PUBLISHED
14:32 15th January 2013
by Adam Tighe
Anton Rodgers' goal gives Albion's development squad a 1-0 win in a friendly against Bournemouth...
Anton Rodgers scored his second goal in as many games to give Albion’s development squad a 1-0 win over south-coast neighbours AFC Bournemouth.
*
Luke Williams took the opportunity to use the majority of his young squad during the friendly fixture, with Jake Forster-Caskey back in the fold following his return from his loan spell at Oxford United.
*
The midday sun shone down on Bournemouth’s training ground as the game got underway, with Brennan Dickenson the first player to threaten the goal with a stinging drive that was well held by the Cherries’ keeper.
*
Frank Demouge then had two opportunities to put the hosts ahead; first he dragged a good opening wide before heading harmlessly over the crossbar soon after.
*
The hosts came close once again, this time through Josh Carmichael who saw his powerful effort pushed round the post by Dan East.
*
And Carmichael again came close when his goal-bound shot was hacked away by Matt McGiveron just after the half-hour mark, but the best chance of the first half fell to Albion when Solly March broke through the Cherries defence only to see his placed finish go narrowly wide.
*
Williams rung the changes at half-time and the introduction of Rodgers and Yasir Kasim aided the excellent Forster-Caskey in stamping his own authority on the game.
*
Senior defender Marcos Painter made a welcome return from injury and it was the left-back’s cross that set-up Rodgers for his first-time finish to give Albion the lead within five minutes of the restart.
*
Forster-Caskey’s growing influence started to cause the hosts further problems, and the midfielder’s weighted through ball played in Rodgers who cleverly back heeled the ball into the path of Barker, only for the development squad’s top scorer to place his shot wide.
*
There were some muted appeals for a penalty as Barker was caught late after striking the ball but the referee waved away any protests.
*
March then tried his luck from distance but his effort was comfortably saved before Bournemouth came within inches of equalising as Harrison Gilks’ scuffed effort hit the inside of the post.
*
Bournemouth again came close as Demouge’s free-kick from distance flashed over the bar and Bandon Goodship shot wide after breaking through one-on-one.
*
The game petered out in the final 20 minutes as Albion showed some periods of high quality passing before some late pressure from the hosts, but Williams’ side comfortably held on for a second consecutive victory.
*
Original article