Related content

DANNY CADAMARTERI came to the rescue as Town snatched a potentially priceless point.

But keeper Ian Bennett was the real star of the show on the South coast as Lee Clark’s promotion chasers preserved their unbeaten League I record in 2011 stayed within touching distance of their second-placed hosts.

The 39-year-old marked his 501st career match with a string of top saves.

Marc Pugh – three times – and Rhoys Wiggins were denied before Michael Symes, who was allowed far too much space in meeting Liam Feeney’s cross from the right, finally broke the deadlock in the 74th minute.

Then, after substitute Cadamarteri slotted home his second goal since returning to Town with just a minute of normal time to go, Bennett foiled Anton Robinson and Feeney to keep Town’s 758 travelling fans chanting.

The supporters who made the 500-mile round trip to Dean Court more than played their part as Town extended an solid sequence of results against Bournemouth.

They are now 16 games unbeaten against the Cherries, whose last victory in this fixture was in January 1993.

Boss Lee Bradbury must have thought the points were coming his way after former Bradford striker Symes, who has the touch and physique to cause problems for most sides, headed his third goal in as many games and seventh of the season from close range.

But Cadamarteri popped up in the nick of time, taking full advantage of fellow substitute Benik Afobe’s clever decoy run to meet Gary Roberts’ pass and ease past centre-back Shaun Cooper before sliding a low angled shot past keeper Shwan Jalal, who got a hand to the ball but couldn’t prevent it nestling in his right-hand corner.

It was a massive lift for Town but a bitter blow to Bournemouth, whose hopes of going level on points with leaders Brighton were ended when Bennett saved Robinson’s header then blocked Feeney’s shot with his feet.

The former Birmingham man had signalled his intentions early by diving to hold Pugh’s third-minute free-kick, awarded after skipper Peter Clarke became the first of half a dozen Town players booked after pulling back Symes.

Gary Naysmith, for blocking Feeney, Lee Peltier, for fouling Pugh, substitute Antony Kay, for bringing down Danny Hollands, Joey Gudjonsson, for felling Danny Ings and Kevin Kilbane, for his challenge on Feeney, followed and Town now face the Football Association’s £2,500 fine for reaching six cautions in one game.

In the meantime, Bennett was equal to Pugh’s low shot on the turn in first-half stoppage time, then the former Bury man’s well-struck 61st-minute free-kick, which was acrobatically tipped over.

Defender Wiggins’ 72nd-minute drive was well held, and the keeper had little chance to deny Symes.

In a game of relatively few clear-cut chances, Jamie McCombe headed wide from Naysmith’s seventh-minute free-kick before Roberts shot over in the 29th minute after slick build-up play by Kilbane and Gudjonsson.

Anthony PIlkington’s deflected shot in first-half stoppage time was held by Jalal and while Gudjonsson was wide with a 58th-minute free-kick and 77th-minute shot, Cadamarteri’s key finish was spot-on.