovered from his broken toe, he's available for selection once more. Ryan McCann may miss out after being taken off as a precaution in the first half of the reserves' 5-2 win over Bradford.

The big question for Cooper is whether to keep faith with the formation and personnel that beat Wrexham so comfortably, or to go to a back three in an effort to tighten things away from home. Either way, Mark Robinson will be hoping he's done enough to keep his place on the left; if we do move to 5-3-2 though the issue will be who plays on the right: Eifion, Clarke, Barron, Arnison, Bass? I'd be tempted to stick with what worked in midweek, but Cooper has shown he's not afraid to change a winning side if he feels it's in the best interests of the side.

So, what's it to be for Pools? Again, this is a tough game - Bournemouth are no mugs, and a good side on their home turf as Sheffield Wednesday fans can tell you, or given the attitudes of some of them maybe not! I'd be happy to settle for a point, highly delighted with three - but instead I'm going to have to say I think this will be a seaside trip too far for us, and so I'll plump for a 1-0 defeat thanks to a goal, inevitably, from big Steve Fletcher.