Player of the Month - December 2004

Karim Benssaouda (Bournemouth Poppies)

Quite often is the case when whoever picks up the manager of the month award, the player of the month goes to a player from the same club.

Stands to reason that obviously that club has had an excellent month so the odds are instantly slashed as to a player from that club also picking up an award.

This is the twelfth month that these awards have been handed out and for the sixth time the player of the month has indeed gone to a player from the same club as that of the manager of the month.

Shaun Brooks has picked that up this month and one of the reasons his club did so well in December 2004 was because of the goalscoring rate of his new master-signing Karim Benssaouda.

Benssaouda left Hamworthy United earlier in the season and it was touch and go as to whether he would actually make it at Wessex One level, having proved himself in the Hampshire League with Poole Town previously.

For one reason or another Benssaouda has suddenly found the kind of form that got everyone talking about him when he was with the Dolphins and seven goals in four games for Poppies during their 100 per cent winning month was enough to name him Pitchside player of the month for December 2004.