COURAGEOUS 10-man Cherries delivered a performance of immense spirit and defensive nous to collect a valuable, memorable point from only their second league visit to Manchester United.

Artur Boruc, the villain of the piece at West Brom last week, redeemed himself in grand fashion, making enough spectacular stops to warrant his own dvd of the occasion - a 71st-minute penalty save from Zlatan Ibrahimovic the pick of the bunch.

Cherries were facing an uphill task from the moment Andrew Surman was controversially sent off on the brink of half-time following a spiky passage of play that could have resulted in red cards for both Ibrahimovic and Tyrone Mings.

Marcos Rojo had prodded United into a 23rd minute lead, with Joshua King converting from the spot for a second successive week to equalise five minutes before the break.

Antonio Valencia immediately had United on the front foot, the right-back catching Marc Pugh napping and sending the ball forward for Wayne Rooney, via a delicate touch off the boot of Ibrahimovic.

Steve Cook darted across to repel Rooney's dig at goal, with the onrushing Valencia picking up the scraps to deliver a cross Rooney headed over the top of Boruc's goal.

United defender Phil Jones was soon getting himself in a tangle, unaware David de Gea was right on top of him as he directed a header back to the keeper – and relived to see a slightly startled De Gea pouching the ball.

King then paid the price for his hesitancy after referee Kevin Friend ignored the hosts' claims for a free-kick as the Cherries' forward strong-armed Jones out of possession to race into the box.

Perhaps expecting to hear the official's whistle, King dallied too long and saw his eventual cross easily cut out by Rojo.

Back came United with Luke Shaw's long ball out of defence. Paul Pogba caught Adam Smith by surprise, stealing in on the defender's wrong side and showing him a clean pair of heels on his way into the box, where the Frenchman's shot towards the far post was touched behind by Boruc.

The home team's next attack lost is impetus in the most unusual fashion, Ibrahimovic's usually impeccable touch failing him when he was fed in front of goal by Rooney.

Forced to the byline, Ibrahimovic lofted in a centre that was gloved away by Boruc to set Cherries on the counter.

A hefty ball over the top enabled Benik Afobe – starting in place of the benched Jack Wilshere – to scuttle in behind the flailing Rojo.

Poised to shoot, however, and with  Eddie Howe ready to erupt on the sideline – despite earlier reports the Cherries boss wouldn't be at the game owing to illness – Afobe lost his footing at the crucial moment, allowing De Gea to facilely snaffle possession.

Anthony Martial took centre stage for the following few minutes. The winger dashed in from the left to shoot across goal, with Boruc fully extended to beat away the effort.

Martial was then too fast and powerful for Smith, before delivering for Ibrahimovic who, with the goal gaping, couldn't tame the Frenchman's centre.

Ibrahimovic then took Pogba's left-wing cross out of the better placed Rooney's path, the onrushing Swede heading high of the target.

It was Martial trying to punish Cherries again after King had run into Carrick in the middle of the park – the metronomic United midfielder switching defence into attack in the blink of an eye to release Martial for an effort that was kept out by the excellent Boruc.

But the visitors' dam was getting stretched and, on 23 minutes, it burst.

King headed away a corner, but only as far as Carrick, who indulged in some keep ball with Pogba before slipping a pass right to Valencia.

The Ecuadorian fired in a low cross that found Rojo, turning the ball beyond Boruc.

For all Valencia's attacking threat, it was down his flank that Cherries were finding most joy on their rare forays forward – in particular when exploiting the space between the former Wigan man and centre-back Jones.

Charlie Daniels opted for that route to execute a smart one-two with Pugh, only to send his cross too close to De Gea.

Surman then produced an exceptional piece of defending to prevent Ibrahimovic from getting on the end of Rooney's return pass.

But when Surman joined Harry Arter in the book for a heavy tackle on Shaw it added to a growing sense among the away support that their team was getting the raw end of the deal from Friend.

Indeed, when Friend subsequently whistled for a foul on Ryan Fraser the away section burst into a chorus of "we got a free-kick".

They soon had a penalty.

Pugh collected Afobe's pass and chopped back inside. Jones was caught on the hop, dangling out a leg that the Cherries player couldn't avoid.

