Gary-ONeil-Manager

GARY O'Neil revealed illness and unavailability within Cherries' camp made preparing for Saturday's game against Brentford "difficult". Interim boss O'Neil is still unbeaten since taking the hotseat following Scott Parker's departure in August. His fourth game in charge ended level after a drab 0-0 affair against Thomas Frank's Bees at Vitality Stadium. The match came two weeks on from a 1-1 draw at Newcastle United, with various members of Cherries' squad then heading off on international duty. Reflecting on the performance on Saturday, O'Neil said: "It's the first time where I come away thinking we could’ve been better. "Not from a mentality and an endeavour and relentlessness (perspective). "I thought the boys gave everything again. Dom Solanke got cramp, he’d been ill in the week, so it was a tough one for him and he gave everything. "Boys have been away. Jefferson Lerma arrives back from America really late on in the week. "So it was a tough week to prep because there was loads to prep on Brentford and I’m sat here in Bournemouth ready to prep and loads of the players are not here. "So it was a difficult week to prep for, but really proud of what they gave and similar to the fans, a little bit disappointed we couldn’t produce a bit more with the ball." Cherries are at home again this weekend, hosting Leicester City (3pm).

GARY O'Neil admitted he was "surprised" Cherries were not awarded a penalty against Brentford, after seeing two strong claims waved away. In the first half, Jordan Zemura was sent flying after a sliding Kristoffer Ajer challenge just inside the box. Referee Thomas Bramall did not award a spot-kick, even after being recommended to review the footage by video assistant referee John Brooks. Then, in the dying seconds of the contest, Cherries' loud appeals were waved away when Mathias Jensen handled in the box, as the game ended in a 0-0 stalemate. "To be honest, I think they’re both really tough calls," said Cherries interim boss O'Neil. "I can understand why they’ve had to review them, on the first case why they took a while to review it. "I think Ajer obviously slips and his trailing foot does make contact with the ball. I’ve watched it a few times and it looks to me like he gets Jordan Zemura before he gets the ball. "But it’s a tough call I think. As we know, all of us, normally once they’re sent to the screen to have a look, they generally stick with the VAR decision, so I was hopeful at that moment that he would. Unfortunately he didn’t. "I would’ve liked it, but I think it’s a tough call." The two failed penalties calls follow two penalty decisions going against Cherries in recent weeks. Lloyd Kelly was penalised for a handball during the victory at Nottingham Forest, before Jefferson Lerma was also deemed to have handled as Cherries drew at Newcastle United. "Four VAR reviews in my four games and all have gone against us," said O'Neil. "Whether they’ve decided to stick with it or reverse it, they’ve always ended up going against us. So, fine margins." He added: "I think they could both be penalties. I think having looked at Jefferson Lerma’s and Lloyd Kelly’s, I think they’re similar. "They’re really, really similar, for different reasons. But I think they’re real, tough calls, all of them. "I know that the Jefferson Lerma one, when you slow it down, it looks like he moves his hand towards the ball. "I can assure you he definitely doesn’t. His arm is just moving with his body. There’s no way you move your arm towards the ball like that at that moment, especially when you’re not looking. I was surprised he didn’t give one. "The last one right at the end surprises me. I didn’t see loads of much of a check going on. "I’ve spoken to him since and to be fair, he said he was told that there was nothing to check and that the handball was accidental. "But as was Jefferson Lerma’s and Lloyd Kelly’s. They say the fact it hit Jensen’s foot first and then goes up onto his hand makes a difference. "I don’t understand why, because it can still make a huge difference to an attacking moment for us. "You never know where that ball is going to land. If it doesn’t hit Jensen on the hand, we’ve got bodies in the box, it could land anywhere. "Obviously disappointed that we didn’t get either, but they were tough calls. I don’t think either were stonewall, blatant ones. Disappointed, but we move on."

GARY O’Neil admitted his “disappointment” and “frustration” following Cherries’ 0-0 draw with Brentford and said: “There were just too many slight errors.” Despite being solid in defence against Thomas Frank’s Bees, Cherries were unable to fire for the home league game on the spin. Interim boss O’Neil saw his side have two big penalty shouts waved away by referee Thomas Bramall. Jordan Zemura went to ground in the box under a challenge from Kris Ajer in the first half, while the ball appeared to strike the arm of Brentford’s Mathias Jensen inside the area during the dying moments. But for all their endeavour, Cherries were left with one shot on target all afternoon. O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “It’s the first time in my four games that there is a tinge of disappointment and frustration. “Probably like the fans. I felt the same as them, I think. “The boys gave us endeavour, work-rate, stuck to the game plan, snuffed out big opportunities that they have from set plays. “We managed to defend Ivan Toney really well. “That side of it I liked and then, I know the boys can be better with the ball than they showed today. “We went into the game with a plan that was solid but allowed us to have the ball and cause them problems with it. “I felt the structure was there and we didn’t quite manage to show our normal level with the ball. “Even at Newcastle and Nottingham Forest as well, we had moments where we showed what we could do with the ball. “Today there were just too many slight errors that cost us momentum and the opportunity.” Cherries remain unbeaten since O’Neil took interim charge of the Dorset outfit, following the sacking of Scott Parker in August. They host Leicester City at Vitality Stadium next Saturday (3pm).

INTERIM boss Gary O’Neil said he was “pleased with big parts” of Cherries’ 1-1 draw at Newcastle and his players “delivered exactly what we asked”. The visitors took the lead at St James’ Park when Philip Billing fired them in front in the 62nd minute. The Magpies had failed to convert their territorial possession into chances but seized a lifeline three minutes later when VAR ruled a handball against Jefferson Lerma allowing Alexander Isak to slot home the equaliser from the penalty spot. A draw puts Cherries on to eight points from seven league games this season. Since taking interim charge after the sacking of Scott Parker, unbeaten O’Neil has five points from three fixtures. Assessing the display as a whole, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “I’m pleased with big parts of it. I think there’s a slight disappointment because I thought the goal was harsh on us. “But I tend to try and judge it on what I’ve asked the boys to do and if they deliver, and they did. “They delivered exactly what we asked. So pleased, with a slight tinge of disappointment we didn’t get all three points.” Cherries weathered a wave of Newcastle pressure in the latter stages on Tyneside. Quizzed on whether he was fearing the worst at 1-1, the former Portsmouth midfielder said: “Not fearing the worst, because we went to Nottingham Forest two weeks ago and we suffer a huge blow with a VAR penalty just before half-time, that sends us 2-0 down. “Anyone watching that thinks the lads are dead and buried and they respond. “And then when it goes 1-1, you hear the place rocking and I’m thinking, ‘come on then lads, what have we got? They’re coming, it’s definitely coming’ and they stood up, they were excellent. “They were chucking balls in the box, it was a little bit scrappy, but no real scary moments for us. I thought we defended really, really well.”