Southampton 0-0 AFC Bournemouth: Saints grateful for a missed penalty and a goal-line clearance

Harry Arter blazed a 78th-minute spot-kick several feet over Fraser Forster’s cross bar after his standing foot slipped in front of the Northam Stand.

It was very similar to Harry Kane's miss, from the same penalty spot, in Spurs' 4-1 win at St Mary's in December.

Arter's miss was also greeted with much laughter from the Saints fans and summed up a match that seemed destined to finish goalless, given the number of missed opportunities.

Saints created more openings, but the visitors had the two best chances.

Steven Davis denied ex-Saint Andrew Surman with a 33rd-minute goal-line clearance and a brilliant save by Boruc kept out Jay Rodriguez’s stunning 44th-minute volley.

Adam Smith struck a post and Arter nearly made amends for his spot-kick miss but Forster flew to his left to keep out the midfielder’s swerving late cross-shot.

Otherwise both sides failed to test the respective goalkeepers enough, with Saints clearly missing Manolo Gabbiadini.

Dusan Tadic had an early chance to back up his recent complaints about being substituted too early.

When James Ward-Prowse’s header put him through he had time to pick his spot from the edge of the area, but fired over a left-footer.

Cherries had their moments during the first period.

Ryan Fraser’s cross from the left was headed clear and Charlie Daniels’ sent in a cross from a similar position before sliding in to tackle Rodriguez at the other end as the Saints forward galloped down the right flank.

Tadic fired a first-time cross shot wide of the far post and Rodriguez was flagged offside before putting the ball in the net at the second attempt after another wonderful delivery from Bertrand.

Saints were putting together some delightful passing patterns and from another Tadic pass, Rodriguez fired low from the left touchline, which Boruc was equal to at the near post.

Rodriguez appeared to win a corner at the near post, only for referee Jon Moss to award a corner kick, a decision that bore the wrath of the Saints fans in immediate proximity in the Northam Stand.

Nathan Redmond was brought down by Marc Pugh after a typically exciting run into the Cherries half, but the free-kick came to nothing as Romeu headed tamely into the hands of Boruc.

Brilliant defending from Stephens against King from Dan Gosling’s pass prevented Cherries’ in-form frontman from getting a clear sight of goal.

Sarcastic applause greeted Moss’s decision to award Saints a corner after a tackle on Rodriguez.

Fraser nearly intercepted it but collided with Ward-Prowse in doing so. He went down clutching his knee, before hobbling on, gamely.

He showed no sign of lasting damage when he delivered a couple of good corners cleared by a Yoshida header and a Forster punch, from which Gosling fired over.

Cherries’ best chance of the first half came in the 33rd minute, but Davis’s goal-line clearance kept Saints level.

When Ward-Prowse was penalised for hauling back King, Fraser responded with another good dead-ball delivery that Stephens headed behind for a corner.

Surman reacted quickest to the corner in the penalty area and poked the ball goalwards when he got there before Fraser Forster.

The former Saints midfielder required treatment after his collision with Forster, following Davis’s clearance in front of the relieved Chapel Stand.

Cedric delivered a couple of dangerous crosses in quick succession, the second of which created a chance for Tadic, who again missed the target, firing wide from 12 yards.

Jack Stephens did well to block a Benik Afobe strike before also requiring treatment following a collision with Forster, who clattered into him in his attempt to clear the ball in a packed penalty area.

As half-time drew near, Maya Yoshida sent a header flashing across goal and wide of the far post from a Tadic corner.

But the moment of the first half came in the 44th minute, when Boruc dived full stretch to his left to keep out Rodriguez’s thumping half volley, following a ball over the top.

It was heading for the top corner and would have been a goal-of-the-season contender to rank alongside his stunner at the Vitality Stadium in December.

Surman was replaced by Arter a couple of minutes into the second half, a change presumably related to his earlier collision with Forster.

After a quiet opening to the second half, and with the ball at the other end of the pitch, came the bizarre sight of a pitch invader trying to take a selfie with Forster.

Within a minute, Cherries missed a gilt-edged chance on the hour. Josh King slid the ball to the unmarked Afobe, who should have at least hit the target but fired wide of the left-hand upright as Forster came out to narrow the angle.

Redmond then had a shot saved by Boruc. After firing the follow- up across goal and wide, Ward Prowse was substituted in a double swap with Rodriguez also going off.

Sofiane Boufal and Shane Long were introduced.

Boufal was bundled off the ball by Fraser in the penalty area after some sensational skill midway through the second half.

Moss waved away the claims for a penalty and it seemed as though the match was destined to finish goalless when Long dinked the ball over Boruc only to see the ball drift wide of the far post.

Soon after Jack Wilshere’s 70th-minute introduction, Cherries found a second wind. Smith skidded a 20-yarder against the foot of the post and a cross from the left was blocked as Wilshere lurked on the edge of the six-yard box.

Saints continued to defend manfully, with Romeu sliding in to deny the Arsenal man on the edge of the penalty area.

Then Cherries were awarded their penalty when Bertrand was adjudged to have tugged Fraser.

Arter’s standing foot gave way as he prepared to strike and he skied the ball high into the Northam Stand. Cue raucous laughter from the home fans. But Arter nearly had the last laugh with a powerful strike that Forster was equal to.