Bournemouth 2, Huddersfield Town 2

Dec 29 2004 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Nathan Clarke also did his fair share of hard work, although having been booked for a foul on Brian Stock in the 38th minute (home duo Young and Connell were also yellow-carded after the mini-fracas which followed), he was fortunate referee Andy Penn took a lenient view of his 61st-minute foul from behind on the ever-dangerous Spicer.

Brandon, for a late 66th-minute tackle on Warren Cummings, and Danny Schofield, for delaying a Bournemouth free-kick in time added on, were also cautioned.

But while home fans took exception to robust tackles by Brandon and Town skipper Jon Worthington, this wasn't really a dirty match, with both sides keen to concentrate more on football than foul play.

The outcome was an end-to-end clash with plenty of penalty-area action, starting as early as the second minute, when Abbott and McAliskey combined to set up Schofield, who shot well over from the edge of the area.

Two minutes later, Schofield's shot from Tony Carss' lay-off was blocked before home midfielder Gareth O'Connor tried his luck from distance, shooting wide from a Stock lay-off.

Sodje moved quickly to halt Cummings' dash for goal in the ninth minute, then headed away Wade Elliott's dangerous 14th-minute cross, but only as far as Connell, whose angled shot was blocked by Clarke.

Three minutes later, Bournemouth made the breakthrough they were threatening, with Cummings the architect.

Advancing from just inside the Town half, he threaded his way into the penalty area (too easily for Jackson's liking), and while Sodje twice blocked his shots on goal, the ball spun free to the lurking Spicer, who drilled home low from 20 yards.

The home side looked buoyant for a spell, but Town came back into things when Holdsworth fired into the side-netting from Abbott's 21st-minute lay-off.