CHERRIES were left foiled by a resilient Leicester City backline as the sides played out a 0-0 draw at Vitality Stadium.

Eddie Howe’s side bossed possession and created the vast majority of chances against the Foxes but failed to make their control count.

Cherries made two changes from the side which fell to a 2-1 defeat at Everton last time out.

With Harry Arter still missing with an Achilles problem and Dan Gosling judged only fit enough for the bench, midfielder Lewis Cook was given his first league start of the campaign for Eddie Howe’s men.

Marc Pugh, who scored when Cherries beat Leicester 1-0 at Vitality Stadium in December, was recalled on the wing in place of Jordon Ibe.

The big team news for the visitors was that Demarai Gray earned his first league start of the season.

The England under-21 international, who scored for the Young Lions during their 3-0 win over Latvia at Vitality Stadium earlier this month, was constantly linked as a transfer target for Cherries over the summer.

Gray came in to replace Riyad Mahrez, who dropped to the bench.

Striker Jamie Vardy was fit enough to start despite having been plagued by a hip injury. Leicester had not won in four Premier League outings coming into the contest.

Cherries fashioned the first chance after just three minutes.

Joshua King’s low cross was met at the near post by Jermain Defoe, whose shot cannoned off the underside of the crossbar.

The ball then fell to Pugh and his effort on the rebound appeared to hit the arm of full-back Danny Simpson.

Pugh appealed for a penalty but referee Graham Scott waved away his protests.

Cherries continued their bright start however, and it was Defoe and Pugh who combined two minutes later.

After England international Defoe had beaten Foxes skipper Wes Morgan in a foot race on the counter, he teed up Pugh, who could only drag the ball wide of the post from the edge of the box.

King then attempted to find the opener when his slick run down the right was not closed down by the visiting defence.

The Norwegian striker forced a sharp stop from Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel, who got down well to thwart the effort.

Winger Pugh found himself in referee Scott’s book on 21 minutes for a foul on Marc Albrighton before Cherries showed their threat on the counter once again.

King opted for placement rather than power and side-footed wide after some trickery from Pugh allowed him to beat his man at pace.

Pugh continued to be in the thick of the action as Cherries finished the opening half strongly.

After Cook played a classy pass down the channel to release King, his cutback was eventually met by the 30-year-old winger.

Pugh’s strike seemed to take a deflection on its way over the bar but the visitors were awarded a goal-kick.

Cherries continued to look the more likely side to break the deadlock following the interval.

Junior Stanislas forced a save from Schmeichel from 20 yards out after some neat interplay from the hosts.

King’s cross was then palmed away with Defoe going to ground in the area wanting a penalty - again, nothing was awarded by man in the middle Scott.

But on the hour mark, it was Leicester who had a golden chance to draw first blood.

A cross from Albrighton came off Simon Francis into the path of Shinji Okazaki.

He took aim but could only drill wide from 12 yards out under no challenge, when he should have done better.

Ibe was then introduced in place of Pugh with just more than 20 minutes left. He teed up Cook, whose shot at goal cannoned off Defoe and looped over the bar.

That came before Stanislas’s fierce effort on the angle was beaten away by Schmeichel in the away goal.

As the contest became stretched during the latter stages, Leicester's Gray then worked Begovic before Wilfred Ndidi’s driven effort was deflected wide.

Mahrez, who had replaced Albrighton, then saw his fizzing effort charged down as both sides went in search of a winner.

But when Vardy drilled wide after Surman gave the ball away, the contest ended in deadlock.

Cherries: Begovic; Smith, Francis, Ake, Daniels; Pugh (Ibe, 69), L Cook, Surman, Stanislas (Fraser, 88); King; Defoe (Afobe, 82).

Unused subs: S Cook, Gosling, Mousset, Boruc (g/k).

Booked: Pugh

Leicester: Schmeichel, Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs, Albrighton (Mahrez, 75), Ndidi, King (iborra, h-t), Gray, Okazaki (Iheanacho, 69), Vardy.

Unused subs: Chilwell, Amartey, Slimani, Hamer (g/k).

Booked: None

Referee: Graham Scott