RUSSELL Slade saw Leyton Orient again prove to be Cherries’ Achilles’ heel before predicting the Dorset outfit would be top-six certainties.

Boss Slade masterminded a dramatic draw against Cherries for the second time this season thanks to Dean Cox’s late leveller at Dean Court on Saturday.

Cox struck in the dying seconds to cancel out Michael Symes’s first-half opener as the visitors deprived Cherries of two potentially-priceless points.

It was a similar story to the one that had unfolded when the sides drew 2-2 in November, with the Os clawing back a 2-0 deficit late on at Brisbane Road.

Despite the setback, Cherries remained in the second automatic promotion berth and are six points clear of seventh-placed MK Dons.

Slade told the Daily Echo: “I really like Bournemouth and they knock it about well. There is a really nice enthusiasm about them and a good spirit. They have good energy and good legs. They are not without ability and have certainly shown they are capable of scoring goals.

“What surprised me a little was that they were quite direct at times. It may have been because Ben Chorley was missing for us but they hit the ball from back to front and it was probably a ploy to try to unsettle us as we lacked a bit of height at the back.

“Whether they can get automatic promotion, I don’t know. But I certainly think they will finish in the top six.

“There is no question in my mind that they are there for the duration.”

Slade watched Orient extend their impressive run to just one defeat in 17 league and cup games as Cox’s late strike denied Lee Bradbury a fourth successive victory as Cherries manager.

“Lee is having a fantastic run,” added Slade. “We all dream of those and I am still dreaming of winning three on the bounce!

“I think he has got a good changing room and Eddie Howe left a really good group of people behind him so I am sure they will do well under Lee.”

Bradbury said: “I don’t like this feeling and we almost feel as if we lost the game. It was a sucker-punch at the end. I thought we had done more than enough to deserve the three points.”