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BARRY Corr might not have instantly appreciated his boss's attempt of half-time humour but, after a crucial second period brace, the Town striker was the first to recognise Ady Williams' expert man management.

The Irishman revealed Williams had questioned his first half display as he was making his way out for the restart, but 45 minutes and two goals later he again became the toast of the dressing room.

Scoring four goals in the last three games is no mean feat for a player who is still struggling with a fractured spine and, after a second half Bournemouth bombardment, his 83rd minute headed equaliser preserved Town's three-match unbeaten run and left the visitors breathing a huge sigh of relief.

He also produced the game's moment of real quality to open the scoring, bending in a 25-yard scorcher on 50 minutes, and celebrated by enjoying a moment with Mr Motivator' Williams.

He said: "Ady said to me at half time when I was going back on Are you coming on now?', as though I hadn't played in the first half.

"I didn't think I did too badly so I just ran over to him when I scored that first goal and said to him that was an inspired substitution by you.'"

The thrills and spills of an end-to-end second half seemed a long way away after a turgid first half in which both sides struggled to create any real chances.

Town were forced to go into the game without their inspirational skipper Hasney Aljofree, who was still suffering from a viral infection, while Miguel Comminges served a one-match ban, meaning it was defensive all change again.

Jamie Vincent moved across into the centre of the defence while Chris Blackburn was given a rare start at right-back and Andy Nicholas kept his place at left-back.

Sofi Zaaboub recovered from illness to take Kaid Mohamed's slot on the left but during a forgettable first 45 minutes it was the defences that came out on top.

Playing against a negative 4-5-1 system, it was Town who looked marginally the better during the opening half but had it not been for goalkeeper Peter Brezovan they could still have been going in behind.

Corr's opener soon after the re-start changed the game, with former Town striker Jo Kuffour coming on to finally give the hosts more attacking threat in a 4-4-2 formation, and Bournemouth threatened to take maximum points.

Kuffour's 63rd minute equaliser was inevitable and, after Brezovan had kept Town in it, the luckless Sam Vokes finally had fortune on his side when he deflected Bournemouth into the lead on 78 minutes.

Town showed typical bulldog spirit to force an equaliser though, bringing the away fans' attentions back to the field after some trouble off it, and boost the chances of caretaker managers Dave Byrne and Ady Williams keeping the job full-time.

"When you lose a manager of Paul Sturrock's calibre there is going to be a bit of a dip," said Corr. "Because he is one of the best managers outside the Premier League, definitely the best in this league.

"But you have to remember when he left there were two lads sent off in his last game and a lot of injuries so we had a depleted squad. These lads are coming back and seven points out of nine shows you what we are capable of.

"We are a good side but our squad is not that big and when we do have injuries and suspensions it does hit us hard. But when we have a full team we can compete with anyone."

Anyone at Bournemouth on Saturday will know Town have and will play a lot better this season as they struggled to break down a dogged Bournemouth rearguard.

Lee Peacock and Craig Easton were not able to dominate their midfield counterparts as well as they have in recent weeks while Jon-Paul McGovern and Sofi Zaaboub were all too often starved of possession on the flanks.

But, with Vincent and Jerel Ifil their usual defiant selves and Nicholas and Blackburn providing admirable cover either side, a point was probably just about what a determined Town deserved.

Seven points from their last nine have made Byrne and Williams' disastrous introduction to management a distant memory, where three successive league defeats threatened to derail their season.

Corr said: "I felt sorry for them because they came in with all these injuries and suspensions. I felt for them not picking from the full squad.

"I said a couple of weeks ago judge them when everyone is fit. We all respect them and like them and, like I say, judge them on the games where we have had a full squad and they have done really well and the team has done really well.

"So let us see what happens. If the board were to keep them on then it would keep everyone settled because everyone knows them.

"But that is up to the board. I don't know what they are thinking and I will respect whoever they put in charge and we will all play for that person.

"Every professional player will do their best for anybody but we do respect Ady and Budgie loads.

"They are two good coaches so we will see what happens. But you can see they get results when we have players available."

7:43am Monday 31st December 2007

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