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BOURNEMOUTH. — It has now been 10 hours 52 minutes, without conceding a goal, away from home in the league, for high-flying Zimbabwe international, Jordan Zemura, in the English Championship.
The Warriors’ find-of-the-year has featured in 652 minutes, for Bournemouth, in away league matches, and the Cherries have not conceded a goal.
Their last goal, on the road, came in a 2-1 win, over Nottingham Forest, at the City Ground.
Scott McKenna scored that goal, for the former European champions, in the 48th minute on August 14, this year.
Since then, the Cherries have yet to concede a goal, in an away league match.
Zemura has played in the eight matches, away from home, clocking 90 minutes in the other seven, and playing for 70 minutes, in the last match, a 2-0 win over Reading, at the weekend.
Warriors team manager, Wellington Mpandare, said scans revealed Zemura only suffered bruises and was set to be assessed, during training, yesterday, ahead of another league match for Bournemouth, tonight.
“The scans show he had bruises and was taken off as a precaution and he is so determined to serve his country he said he wants to still come and play in our next international matches against South Africa and Ethiopia,’’ said Mpandare.
“But, they still have to assess him first and he was set to be assessed at training today (yesterday) and we will pick it up from there.’’
Zemura played 90 minutes in the away matches against Nottingham Forest (2-1), Birmingham City (2-0), Hull City (0-0), Cardiff City (1-0), Peterborough (0-0), Bristol City (2-0) and Stoke City (1-0).
He played for 70 minutes in the 2-0 win over Reading at the weekend.
Another Cherries defender, Jack Stacey, has also been impressive and the team have not conceded a goal in 581 minutes, with him on the field.
That is nine hours and 41 minutes in total.
“When the full-time whistle goes, I think “there’s another 90 added on to the minutes.” We are adding them up and see where we get to,’’ Stacey told the Daily Echo.
“I think it’s the outcome of all the process. I have been on the pitch with Lloyd Kelly, Gary Cahill, Jordan Zemura and Mark Travers.
“We have all kept the clean sheets and maybe I have just played a few, fewer games than them.
“Bu,t I think as a statistic for the team, the amount of clean sheets we’ve had and the little amount of goals we conceded is something we can all be proud of.
“It’s just a bi-product of the process that we put on the training pitch — the things that Scott Parker and the assistant Matt Wells have introduced.
“Teams are finding it tough scoring against us. “The whole time I was out of the team, my only job was to make sure I was ready when I did come in. I’d like to think that is showing now on the pitch.”
The Cherries are now 15 games unbeaten in the division, a haul which has set a new club record as they sit at the top of the Championship.
Boss Parker has admitted he is slightly superstitious — keeping on his lucky jacket on matchdays while the impressive run continues.
But has Stacey himself developed any rituals throughout his remarkable feat?
“Personally I don’t, I am sure many of the players do and I have to thank them for that because their superstitions are working.
“There’s a few people who will always put their right sock on before their left. People have a few weird pre-matches which I wouldn’t personally eat but if it’s working, keep going.
“I don’t know if it’s a superstition but Emi (Marcondes) had pancakes on toast in the morning — if it’s working, keep going. That’s his fuel before training, I don’t know if it’s a Danish thing?
“But I think we almost breed confidence. Even when we are up against it in the first five or 10 minutes, you always feel like if we can weather the storm we can win this game.
“That’s what keeps the runs going, it’s the confidence and the intensity of going every single game.”
Next up for Cherries is a home clash with Preston North End tonight, as Parker’s side look to make it 12 league victories out of 16.
“It’s what we love. When you are winning games you want games to keep coming,” said Stacey. “We are going to be confident going into that game but we know in this division anyone can beat anyone – it’s a chance for us to keep the run going.” — Sports Reporter/Bournemouth Echo
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