CHERRIES are on a collision course to meet former manager Tony Pulis and his Stoke City side in the FA Cup - should Sean O'Driscoll's troops overcome Crewe in next week's replay.

Yesterday's fourth round draw handed Pulis's Potters a home tie on January 25 against either Cherries or the Railwaymen who will meet a week today after drawing 0-0 at Dean Court on Saturday.

As a remarkable coincidence, Pulis had already agreed to do his old club a huge favour by allowing Cherries to use Stoke's training facilities ahead of their replay at the Alexandra Stadium.

Pulis, who still lives with his family in Ferndown, said he was more than happy to help out after his former Cherries team-mate O'Driscoll had paid him a visit on Sunday evening.

He said: "Sean popped round to ask me if we could help them out and of course I said yes, but he might change his mind now after the draw.

"I suppose our fans will be looking at Crewe as the bigger draw and obviously they have home advantage in the replay. I'll be there taking a close look at both sides ahead of the fourth round.

"If you don't draw one of the big guns away from home, then you are always looking for a home tie, but it will be a tough one whoever we end up playing."

Cherries, who have never met Stoke in the FA Cup, won their last third round replay on penalties at the second attempt at Newcastle after the first clash had been abandoned due to fog.

Dean Court assistant manager Peter Grant said: "It's a fantastic gesture by Tony and Stoke to allow us to use their training facilities ahead of the replay at Crewe - I just hope he won't be withdrawing the offer now because of the draw!"

Grant added: "It's a very difficult draw, but first we have got to go to Crewe which will be a very difficult game and they are probably favourites at this moment in time.

"Everybody else will probably talk about Tony and his connections with the club, but all we are interested in is the football side of it and I'm sure he is exactly the same.

"It's not managers or coaches who win games, it's the players on the pitch. You can try to organise a team as best you can, but once they step over the white line, you hope they produce the goods and show their capabilities.

"Stoke is a fantastic arena and one the players would look forward to playing in if we were to get through, but we aren't looking any further ahead than our next games against Cambridge and Crewe."

Cherries have already been written off by Crewe defender Efe Sodje who was quoted in The Sun yesterday as saying: "We will beat Bournemouth. Their best chance was to beat us on their own ground and they did not take it."