CHERRIES twice surrendered a lead at Watford but Eddie Howe’s team emerged with a huge deal of credit from a thrilling 2-2 draw in Hertfordshire.

At a Vicarage Road ground where Cherries hadn’t won on their past six visits – a run extending back to March 1997 when Ian Cox’s goal won the day – Callum Wilson and substitute Josh King both struck for Howe’s side; this the first time Cherries have scored twice in the Premier League in 12 outings.

But first Troy Deeney and then Isaac Success pegged back the visitors, so denying Cherries a first away win this season.

Watford had a sight of goal inside the opening minute. Deeney flicked on Valon Behrami’s swipe forward, slipping in Odion Ighalo for a shot the striker dragged wide of Artur Boruc’s left-hand post.

The hosts’ ferocious start was indicative of a side bent on atoning for their insipid display in defeat at Burnley earlier in the week, - with Ighalo and Deeney dovetailing beautifully at the point of their attack. And Ighalo’s second effort of the game was more accurate than his first, needing a block from Adam Smith to prevent it calling Boruc into action. Steve Cook was then swiftly on the scene to thwart Deeney on the follow up.

Cherries first laid a glove on their opponents 13 minutes in. Wilson, chasing down the left, was upended by Sebastian Prodl, an offence for which the Watford defender went into the book. Junior Stanislas swung the resulting free kick towards the far post, forcing a stretching Heurelho Gomes to tip over.

For all the home team were operating at some lick, Cherries’ compact, disciplined shape was largely keeping Walter Mazzarri’s side at arm’s length. Jose Holebas struck wastefully wide when teed up by Ighalo at the midway point of the opening half, before, at the other end, Jordon Ibe received Simon Francis’s pass to cut inside from the left and draw a smart stop from Hornets’ No 1 Gomes at his near-post.

All the while referee Mike Dean’s rather officious approach was getting up the backs of both sets of players… and supporters. Certainly, yellow cards Dean handed to Jack Wilshere and Hornets attacker Roberto Pereyra were on the cheap side.

Perhaps his reluctance to attract any further opprobrium onto himself was the reason for the official waving play on when Smith, making the latest of a series of adventurous raids down the right flank, was bundled over by Deeney.

No matter, Stanislas pounced on the loose ball to send in a cross begging to be diverted on target. Wilson obliged, darting to the front post to plant a firm header past Gomes and score his team’s second goal away from Vitality Stadium this term.

Stanislas was soon busy in his own box, the winger assiduously tracking back to get his head in the way of Deeney’s goalbound effort from Nordin Amrabat’s lofted, pinpoint delivery Watford’s next attack ended with the dangerous Amrabat having a go himself. Etienne Capoue and Ighalo linked to work play out to the right, where Amrabat lashed an effort that Boruc beat out to his left. The keeper then sprang to his feet to tip over the Watford man’s follow up strike.

This wasn’t a Cherries side prepared to be pinned back, however. The tireless Wilson latched onto Charlie Daniels’ ball down the left, before gliding past successive challenges from Prodl and Behrami. As he ran into a throng of bodies in the box, the striker fed the onrushing Andrew Surman, who blazed over from 18 yards out.

An unmarked Prodl headed Holebas’s free-kick wide shortly after the re-start. And the same pair soon combined again. Prodl glanced on Holebas’s inswung right-wing corner, but a fully extended Deeney couldn’t keep his diving header below Boruc’s bar.

But when he was next presented with an opportunity, Deeney was more ruthless altogether. Behrami collected a throw on the right and slithered away from Daniels, before rolling the ball back into Deeney’s path. The striker’s first-time blast left Boruc with no chance.

Wilshere promptly shouldered responsibility for trying to re-establish his team’s lead. Cherries’ loan star was a picture of balance and grace as he glided between Deeney and Behrami, before stroking a measured effort that clipped the outside of the goal frame.

Deeney, who admitted his side were bullied in that 2-0 defeat at Burnley, was spearheading his team’s fight here. The striker met another Amrabat cross on the hour to plant a header that Boruc clawed out low to his right.

Then Howe executed a masterstroke. Cherries’ boss sent on King, withdrawing Ibe and shifting Stanislas to the left. The new man instantly gathered possession on the right, drifting this way and that to evade Behrami, before unleashing a drive that took a heavy deflection off Younes Kaboul on the way to defeating Gomes.

Cherries joy, however, was short lived. And it was another substitute, Success, recently on for Ighalo, who squared matters. The forward was initially fouled by Smith on the left, enabling Holebas to clip in another dead ball. And when the Greek international delivered, Success raced onto the ball to glance it into the top right corner of goal.

Success would have scored again if he could have made firmer contact on a header he flicked off target from Amrabat’s cross.

But with the game being contested at breakneck speed, neither side was able to convincingly grab the ascendancy. Wilson had a shot deflected over after more good work by Smith. And then Wilshere, with his last act before making way for Dan Gosling, hit the woodwork, once more. Cherries worked the ball forward through Cook, Harry Arter and King, who found Smith on the right. The defender’s ball across the six-yard box found Wilshere, haring to the back-post but only able to strike his shot against the outside of the post.

Indeed, Gomes’s goal frame was proving something of a magnet. When Smith’s next surge was unfairly ended by Prodl at the edge of the area, Stanislas’s consequent free-kick rattled Gomes’s bar, before rebounding to safety.

Boruc was still required to pouch another Success effort. But Cherries merited their point, at the very least.

Watford (4-1-2-1-2): Gomes; Zuniga, Prodl, Kaboul, Holebas; Behrami; Amrabat Capoue (Guediora 79); Pereyra; Ighalo (Success 58), Deeney Subs not used: Kenedy, Doucoure, Watson, Kabasele, Pantilimon (gk) Bookings: Prodl, Pereyra, Behrami.

Cherries (4-4-1-1): Boruc; A Smith, Francis, Cook, Daniels; Stanislas, Surman, Arter, Ibe (King 62); Wilshere (Gosling 74); Wilson (Afobe 90) Subs not used: Ake, Gradel, B Smith, Federici (gk) Bookings: Wilshere, Francis, Smith, Stanislas.

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral).

Attendance: 20,575