ADAM Smith hopes the point Cherries gained against Watford has “stopped the rot” – albeit he was “gutted” his team's vulnerability at set-pieces prevented them from grabbing a maximum haul.

Christian Kabasele profited from some ponderous Cherries defending to nod Watford into a first-half lead, before Smith’s tenacity and skill set up Joshua King to equalise shortly after the break.

It needed substitute Benik Afobe’s 82nd-minute strike to rescue a draw for Eddie Howe’s side, however, after Troy Deeney had restored the Hornets’ advantage by heading home Tom Cleverley’s corner.

“We’re disappointed we didn’t win,” said Smith.

“We dominated most of the game, we had a lot of possession and they had limited chances – two set-pieces and they scored from both of them.

“I don’t know why we’re not getting organised and then conceding from them. It’s disappointing and I’m gutted we didn’t get the three points.”

Howe has been forced by a combination of form issues, injuries, Nathan Ake’s return to Chelsea and the three-match suspension just served by Simon Francis to regularly tinker with his previously-familiar backline.

But Smith, who himself was on the bench for recent matches with Swansea and Arsenal, is refusing to blame the flux for the defensive problems currently stymying Cherries’ wider efforts.

He said: “When it’s always the same back four you do get used to each other and the way you play. But with set-pieces it’s the whole team, not just the back four.

“Maybe it is a team mentality on set-pieces, but it’s difficult to say. We just have to practice and make sure we get it right.

“Sometimes you don’t like to dwell on it too much – but next week we should be working on it.

“It’s not just individual mistakes. We have to do better as a team.”

Since winning at Swansea on New Year’s Eve, Cherries have surrendered a three-goal lead to draw with Arsenal and been beaten at Millwall and Hull.

As such, Smith accepts that in the grander scheme of things, Afobe’s leveller could prove a crucial moment in his team’s season.

He was also delighted with his surging run and cross to tee-up King for Cherries’ first equaliser.

“It was a nice assist but I’d have taken the win over that,” said Smith. “It was a nice piece of play, though, and Kingy finished it off.

“You do have to look at the positives after the game. We were 2-1 down and recovered from that. We showed good character.

“We stopped the rot and didn't lose the game.”

Howe is broadly expected to dip into the transfer market to reinforce his defensive ranks – but Smith says he and his team-mates ignore the speculation.

"As players it doesn’t really affect you in any way," he added. "There’s rumours all the time so you just get used to it.

"The first we hear of anything is on the news, so we don’t pay much attention to it all."