Article: Mark Denham

Tuesday 12^th August 2008 vs. AFC Bournemouth (Carling Cup, First Round)

Despite the league season being less than a week old, the first round of the Carling Cup begins on Tuesday night and sees City take on Bournemouth at the Fitness First Stadium.

Bournemouth have a strong record against Cardiff in the competition, putting the Bluebirds out on three of the four occasions that the two sides have been paired with each other. City prevailed on the last encounter in 2004 though, winning 5-4 on penalties after the game finished 3-3 following extra time. Paul Parry and Joe Ledley are the only Cardiff players from that night remaining at the club, whilst Bournemouth have retained Neil Moss, Neil Young and Gareth Stewart.

Bournemouth went out of the competition last year at this stage with a 1-0 defeat away to West Bromwich Albion. WBA went onto meet Cardiff in the third round, losing 4-2 to the Bluebirds who ended the hopes of Brighton and Leyton Orient in Rounds 1 and 2 before gallantly succumbing 2-1 to Liverpool at Anfield in Round 4.

Kevin Bond's men find themselves in League 2 this season following relegation last May, thanks in part to a points deduction bestowed upon them by the football league for going into administration in February.

The pain of dropping a tier was that much harder to take as Bournemouth finished 2007/2008 on a fantastic run, unbeaten in their last seven games and just two points from safety. Without the deduction, the Cherries would have achieved a safe mid-table position in League 1.

Then to add to their woes, the Cherries have started this year having had to accept a 17 point deduction and to agree not to appeal against the decision. Their 1-1 draw with Gillingham has made it minus sixteen, though they're not alone in their predicament, keeping company with Rotherham who were also docked seventeen points, plus Luton with a massive minus thirty!

Despite former Yeovil defender Scott Guyett being the only summer signing so far, Bournemouth will be buoyed by the return of long-term injury sufferers Ryan Garry, Joe Partington and Jo Kuffour. The Dorset side will look towards Kuffour for goals this year in their aim to get back to League 1, the Ghanaian finishing the last campaign with 13 goals in 48 appearances.

Paul Telfer, former Cardiff defender Russell Perrett and club captain Darren Anderton should add some much needed experience for the Cherries this season. The ex- Tottenham and England international signalled his intention to end his career on the South Coast by signing a one-year contract extension this summer to the delight of Cherries fans as they try to look optimistically to the future.