BOURNEMOUTH made it four games unbeaten as they battled to a 0-0 draw at Southampton on Saturday.
Manager of the Month Eddie Howe will be satisfied with a point, but his side should have taken all three after Harry Arter’s awful second half penalty miss.
Dusan Tadic hit the post for the Saints on 37 minutes in what was a dire opening period.
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And after the break it was the visitors who had the best chances, despite Southampton enjoying the better of the possession.
Benik Afobe should have made the breakthrough on the hour mark for Bournemouth.
Joshua King got got the better of Maya Yoshida before picknig out the striker, but he dawdled as the defence closed him down, and he fired wide.
Nathan Redmond then stung the hands of Cherries keeper Artur Boruc before Shane Long’s dinked effort effort went wide of the post.
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But Howe’s men then had another opportunity after an incredible scramble inside the home box. Marc Pugh went in for the rebound, Fraser Forster was way off his line, but the ball was eventually blasted over by Dan Gosling.
Then the major talking point arrived after Ryan Bertrand had tugged back Ryan Fraser.
But in a throwback to legendary misses by Chris Waddle and David Beckham, Arter slipped on his run up and blazed the ball a good twenty yards over the bar.
Coincidentally, it was the same spot that Harry Kane slipped on as he missed a penalty for Spurs in December.
FACTS, STATS, GOALS AND LOLS
- South Coast derby? Don't make me laugh, this match was as friendly as they come. Neither side wanted to win it.
- Southampton still insist on playing their awful cover of "My Way" before kick-off but why? It's embarrassingly bad.
- Speaking of which, how is Maya Yoshida still earning a place in the Southampton defence?
The penalty was awarded after Ryan Bertrand was adjudged to have tugged back Ryan Fraser Reuters 
Benik Afobe missed another glorious chance for Bournemouth during the second half Reuters - And what on earth is going on with Jack Wilshere? The one-time England star is now Bournemouth's regular bench-warmer.
- If Dusan Tadic could hit the target, this could have been a different story. The Saints forward missed THREE excellent chances to break the deadlock.
- Saints old boy Artur Boruc pulled off a fine save to deny Jay Rodriguez just before the break.
Southampton's goal led a charmed life during the second half as Bournemouth had enough chances to win Getty Images 
Eddie Howe's Bournemouth are undefeated in their last four Premier League matches Rex Features - At the other end, Fraser Forster had a strange moment when a pitch invader ran on and posed for a selfie with the keeper.
- Benik Afobe had a shocker and will be left embarrassed after his horrendous miss from five yards. Somehow he poked his shot wide.
- Shooting practice should be top priority on Monday for both these sides as Adam Smith hit the post and Marc Pugh failed to follow up the chance.
Bournemouth's Steve Cook bravely clears the ball from Southampton's Jay Rodriguez Reuters
SOCIAL SAYS
Benik Afobe miss from 4 yards & Harry Arter penalty keeping the spirit of crap, mediocre football alive in 2017
— Rob Price (@SaintRobinho86) April 1, 2017
BBC News are reporting that flights in and out of Southampton airport are being disrupted by Harry Arter's penalty.
— Tony Doyle (@Chefrockingham) April 1, 2017
BIG PICTURE
NEXT FIVE FIXTURES
Southampton:
Wed Apr 5 - Crystal Palace (H) - PL
Sat Apr 8 - West Brom (A) - PL
Sat Apr 15 - Man City (H) - PL
Tue Apr 25 - Chelsea (A) - PL
Sat Apr 29 - Hull (H) - PL
Bournemouth:
Wed Apr 5 - Liverpool (A) - PL
Sat Apr 8 - Chelsea (H) - PL
Sat Apr 15 - Tottenham (A) - PL
Sat Apr 22 - Middlesbrough (H) - PL
Sat Apr 29 - Sunderland (A) - PL
DREAM TEAM RATINGS
Southampton: Forster 7, Soares 6, Stephens 7, Yoshida 7, Bertrand 6, Davis 7, Romeu 7, Ward-Prowse 6 (Boufal 63, 6), Tadic 7 (McQueen 80, 6), Redmond 7, Rodriguez 6 (Long 63, 6)
Subs not used: Clasie, Caceres, Hojbjerg, Hassen
Bournemouth: Boruc 7, Smith 7, Francis 7, Cook 7, Daniels, Fraser 7, Surman (Arter 46, 5), Gosling, Pugh, Afobe, King (Wilshere 70, 6)
Subs not used: Smith, Stanislas, Allsop, Ibe, Cargill
WHAT THEY SAID
Harry Arter (Bournemouth): "We had a gameplan and it wasn't really working. The manager got his 15 minutes to get his point across and in the second half we were the better side.
"I feel if I score we would have got three points. I didn't intentionally miss. As much as it is disappointing it is part and parcel of football. It is my fault, one of the lads said Harry Kane did something similar, maybe they need to have a look at it.
"There is no blaming in this team. The lads said keep your head up. It is not the end of the world and just a game of football."
Steven Davis (Southampton captain): "We are not overly pleased. The first half we played quite well and had a few chances but in the second we didn't get going. A draw is maybe a fair result but both teams are disappointed at the same time.
"There were chances for both sides and neither were clinical. It is a bit of a frustrating one today."
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