Bradbury brace gives helps Cherries cruise to victory

Russell Perrett makes his Cherries debut while Neil Young comes into play his second match of the season. Paul Telfer is the third addition to the starting XI with Jean Christophe, Jason Pearce and Ryan Garry coming out of the side.

Cherries: Begovic, Young, Cummings, Perrett, Gowling, Telfer, Anderton (Hollands ht), Gradel, O'Connor (Pitman 65), Bradbury, Kuffour.
Subs: Moss, Pearce, Christophe.

Walsall: Ince, Weston, Fox, Gerrard, Roper, Wrack, Butler, Hall (Deeney), Demontagnac, Carneiro (Nicholls ht), Boertien (McDermott 61).
Subs: Bossu, Dann.

Att: 2,206

Cherries attacked from the off and had a shot on goal within twenty seconds. Lee Bradbury set the ball up for Jo Kuffour to smash wide from the edge of the area.

Within two minutes Cherries had the lead. A corner was cleared as far as Garreth O'Connor and Jo Kuffour's cross was headed into the top corner by Lee Bradbury to mark his first Cherries goal.

On seven minutes Cherries had doubled their advantage. This time the cross came from the right hand side with Mx Gradel. The ball reached Bradbury at the far post who smashed in an effort past Clayton Ince in the Walsall goal.

On ten minutes Darren Anderton's twenty yard drive took a deflection off Jo Kuffour and almost deceived Ince, but he managed to smother the ball.

Walsall responded with a free kick from Gerrard that was blocked by the Cherries wall before Paul Boertien was booked for a horrendously timed challenge on Max Gradel.

Lee Bradbury was denied a twenty-fifth minute hat-trick by a downward save from Clayton Ince. Kuffour provided the assist and the shot destined for the bottom corner was turned around the post. Russell Perrett almost poached a goal on his Cherries debut if it weren't for a scrambled clearance and from the next corner Perrett did well to win a header before aiming over the top.

The game quietened down with the next chance created by the home side five minutes from the break. Anderton's angled free kick was taken down by Kuffour, but couldn't beat Ince from a narrow angle.

A slick move on the stroke of half time sythed through the Walsall defence. O'Connor and then Bradbury were involved and nobody picked up the run of Anderton whose shot was beaten away by Ince.

Half time: AFC Bournemouth 2-0 Walsall

Anderton injured himself reaching for the chance just before half time and was replaced for the start of the second half by Danny Hollands.

Both sides could have scored in the first minute. First Garreth O'Connor was put clear through and shot straight at Ince. Then at the other end Paul Hall failed to control with a gaping goal in front of him.

Warren Cummings nearly got himself an opportunist goalon the hour mark. His flighted ball from the left flank sailed over Ince and the keeper had to be at full stretch to tap the ball over the bar.

Walsall had two chances from distance driven wide before Max Gradel pulled a shot beyond the far post to spur on a spell of Cherries pressure.

Walsall were never a threat after that and Cherries cruised to an easy victory. A clever turn in the box by Kuffour nearly reaped a third goal when his snap shot was blocked and Ince pulled off a reaction save from Gowling's header as Cherries won a corner.

Final Score: AFC Bournemouth 2-0 Walsall