PITY THE FANS
1 Cherries earn sympathy not points after leaving at 1.15am for TV kick-off
SCOTT PARKER was distraught at being unable to reward Bournemouth’s hardy travelling fans with a win.
Many of the 300 dedicated supporters left home at 1.15am to make the lunchtime kick-off as part of a gruelling 630-mile round trip that saw their Middlesbrough counterparts stage a protest during the game against Football League TV rights holders Sky Sports for their rescheduling of the Championship clash just a week before Christmas.
Bournemouth missed a chance to climb to the summit after making it six games without a win. Boss Parker said: ‘The fans’ support is incredible, and it hurts me to think that with all the effort they’ve put in we couldn’t reward them with all three points.
‘These fans paid their hard-earned money to come here and, with their help this run will turn, a million per cent it will.
‘We’re going to need them more than ever and I’ve no doubt they’ll be right behind us during this tricky spell when it’s just not falling for us.
‘You have to weather these moments and understand there will be a blip and adversity along the way over a long season like this.
‘Are we the team we were six or seven weeks ago? No. We look a little low on confidence and a little jaded so it’s my job to keep working hard and help the players keep that belief in what we’re doing.’
The Cherries paid for failing to make their dominance at the end of the first half pay, when Jaidon Anthony, Dominic Solanke and Ryan Christie all missed chances to put them ahead.
Anthony compounded his miss by up-ending lively Middlesbrough winger Isaiah Jones early in the second, allowing Andraz Sporar to thrash home his fourth goal of the season from the penalty spot. It took Bournemouth more than an hour to force Boro keeper Joe Lumley into a save.
Meanwhile, his opposite number Mark Travers kept the Cherries in it with an outstanding individual performance but it was not enough to help his side earn a first-ever victory on Teesside, as their winless run in this part of the North East stretched to 11 games, spanning 54 years.
They remain two points behind Fulham, who can extend their lead at the top of the table with victory over Sheffield United at Craven Cottage tomorrow.
Middlesbrough have made significant strides towards the play-off places in losing just once since Chris Wilder took charge and the delighted Boro boss said: ‘We knew we had to perform to our best to beat a good Bournemouth side.
‘We are heading in the right direction, I know what I want things to look like and we’re still a fair way off. The January transfer window will be huge. I think the owner understands that.
‘This was a great result but we can’t be the team that turns up against Bournemouth, but then doesn’t show in the next game.
‘We’re going along nicely and trying hard to build into being a good side in this division.’
On Covid and the potential for an outbreak to influence Boro’s remaining matches, Wilder added: ‘The players have got to be smart, sacrifices have got to be made and
I don’t want anyone breaking the bubble. It’s their time to come to work to give the supporters what they want to see over this period, even more so now. We have to be so vigilant and on it and smart.
‘We had a meeting in the week and I told them it’s heads down, don’t go gallivanting all over the place because you’re professional footballers.
‘It can absolutely smash you losing players. We need everyone as healthy as possible and it’s important all the players take that responsibility on board.’
On Covid, Parker said: ‘We all want football to be on as long as everyone’s in a safe space. We’ve lived in a world for the last two years where you must be adaptable.’