Reaction From Bournemouth Boss Kevin Bond

Last updated : 09 April 2007 By Thetashkentterror

Bournemouth boss Kevin Bond
Cherries manager Kevin Bond spoke to BBC Radio Dorset after his side's 3-1 defeat at Brunton Park this afternoon, Bond talking about the need for his side to defend better :


" Obviously disappointed to come away from a game without getting anything. I thought we played well to be truthful. Obviously we gave them a leg up early on, the little fella's (Johann Smith's) pace caught us out in the first couple of minutes. We defended atrociously from a set-piece but I thought we always looked like we might cause them some problems and we did. David McGoldrick has done so fantastic for us but by his own admission today he had three or four fantastic chances. He missed a great chance from a Darren Anderton free-kick in the first-half.

" I think we caused them problems throughout, got ourselves back in it and I really thought we might get something from the game. As so often happens though we got done a little bit on the counter-attack and that's the way things go. I'm bitterly disappointed because I want to pick something up from all the games but I've seen Carlisle play and I think they are a team in form at the moment. The front two work their socks off, the whole side work their socks off and they'll give everybody problems. They gave us problems but I thought we gave them problems as well so I'm disappointed.

" I thought the front two when they came on in the second-half, Brett Pitman and Vokesy (Sam Vokes), did ever so well. We just needed to try to change it to try to get us back in the game if we could. We clawed ourselves back into the game and had other opportunities where maybe on another day we might have drawn level. It was a classic case where we are pressing to get the equaliser and they do us on the counter-attack with ten minutes to go or something.

" I'm disappointed but we can't really let the situation mislead us. We've been in a relegation battle from the moment I've got here and we've done really, really well since the New Year. We've clawed ourselves six or seven points clear of the trouble so that was a feat. You're going to have setbacks so people need to be realistic, it was, and still is, very much the only goal to get enough points to keep us out of the trouble and then see where we go from there. Then build hopefully for the future, I'm obviously disappointed but I thought we gave as good as we got."



" I was desperately disappointed with the second goal, Josh Gowling has got to do what he is there to do, they are there to defend and keep you in the game. They've done really well of late, kept clean three sheets, one goal in the last four games we've conceded, done really well and obviously we've conceded a penalty where I think his (Johann Smith's) pace caught us out early on. We were taken by surprise with that. Then an ordinary ball in the box and I think Josh Gowling allowed the centre-back (Danny Livesey) to out-muscle him really.

" He's disappointed with that, we're all disappointed with that, you expect your defenders to defend and keep you in the game, and really we nearly played ourselves out of the game. I thought for the first two minutes, before the penalty, I thought we started really well. The first minute or two minutes I thought we started well, we looked bright, but the penalty when the little fella (Johann Smith) got on the ball, obviously he has got pace. He just nipped it away from Purchey (Stephen Purches), it was a nailed-on penalty, I've got no problem with that.

" Within a couple of minutes of the game you are 1-0 down so you are on your back-foot. Away from home, a side that has won two or three on the spin and done really well then it is going to set you back. Then to concede another one and it sets you back further, but I thought we caused them problems so we just changed it, just to give us the option of being able to hit a ball upfront and see if we could hold it upfront with Vokesy. I thought he did it really well, I was disappointed with the result, we conceded goals too easily, you're never going to win games if you concede goals too easily.

" It's very frustrating that we are just not safe yet, we can't sit here and wait for all the other teams to fall over to get us over the line. We've got to do it ourselves, and they have, the lads have done it themselves over the last few weeks, they have done really well. Today was disappointing so we need to gather ourselves back again and have a right go against Swansea on Saturday. "