Unwanted brace for Feeney

From the Echo, first published Monday 20th Oct 2003.

WARREN Feeney grabbed his fourth goal in five league games to help Cherries see off Brighton - but could not remember too much about it.

The Ulsterman netted the only goal of the game in the 15th minute before he was struck down by a bout of amnesia after being stretchered off having sustained a facial injury.

Feeney was carried off on a spinal board wearing a neck brace after he had been accidentally poleaxed by a fierce clearance from Seagulls defender Kerry Mayo.

But despite initial fears that he may have broken his jaw, Feeney was given a clean bill of health following an X-ray at Poole Hospital, although he is still doubtful for the visit of Luton tomorrow.

Feeney told the Daily Echo: "As I was on my way to hospital in the ambulance, the driver told me that we were still winning 1-0 and I asked him who had scored!"

Victory was no more than Cherries deserved having dominated for long periods against the Division Two league leaders.

Cherries opened the scoring when Feeney poked the ball home from close range after the Albion defence had failed to deal with Wade Elliott's cross from the right.

Seagulls skipper Danny Cullip headed his clearance straight to James Hayter whose first-time effort was blocked into the path of Feeney who made no mistake from inside the six-yard box.

Cherries almost doubled their lead just seconds later when a stinging drive from Steve Purches was pushed away by Michel Kuipers before Hayter headed over after Elliott had retrieved the loose ball.

Richard Carpenter and Adam Hinshelwood both saw long-range efforts comfortably saved by Cherries goalkeeper Neil Moss before Marcus Browning failed to make contact with a probing centre from the left by Purches.

Play was held up for around six minutes after Feeney had suffered his injury before the striker left the field to a standing ovation - with a number of Brighton supporters also showing their concern - and was replaced by Alan Connell, who came on for his third appearance from the bench this season.

Neil Young, booked earlier for scything down Nathan Jones, made a crucial saving tackle on Chris McPhee, nicking the ball off his toe as the Brighton striker prepared to pull the trigger from just inside the 18-yard box.

Cherries again went close to extending their lead when Carl Fletcher arrived unmarked to head a Hayter corner against the base of Kuipers's left-hand post in first-half stoppage time.

Referee Grant Hegley also turned down two penalty claims, firstly after Elliott's centre had appeared to strike Mayo's arm and then after Cullip had most definitely tugged Steve Fletcher's shirt.

Connell spurned a chance to make it 2-0 just four minutes after half-time when he headed over from close range after Elliott had hared down the right and dispatched an inch-perfect cross into the danger zone.

The young striker went close to atoning when his delightful lob from around 25 yards almost caught Kuipers napping before Garreth O'Connor clipped a right-foot effort narrowly wide of the post.

Kuipers pouched a shot from Purches who had tried his luck from distance after running half the length of the pitch before Connell was denied by the goalkeeper after he had met Hayter's cross at the near post.

Although the Seagulls upped the tempo in the closing stages, they rarely threatened Moss's goal and as the visitors became more frustrated, they began to lose their discipline, culminating in a dreadful tackle by Hinshelwood on Hayter which inexplicably only resulted in a booking.

Brighton dangerman Leon Knight hardly got a kick as the indefatigable pair of Carl Fletcher and Karl Broadhurst defended superbly. However, the diminutive frontman did eventually get a kick, a whack on the leg from Brian Stock which prompted his premature demise.

The no-shows in a sell-out crowd of 7,908 must also be kicking themselves after missing an absorbing contest which resulted in Cherries securing their highest league position for more than four years.

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