CHERRIES boss Eddie Howe praised his team's disciplinary efforts this season but warned: "It can change in a heartbeat."

The Dorset club are yet to be on the receiving end of a red card this campaign and have been shown 21 yellow cards – a rate of 1.5 cautions per game.

Full-back Adam Smith is one yellow away from a one-match ban, while Simon Francis and Steve Cook are sitting on three cautions and Harry Arter two.

Howe told the Daily Echo: "In this day and age with the scrutiny each game is given, your discipline has to be good.

"There are so many retrospective bans you can pick up and ways in which you can lose players to suspensions.

"I don't think that's something we can say is final and that we are where we want to be, because it can change in a heartbeat.

"Keeping your cool, remembering what's at stake and not losing your discipline at key moments is difficult but it's something we have managed to do so far."

Each Cherries player must avoid receiving five bookings before the club's 19th league game, otherwise they will incur a one-match ban.

Cherries' 19th league fixture is against Manchester City on Saturday, December 23.