ALAN Connell came off the bench to salvage a share of the spoils for Cherries in a scrappy encounter against lowly Macclesfield at Dean Court.
Connell popped up to score five minutes from time, his effort cancelling out Nat Brown’s 62nd-minute header for the Silkmen.
The goal sparked fury on the visitors’ bench with Macclesfield manager Keith Alexander sent to the stands for remonstrating with the officials.
Boss Eddie Howe named an unchanged starting line-up as Cherries looked for an instant response following defeat at Dagenham & Redbridge.
The visitors, beaten just four times on their travels this season, welcomed back leading goalscorer Reneil Sappleton, who spent time on loan with Cherries in 2008.
Macclesfield made a lively start with Sappleton and Craig Lindfield, another one-time Cherries loanee, both trying their luck in the opening stages.
Sappleton’s low drive from distance trickled past the upright, while Lindfield’s fierce drive was deflected for a corner by Rhoys Wiggins.
Colin Daniel should have done better with a free header, the midfielder’s weak effort from eight yards bouncing past the post after Izak Reid had crossed.
Brett Pitman squandered a great chance to give Cherries the lead in the 21st minute after Macclesfield’s attempts to catch Cherries offside had backfired.
But after Jason Pearce had headed Lee Bradbury’s free kick into Pitman’s path, he volleyed high over the crossbar with just Macclesfield goalkeeper Jonny Brain to beat.
Pitman also side-footed narrowly wide with a first-time effort before Sean Hessey’s long-range free kick was smothered low down by Cherries goalkeeper Shwan Jalal.
Brain got down to his right to snaffle a half-chance from Danny Hollands, while Sappleton’s piledriver fizzed past the upright after 34 minutes.
Although Cherries began to assert as the opening period wore on, clear-cut goalscoring opportunities continued to elude them.
A half-time switch saw Connell replace Steve Fletcher but still Cherries found the visitors a tough nut to crack as Macclesfield defended resolutely.
Brain was forced to acrobatically palm away Bradbury’s thunderous drive before Richard Butcher’s curling effort almost squeezed inside Jalal’s left-hand post.
A flurry of activity inside Macclesfield’s 18-yard box saw Brain save from Anton Robinson and Pitman hit the crossbar with a shot on the turn.
Disaster struck for Cherries when the Silkmen opened the scoring after 62 minutes with Brown arriving late to power home Lee Bell’s free kick with a bullet header.
Connell then headed off the line from Ben Wright before the Cherries striker scuffed a couple of presentable efforts at the opposite end.
Macclesfield substitute Emile Sinclair wasted a glorious chance to double their lead when he side-footed tamely into the arms of Jalal just minutes after coming off the bench.
And Connell made the visitors pay when he levelled with a low shot past Brain five minutes from time.
Furious Macclesfield boss Keith Alexander was banished to the stands by referee Graham Horwood for disputing the goal.
Cherries (4-4-2): Jalal; Bradbury, Pearce, Bartley, Wiggins; Feeney, Robinson, Hollands, McQuoid (Goulding, 70),; Pitman, Fletcher (Connell, h-t).
Unused subs: Cummings, Thomas (g/k).
Booked: Hollands, Feeney, Wiggins.
Silkmen (3-5-2): Brain; Brisley, Hessey, Brown; Reid, Butcher, Bell, Draper, Daniel; Sappleton (Wright, 63), Lindfield (Sinclair, 63).
Unused subs: Mills, Thomas, Tipton, Bolland, Veiga (g/k).
Booked: Sappleton, Draper, Bell.
Referee: Graham Horwood (Bedfordshire).
Attendance: 4,549.
