Southampton 0-0 Bournemouth

Spot the ball: Arter manages to lift it way over the crossbar

Harry Arter blazed over a late penalty for Bournemouth in their goalless Premier League draw against south coast rivals Southampton.

The visiting midfielder slipped while taking his spot-kick with 13 minutes to go - awarded after Ryan Bertrand's tug on Ryan Fraser - which ended up high in the stand behind Fraser Forster's goal.

Both sides struck the post in the contest - Dusan Tadic's curled effort for Southampton and Adam Smith's low drive for the away side.

Andrew Surman's poked effort was cleared off the line by England international James Ward-Prowse, while Jay Rodriguez's thumping drive forced Cherries goalkeeper Artur Boruc into a reflex save.

The two strikers for each team should have done better when presentable opportunities fell to them in the box, but both Benik Afobe and Saints' Shane Long failed to hit the target with their efforts.

Relive the goalless draw from St. Mary's

Arter bends it like Beckham

Amusing for those watching, but not for the player himself.

Arter's left foot gave way at the point of contact with the ball, meaning he was off balance and ended up horribly shanking his penalty deep into the south stand at St Mary's.

It was similar to former England captain David Beckham's penalty against Portugal at Euro 2004, losing his standing foot and smashing his effort over the crossbar.

Arter tried to make amends with a couple of minutes remaining, but his well-struck shot from the edge of the area was pushed away by Forster.

After scoring 10 of their first 11 Premier League penalties, Bournemouth have missed the last three in a row

Beckham missed as England lost to Portugal on penalties at Euro 2004

Earlier this season, Tottenham striker Harry Kane also saw the turf go from under him as he missed from the same spot as Arter

'I didn't intentionally miss'

Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter on his penalty miss: "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."

Mid-table comforts

The result leaves Southampton in 10th place, one position above Bournemouth with both sides on 34 points. The Saints have played two fewer games because of their run to the EFL Cup final.

Eddie Howe's side had been looking over their shoulders having started 2017 without winning their first eight league games, but they have collected 10 points from their last four games to climb seven clear of the relegation zone.

Meanwhile, Claude Puel's men continue to perform steadily and have lost just once in their last four games.

Man of the match - Artur Boruc (Bournemouth)

Boruc made four vital saves to preserve a clean sheet for his side

'A draw is normal'

Southampton boss Claude Puel tells BBC Sport: "When you play the first game after the international break it is always difficult. Bournemouth have just three international players. It is not an excuse. We had opportunities to score but a draw is normal.

"We had good intensity at the beginning. Without scoring it is difficult, the opponent took confidence and it was difficult to finish."

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe: "It should have been three wins in a row. We were not great in the first half but in the second we dominated the game and had great chances put the game to bed."

What next?

Southampton host Crystal Palace on Wednesday (kick-off 19:45 BST), while Bournemouth travel to face Liverpool on the same day (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Bournemouth love the woodwork - the stats

• Southampton remain unbeaten against Bournemouth on home soil, having won eight and drawn five matches.

• Bournemouth have kept back-to-back clean sheets in the Premier League for the first time since March 2016.

• Eddie Howe's side are now unbeaten in their last four league games, their longest such run since October 2016 (also four).

• Ryan Fraser has won more penalties than any other player in the Premier League this season (5).

• The Cherries are the first side since Crystal Palace in October 2016 to miss three penalties in a row in the Premier League.

• Dusan Tadic had the most shots and created the most chances for Southampton in this match (four each).

• No team has hit the woodwork more times than Bournemouth in the Premier League this season (16).