Inside the London Stadium there are lots of pre-match tributes to Ludo Miklosko, who comes from near Moscow, including Jimmy Walker, not having himself in dodgy gear, on the pitch and a tifo in the Bobby Moore Stand. Ludo is still with us but in a bad way with cancer. We're with you Big Boy.
I'm joined by Matt, Lisa, Nigel and Michael, fresh from brunch at the Best Cafe. Matt's been asking for the name of the only Football League team never to win a divisional title, a mystery eventually cracked by Nigel.
It's nearly a great start as from Bowen's corner Disasi has a header cleared off the line and then pokes the rebound over the bar. Next Taty whips in a delicious cross but Summerville can only direct his effort at Petrovic.
Not much else happens in the first half though it soon becomes clear that Bournemouth are a good passing side lying eighth and this won't be easy. Jimmy Summerville shows great feet to dribble into the box only to shoot over. Blonde full back Jimenez clatters Summerville twice to earn boos from the crowd but no booking.
Hermansen looks calm, Mavropanos is having a good game at the back, Disasi looks solid and Taty is chasing everything. At half-time Michael disses Tom Stoppard then channels Fraser by announcing that we will win in an unprecedented burst of optimism.
CHERRY BOMB
The second half begins with the Cherries Rayan suddenly bursting down the right from his own half, veering into the box and firing against the outside of the post. Bournemouth look to have signed a Brazilian wonderkid while WHU got Guilherme.
The crowd are excellent in getting behind the Irons again. We give it a go. Bowen crosses from the right and Taty goes close with an overhead kick. Nuno waits a little too long to bring on Wilson but when he does arrive he almost has an immediate impact. Diouf whips in a cross and Callum produces the clever flick of an instinctive goalscorer, only to see Petrovic pull off a fine reaction save. Wilson then volleys over the bar from Bowen's cross.
Bournemouth have some good moments as Scott has a low drive saved by Hermansen and Tavernier crosses across the six-yard box. Kante comes on for Magassa, who has ballooned a shot way over when well-placed, while Diouf gets in a great crunching tackle and some fine overlaps.
RESPECTING THE PINT
There's a late flourish from the Irons, Summerville's shot is deflected for a corner. Then in the last minute Jimmy races out of his own half to set up Bowen, who shoots over. Jarrod is stretching and under pressure but should really have got it on target.
So it's 0-0, a good performance if not a good result. We've had 20 shots to Bournemouth's 10, but as Big Sam might say we've just not been clinical enough. "Teams that stay up win games in the last minute," reflects Matt as we head for the Eagle. Nigel considers that less than a point a game means relegation in any division.
In the pub there's curling on the TV while Nigel is on fire with Wes Foderingham trivia, not least the fact that at Swindon Les once squared up to boss Paulo Di Canio after being subbed off after 20 minutes. Then's he's championing an Angel Witch b-side called Gorgon. After two pints of Guinness we're on to the two bands called Blue, and the musical career of Barry Blue, whose single Dancing on a Saturday Night was once purchased on a Top of the Pops album by a young Matt.
So 11 games left. At least a point is something and one defeat in eight games is a sign of progress. The clean sheet was a positive from the game and there's still some hope if very little margin for error. Now all we have to do is win at Anfield. Oh dear.
PLAYER RATINGS: Hermansen 7; Wan-Bissaka 7, Disasi 6, Mavropanos 7, Diouf 7; Soucek 5 (Wilson 7), Fernandes 6, Magassa 5 (Kante 6); Bowen 6, Castellanos 7, Summerville 7.
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