CHERRIES maintained their unbeaten start to pre-season after sharing a 1-1 draw with Championship side Bristol City at Ashton Gate.

Joshua King fired the visitors ahead with an unerring effort in the 14th minute but City responded well and Andreas Weimann pounced from close range as half-time approached.

Cherries had drawn with Sevilla and beaten Levante in their first two friendlies but could have fallen behind in the second period when Weimann’s header went just wide.

Having made a bright start, Cherries should have taken the lead in the seventh minute.

Jordon Ibe cleverly fed King on the right side of the box and the Norwegian’s low cross found Jermain Defoe at the near post. But the former Tottenham striker’s shot was blocked at close range by keeper Max O’Leary.

The hosts were wayward with a couple of efforts, Joe Bryan and Niclas Eliasson both trying their luck from distance.

And moments after Tyrone Mings had made a timely challenge to prevent Eliasson breaking clear, King jinked past Nathan Baker at the other end and fired into the bottom-right corner.

Far from disheartened, City seemed spurred on by conceding and they created a clear opening when Jamie Paterson dragged wide midway through the half.

Eliasson was proving a pest on the right flank and after the Swede received possession from Matty Taylor, his cross was directed acrobatically off-target by Weimann, who had improvised well.

Just after the half hour, Eliasson’s corner was nodded just wide by Baker and moments later, Josh Brownhill failed to work Asmir Begovic.

City were getting closer and it took a well-timed challenge by Mings to stop Weimann in his tracks when one-on-one.

The Robins levelled seven minutes before the break. Jack Hunt’s right-wing cross caused discomfort in the Cherries defence and Paterson knocked back across goal for Weimann to stab past Begovic, prompting an inquest between Steve Cook and Mings.

Brad Smith stung the palms of O’Leary before City twice went close in the dying embers of the opening period. First, Bryan’s cross was sliced narrowly past his own post by Brad Smith, before Paterson thumped high and wide after collecting Begovic’s punch.

City’s Korey Smith replaced Matty Taylor for the second half and the substitute immediately felt the full force of a challenge from Mings, gingerly getting to his feet after receiving attention.

Aside from his early effort, Defoe had experienced a quiet first half but he nearly got on the scoresheet seven minutes after the restart, only denied by a last-gasp sliding intervention from Bryan.

Mings got a crucial touch on a cross with Weimann lurking and the Austrian came perilously close to his second goal when from Eliasson’s terrific cross, his header dropped just past the far post.

Mo Eisa replaced Paterson as part of a triple change for the Robins and the frontman almost made an explosive impact.

Begovic was required to make a full-length stop to parry to safety Eisa’s venomous strike and moments later, Begovic was again required to save from the Sudanese, this time more comfortably.

Connor Mahoney and Mihai Dobre entered the fray in a largely unspectacular final quarter.

Steve Cook could not find the net with a header from Ibe’s corner, while Dobre fired high and wide in the closing minutes.

Cherries: Begovic, A Smith, S Cook, Mings, B Smith (Dobre, 83), Surman, L Cook, Ibe, Pugh, King, Defoe (Mahoney, 73). Unused subs: Hobson, Ofoborh, Worthington, Surridge, Travers (g/k).