STUBBORN Port Vale put the mockers on Cherries' chances of recording their fifth consecutive win with a hard-working display against Sean O'Driscoll's side last night.

In a game of few chances, two well-organised sides matched each other throughout, leaving both managers happy to settle for a hard-fought share of the spoils.

As expected, Derek Holmes was restored to the Cherries starting line-up with James Hayter dropping back into a midfield role to replace knee injury victim Carl Fletcher.

Holmes took his place in attack alongside Warren Feeney after flying back to Bournemouth on Monday, having returned to Scotland over the weekend to visit his father who was involved in a car accident.

It was a cat-and-mouse opening with goalscoring chances few and far between in the opening period.

The first attempt fell to Feeney who fired wide with his left foot following a good build-up involving Wade Elliott and James Hayter.

Holmes then saw a goal-bound shot blocked by a defender before Vale mounted their first attack, although a long-range shot from Steve Rowland failed to trouble Cherries goal-keeper Gareth Stewart.

However, Stewart was called into action in the 15th minute when, after Neil Brisco had waltzed through, Steve Brooker saw his 20-yard drive punched away by the Cherries number one.

At the other end, there was a scare for Vale when goalkeeper Mark Goodlad fumbled a shot from Elliott, although he just managed to beat Hayter to the rebound.

Stewart saved well again from Rowland and also did well to hold a stinging drive by Sean McClare after 27 minutes.

Cherries boss O'Driscoll made a tactical change eight minutes before half-time when midfielder Brian Stock was sacrificed in favour of club captain Steve Fletcher.

Fletcher was thrust up front as part of a three-man strikeforce alongside Holmes and Feeney.

Seconds after his introduction, Cherries were indebted to Stewart for pushing wide a header from Michael Cummins.

At the start of the second half, Hayter was thankful to team-mate Eddie Howe for sparing his blushes after the Cherries captain saved the day with a superb last-ditch tackle on Cummins after Hayter had gifted the Vale man possession.

Howe then became the second name in the notebook of over-fussy referee Steve Tomlin whose whistle frequently disrupted the second-half proceedings.

Feeney headed over from Elliott's probing free-kick before Hayter had one shot charged down by a defender and skied another over the crossbar.

Then, as Cherries searched for a winner, Steve Purches ended an electrifying run down the right flank when he cut inside and unleashed a left-foot drive which flashed just past the post.

Brisco quickly followed team-mates Brooker and Rowland into the referee's notebook following a cynical foul on the edge of the box on Feeney.

And from the resultant free-kick taken by Hayter, a shot from the edge of the box by Elliott just cleared the angle of post and bar.