PREMIER LEAGUE

A LATE missed penalty from Harry Arter cost Bournemouth victory in the south coast derby as they drew at Southampton.

After they had resisted much of the hosts’ pressure, Arter struck well over the crossbar when he could have secured all three points and further eased the fading threat of relegation.

A draw instead leaves Bournemouth 11th and level on 34 points with their 10th-placed rivals, who have two games in hand. They also sit seven points clear of the bottom three.

Southampton’s Dusan Tadic was gifted the game’s first chance. He found himself with time and space to run into at the edge of the area in the fourth minute, but despite being well positioned the Serbian sent his left-footed shot off target.

Steven Davis was then forced into clearing off the line after Andrew Surman touched Ryan Fraser’s right-wing corner beyond Fraser Forster.

Jay Rodriguez curled an effort just wide of the left post before bringing an excellent save out of Artur Boruc.

In the 61st minute, the visitors’ Joshua King played Benik Afobe through on goal from where he seemed certain to score, but he shot just inches wide.

Nathan Redmond tested Boruc with a long-range strike, before James Ward-Prowse sent the rebound wide.

Bournemouth struck a post when Adam Smith’s shot from the edge of the area took a subtle deflection off Ryan Bertrand.

In the 78th minute, Bertrand seemed unfortunate to be penalised when referee Jonathan Moss awarded the visitors a penalty once Fraser went down in the area after slight contact off the ball.

The stage was set for a Bournemouth victory in what was Southampton’s first match at St Mary’s in almost two months.

But Arter seemed unsteady on his feet and instead shot embarrassingly over the crossbar.