CHERRIES failed to land a knockout blow despite dominating for large spells in this afternoon's Boxing Day 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace at Vitality Stadium.

Eddie Howe's side arguably had the best chances of the match against the in-form Eagles, who boasted five away wins so far this season prior to visiting the South Coast.

For Howe's side, though, it was another step in the right direction during a successful December following wins against Chelsea, Manchester United and West Brom.

Boss Howe, in his 350th game as a manager, named an unchanged line-up from the side that beat the Baggies 2-1 before Christmas. Joshua King failed to recover from the hamstring injury he sustained in the warm-up at the Hawthorns so Glenn Murray retained his place to start against his former club.

Former Cherries loanee Joel Ward, who played at Dean Court during a spell under Kevin Bond, started at full-back for Palace.

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Palace's Scott Dann, arguably the visitors' biggest threat this season, went close with a header early on. Fraizer Campbell's deflected effort three minutes later looped narrowly over the bar.

From the corner, Artur Boruc saved well down to his right after Damien Delaney had got on the end of Jason Puncheon's delivery.

Some neat link-up play between Junior Stanislas and Adam Smith saw Harry Arter test Wayne Hennessey for the first time, but the Welsh keeper was equal to the Cherries midfielder's low drive on 14 minutes.

Cherries were caught napping on 17 minutes when Campbell beat the offside trap, but the Palace striker's woeful effort flew deep into the North Stand.

Howe's men should have taken the lead five minutes later. Stanislas gave Ward the slip down the left and crossed superbly, but Murray and Matt Ritchie seemed to get in each other's way and a combination of both their heads saw the ball fly wide. Moments later, Smith crossed for Murray but the ball was just too far in front of the striker. The crowd responded and Cherries were in the ascendency.

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Referee Michael Oliver waved away Murray's appeals for a penalty on the half-hour mark after the Cherries man had gone down under a challenge from Delaney

Gosling's looping effort on 33 minutes was narrowly wide of the target as Cherries continued to dominate. Oliver, meanwhile, felt the wrath of the travelling support when he issued only a yellow card to Arter for an ugly lunch on Wilfried Zaha.

Stanislas could have done better when he blasted a left-foot shot well over Hennessey's crossbar five minutes before half-time, while, at the other end, Jordan Mutch headed Zaha's cross off target.

Arter and Zaha continued their discussions into the former's challenge into the tunnel at half-time, with Eunan O'Kane replacing the Cherries midfielder for the second half.

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Alan Pardew, meanwhile, replaced Mutch with Yohan Cabaye.

O'Kane made an instant impact, linking with Simon Francis before forcing Hennessey to beat away his blistering right-foot shot. On 54 minutes, Francis played in Gosling who burst into the box and fed Murray, but the striker's shot lacked power and Hennessey made an easy save. It was another golden opportunity for Howe's men.

As they had done in the first half and against Manchester United and Chelsea, Cherries defended well from set pieces under pressure from Dann and Joe Ledley in particular. Francis was superb and got his head on almost everything that came into the penalty area.

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Howe brought on Tokelo Rantie with 20 minutes remaining, the Cherries boss clearly fancying his chances with some pace against the sluggish Dann and Delaney. Mile Jedinak replaced Ledley for Palace.

What followed was an intense spell of possession from Howe's men, while Dann and Delaney were both forced to continue while carrying injuries as Palace had used all three subs. That, alone, would have done little for Pardew's blood pressure as Rantie and O'Kane in particular dictated play.

But as the game petered out, neither side could find a decisive blow.

MATCH FACTS

Cherries: (4-5-1) Boruc; Smith, Francis, Cook; Daniels; Ritchie, Surman, Arter (O'Kane, h-t), Gosling (Kermorgant, 90), Stanislas; Murray (Rantie, 71).

Unused subs: Distin, MacDonald, Pugh, Federici (g/k).

Booked: Arter.

Palace: (4-4-1-1) Hennessey; Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare; Zaha, McArthur, Ledley (Jedinak, 74), Puncheon; Mutch (Cabaye, h-t); Campbell (Chamakh, 67).

Unused subs: Kelly, Hangeland, Dymond, McCarthy (g/k).

Referee: Michael Oliver.

Attendance: 11,218.