AS the proverb goes, Cherries boss Kevin Bond will be hoping that great oaks from little acorns grow.

Bond has had to be eternally grateful for the smallest of mercies during Cherries' dismal start to a difficult season.

Little has gone to plan as pre-season optimism has collapsed under a barrage of injuries and a run of poor results.

But despite seeing his charges fail to break their home league duck against Walsall, Bond must have been hugely encouraged by their display.

In a season of precious few highs at Dean Court, this was arguably Cherries' best home league performance to date.

And perhaps, as he put his clock back at the weekend, Bond will have been longing for an end to BST - Bournemouth's Suffering Time.

After Jo Kuffour had given the hosts a 20th-minute lead, Bond looked destined to mark the birthday of 18th century navigator Captain James Cook by steering Cherries to their first home league triumph.

But they were blown off course when Darren Wrack ruined the party by popping up to grab an unlikely and undeserved equaliser just nine minutes from time.

"I always felt that one goal possibly wouldn't be enough and that's how it turned out," said Bond. "I was pleased with everything, apart from the result."

Some would say that Wrack's leveller had been on the cards as it came with the Saddlers enjoying a rare bout of possession.

Others, however, would point to the fact that Cherries goalkeeper Neil Moss had remained a virtual spectator during this period.

Bond said: "There was a spell when we lost our shape a little bit. Maybe we were even trying to chase the game because we thought 2-0 would kill it off. We were probably a little too open at that stage."

Cherries soon put behind them an edgy start, when a couple of routine passes had gone astray, to take charge of proceedings, with Kuffour's strike settling any nerves.

It came after Danny Hollands's 15th-minute cross had resulted in several players trying their luck with an assortment of attempts on goal as the ball pinged around the Walsall 18-yard box.

And Kuffour made the breakthrough just seconds after Lee Bradbury had burst clear, only to see his fierce drive charged down by Anthony Gerrard.

A sweeping move, started on the left by Adam Lallana, continued as Kuffour charged through the middle towards a retreating Saddlers defence.

And having fed Paul Telfer on the right, Kuffour's run took him into the danger zone and he profited after the Scotsman's cross-shot had ricocheted into his path.

Kuffour said: "Telfs was trying to say it was a cut-back but I thought it was a shot that got deflected to me! Luckily, I was in the right place at the right time."

It was Kuffour's fourth - and easiest - goal of the season and came following his recovery from a recent spell of ill health.

Kuffour said: "I had only trained for three days in the past two weeks because I'd had the flu. I'm still a bit tired so hopefully I can get a full week's training in next week."

He added: "I'm just beginning to adapt to the way we play. I'm in a new position at right midfield so it takes a bit of time. Hopefully, I can come to terms with it quickly and get some more goals."

As Cherries continued to assert, Darren Anderton fired a free kick straight at Clayton Ince before the Saddlers mustered their first attack on 31 minutes.

Edrissa Sonko's first-time drive from Tommy Mooney's assist hit Hollands, while Moss saved smartly from Michael Dobson's follow-up, although the offside flag had already been raised.

Sonko's poor attempt to win a penalty under Marc Wilson's challenge fell on deaf ears before Bradbury warmed Ince's hands with a stinging 30-yard volley as the first half drew to a close.

Cherries should have doubled their lead eight minutes after the break when Kuffour missed his kick with the goal gaping after Lallana's pass had found him free on the far post.

An extended lull during the second half came to an end when Wrack arrived to divert Mark Bradley's low, driven pass into the bottom corner of the net to give Walsall an unexpected equaliser.

"It was an annoying goal to concede," said Cherries defender Josh Gowling. "The lad ran from midfield so somebody should have stayed with him.

"I thought we took control from the start and didn't given them a sniff.

"We were all over them in the first half and, although we knew they would come at us in the second, we coped well."

Both sides could have snatched a winner during a grandstand finale, with Cherries seeing a number of good opportunities go begging in the closing stages.

Bradbury miscontrolled Kuffour's centre with the goal at his mercy and then failed to test Ince with his attempt at a diving header from Telfer's cross.

Saddlers substitute Troy Deeney could have nicked it for the visitors in injury time, only to clip his effort wide, before Ince saved bravely at the feet of Sam Vokes.

And Walsall goalkeeper Ince knew very little about Bradbury's header at the death, with the ball rebounding to safety after striking the giant Trinidadian.

"It was a case of having two points taken away rather than gaining one," said Bond. "You don't always get what you deserve and we certainly didn't today."