Friend pointed to the spot as soon as Pugh hit the deck and King did the rest, crashing into the top-left corner from 12 yards.

Jones was decidedly unsettled – and getting both barrels from elements of the home support. The England international was soon presenting possession to King, whose 25- yard shot clattered into Rojo.

Boruc clawed away an Ibrahimovic curler, before the first 45 minutes ended in a flurry of controversy.

Replays suggested the already booked Ibrahimovic got away with elbowing Mings as the pair contested a set-piece delivery. That act, it appeared, was in revenge for Mings' preceding stamp on Ibrahimovic as he navigated his way over the prone Swede.

Both players could have been dismissed.

As it was, Friend completed an utterly inexplicable spell of officiating by finally red carding Surman for pushing Ibrahimovic in the scrum that followed the striker's indiscretion – when the referee realised Surman had already been cautioned, that is.

Ironically it was Mings and Ibrahimovic involved in the half's final action, the former blocking after the latter had been played in on the left of the box by Pogba.

Mings got in the way of another Ibrahimovic effort – this one hit from distance _ shortly after the restart.

By then Cook had already diverted an inswung Martial cross, bound for Rooney, over his own bar.

The pattern had been set, then. With Dan Gosling on for Pugh in order to beef up Cherries' midfield – and King operating wide on the left – this would be 10 Cherries trying to stem a red tide.

Rooney's shot on the turn was deflected over, before Boruc was at full stretch to push away Pogba's wicked drive from range.

The hitherto off-colour Ibrahimovic then dumped a free-kick into the wall after Gosling had checked Pogba's progress at the edge of the box

A shade over 20 minutes remained when Jose Mourinho decided his team needed shaking up.

Never one to die wondering, the Portuguese chucked on Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Marouane Fellaini in an attempt to break down his stubborn opponents.

Fortune, they say, favours the brave.

'They' got it half right.

Valencia sent in a deep cross from the right. Pogba was merely trying to keep play alive by stretching to return the ball across goal with the outside of his right boot.

The ball, however, slapped into Smith's arm and Friend awarded his second penalty of the day.

Ibrahimovic took it. Boruc saved it, brilliantly, the Pole diving low to his right to push the ball out, with Martial making a mess of the rebound.

Rashford then shot narrowly wide of Boruc's left upright, with Arter flat out after being steamrollered off the ball by Pogba.

Old Trafford was baying for Arter's blood after he upended Pogba, the £89million man thrashing the resulting free-kick far too high to trouble Boruc.

A stricken, crestfallen Mings had to be replaced by Baily Cargill – the 21-year old sampling his first taste of Premier League football in the most testing circumstances imaginable – with 12 minutes to play.

This was backs to the wall stuff now, a collective effort summed up when striker Afobe launched his body in the way of Rojo's fizzing 89th minute drive.

Pogba miscued horribly when he latched onto Ibrahimovic's knockdown during five minutes of stoppage time – more red seats coming into view as the ball dribbled over the byline.

Those that bolted early missed Martial nearly have his pocket picked by Arter, as the forward bizarrely dribbled deep into his own territory – and a mad, ensuing penalty area scramble that ended with Boruc gratefully collapsing on the ball.

The final blast of Friend's whistle was greeted by a gigantic, guttural roar from Cherries' ecstatic supporters.

Howe hurled his empty water bottle to the turf in what one imagines was a mixture of relief, pride and joy.

This was brilliant from Cherries.

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Valencia, Jones, Rojo, Shaw (Rashford, 70); Carrick (Fellaini, 70), Pogba; Mata, Rooney (Lingard, 70), Martial; Ibrahimovic.

Unused subs: Smalling, Blind, Herrera, Romero (g/k).

Booked: Ibrahimovic, Carrick, Rashford.

Cherries (4-4-1-1): Boruc; A Smith, Cook, Mings (Cargill, ,78) Daniels; Fraser, Surman, Arter, Pugh (Gosling, h-t); King (Gradel, 88); Afobe.

Unused subs: B Smith, Ibe, Wilshere, Allsop (g/k).

Booked: Arter, Surman, Gosling.

Sent off: Surman.

Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).

Attendance: 75,245