GARRETH O'Connor's splendid individual effort earned Cherries a share of the spoils against League One whipping boys Stockport County at Edgeley Park on February 1.

The Dubliner finished with aplomb just seven minutes from time after the bottom-placed Hatters had threatened to put a dent into Cherries' play-off hopes.

Goals either side of half-time from Chris Armstrong and Joe Dolan had fired County into the lead and cancelled out John Spicer's sixth-minute opener.

Spicer ended a flowing move from one end of the pitch to the other by notching his eighth goal of the season with a low drive from just inside the 18-yard box.

And in front of a host of managers and scouts from Championship clubs, including Burnley's Steve Cotterill and Paul Jewell from Wigan, O'Connor came to Cherries' rescue late on.

Sean O'Driscoll made two changes to the Cherries starting line-up with Eddie Howe and Steve Fletcher recalled at the expense of Steve Purches and Marcus Browning who dropped down to the substitutes' bench.

Injury-hit County, searching for only their third home league win of the season, were without former Cherries striker Warren Feeney who was ruled out due to a hamstring strain.

Cherries opened the scoring through Spicer following the first quality move of the match after just six minutes, with O'Driscoll's side mastering the bobbly pitch to mount an excellent break.

Started when Brian Stock fed Garreth O'Connor near the centre circle, the attack continued after Warren Cummings had been sent scampering down the left flank by the Dubliner's pass.

And when he slipped the ball inside to Spicer, the midfielder drilled a low shot past County goalkeeper James Spencer from around 14 yards after superbly side-stepping defender Joe Dolan on the edge of the 18-yard box.

Cherries were then indebted to skipper Karl Broadhurst for making a timely clearance to deny Armstrong after the striker had looked to apply the finishing touches to Marc Bridge-Wilkinson's 14th-minute cross.

And Neil Moss also came to their rescue when he pulled off a top-drawer save to tip Stuart Barlow's header over the crossbar after the former Everton striker had been picked out by Chris Williams's centre.

But there was no let-off for Cherries when County drew level in the 26th minute, with former Queen of the South frontman Armstrong bagging the first goal of his career.

Signed from the Scottish outfit last month, the 20-year-old was on hand to rifle the loose ball high into the roof of the net after Chris Williams's initial effort had come back off the base of the post.

Armstrong then squandered a glorious opportunity to give County the lead when he nodded Jim Goodwin's 32nd-minute cross past the post from close range.

Howe's near post header from Stock's corner was hacked away at the opposite post by Danny Adams before Barlow, again unmarked, nodded another Chris Williams cross over the top.

On the stroke of half-time, County created another opening when Bridge-Wilkinson's thunderous 25-yard drive flashed narrowly past Moss's left-hand upright.

The County goal came under attack at the start of the second half as Cherries carved out two good scoring chances in quick succession.

Firstly, Fletcher's diving header from Wade Elliott's cross went the wrong side of the post before James Hayter just failed to connect with Cummings's low driven centre which flashed across the face of the goalmouth.

Spicer, set free down the right channel by Fletcher's through ball, fired into the arms of Spencer before County had a penalty appeal turned down after Rickie Lambert had taken a tumble as he challenged with Fletcher at a corner.

The impressive Chris Williams sent a rasping volley over the crossbar and Cherries were again thankful to Moss for punching Lambert's bullet header over the woodwork following Jackman's 69th-minute corner.

Six minutes later, Stock went close to nudging Cherries in front when he clipped the crossbar with his second attempt after his free-kick had rebounded back into his path having been charged down by the wall.

But disaster struck for Cherries when County took the lead in the 77th minute when Dolan glanced home a header after arriving to meet Bridge-Wilkinson's cross following a well worked short-corner routine. As Cherries tried to hit back, O'Connor forced Spencer to beat away his close range effort before the Irishman finally found a way through to fashion an equaliser.

The cultured midfielder ended an enterprising run down the right flank by cutting inside and dispatching an accurate left-footed shot into the bottom corner.

An immediate double substitution saw Derek Holmes and Alan Connell replace Hayter and Stock, with Connell seeing a fierce volley clear the crossbar and Holmes heading wide.

Deep into stoppage time, Fletcher almost grabbed a dramatic late winner when his low shot was turned around the post by Spencer.