WHILE jubilant Vale fans threw beach balls on to the pitch during half-time, Cherries supporters could have been forgiven for throwing in the towel at the final whistle.

The once-proud red flag was again replaced by a now more familiar white one as Kevin Bond's wounded troops surrendered to another meek and dispiriting defeat.

It was a performance every bit as wretched as the result it secured and came hot on the heels of another abject display at home to Exeter.

And if Kevin Bond had demanded an improvement, he must have been hugely disappointed because this latest horror show was equally as demoralising.

Devoid of invention and bereft of attacking ideas, injury-hit Cherries were spared a Potteries hammering by goalkeeper Shwan Jalal.

In fact, Cherries' feeble first-half display was perfectly summed during a conversation between two travelling supporters at the interval.

"We haven't even had a shot," lamented one fan to another.

"Why do you think that is?", came the inquisitive reply.

"Maybe it's because we had one last week!", joked his quick-witted mate, his response more gallows humour than stand-up comedy. While the 1960s' hit Glad All Over' belted out from the public address on the three occasions the Valiants scored, Cherries followers must have been tempted to break into a chorus of Everybody Hurts'.

However, the Vale Park Tannoy announcer probably would have drowned them out as he bizarrely chose to deliver regular broadcasts while the match was in progress.

The last thing Cherries needed reminding of at frequent intervals was the golden goal time after Marc Richards had opened the scoring.

Richards pounced on the loose ball and finished with accuracy off the base of Jalal's left-hand post after Jason Pearce had charged down his initial shot. To be precise, the goal apparently came after 14 minutes and 45 seconds.

The 50-50 draw certainly had nothing to do with first-half possession, while birthday greetings could have been directed at the Vale strikers, such was Cherries' generosity in defence.

However, perhaps the most apt announcement of Cherries' inept first-half display surrounded the winning number in the vice-presidents' half-time draw.

"It's a white ticket," bellowed the man on the microphone. "And it's number 321."

Fittingly, Dusty Bin is where this performance should be confined forever.

Having departed Dean Court at breakfast time, Lady Luck was a notable absentee on the Cherries coach.

She stayed behind with new signing Alan Connell who sustained an untimely knee injury during his first training session following his move from Brentford on Friday.

Linchpin defender Scott Guyett was also ruled out of the trip to Staffordshire due to a fragile hamstring, leaving Bond with much to ponder ahead of naming his team.

Injury-prone Ryan Garry was recalled in place of Guyett, while Bond opted to go with untried loan signings Reneil Sappleton and Craig Lindfield in attack. Brett Pitman dropped down to the bench.

A mix up between Garry and Jalal almost presented Luke Rodgers with an opening goal after just 62 seconds, his flicked effort rolling inches past the upright.

With Rodgers and Richards offering mobility and muscle up front, Cherries looked vulnerable in defence and it came as no surprise when the latter broke the deadlock early on.

The pair then combined to good effect when a neat one-two ended with Richards drawing an excellent diving save from Jalal in the 28th minute before the goalkeeper again distinguished himself when he palmed a Simon Richman effort over the crossbar.

And while the Cherries strikers waited patiently for their first opportunity, Richards headed an Anthony Griffith cross straight down Jalal's throat.

For Cherries, Marvin Bartley was full of running, although two flimsy penalty shouts after the midfielder had gone to ground under challenges from Lee Collins never looked likely to sway referee Mike Russell.

A shot dragged wide by Sappleton and an ambitious scissors kick from Danny Hollands both troubled the ball boys rather than Vale goalkeeper Joe Anyon.

But Cherries enjoyed a 15-minute purple patch after the break and levelled after Sappleton's half-chance had been turned around the post by Anyon at the start of the second half.

A well-worked free kick ended with Lindfield heading home from close range after Lee Bradbury had met Darren Anderton's delivery at the far post.

"Once we got it back to 1-1, I thought we would go on to win," said Lindfield. "It was a typical striker's goal and it seemed to give everyone a lift. But their second and third goals killed us and to concede so quickly was unforgivable."

Cherries' hopes were short lived as Richman's header restored Vale's lead before John McCombe nodded home a third, the two goals coming in the space of as many minutes.

While Is this the way to Amarillo?' reverberated around Vale Park at the final whistle, Bond is adamant Cherries are not heading for the Conference.

"One person I never kid is myself," said Bond.

"We haven't got off to the start we wanted but we will remain, at the very least, in this division."