UNCONVINCING Cherries scraped out of the bottom four by the skin of their teeth last night - thanks largely to a miraculous goal-line clearance from Kieran McAnespie.

The Fulham loan star hacked away a shot by David Bridges just four minutes from time as the doomed U's came within a whisker of chalking up their first away win of the season.

Cherries just about deserved a share of the spoils and with six games remaining, the point has edged them out of the relegation zone on goal difference.

Sean O'Driscoll's side came from behind to take the lead through Warren Feeney and a Wade Elliott penalty before Danny Jackman equalised for the visitors.

James Hayter thought he had opened the scoring inside the first two minutes, but his effort was ruled out for offside.

Hayter then tried his luck with a fierce 20-yard shot which just flashed past the post.

Cherries were forced into a reshuffle when Shaun Maher sustained a nasty head injury following a clash with Dave Kitson.

The Irishman left the field for a lengthy spell of treatment, but did not return and was replaced by Richard Hughes. Jason Tindall took over from Maher in the back four while Hughes slotted into midfield.

Cherries were rocked again when Cambridge took the lead just seconds after Maher had departed. The home defence failed to clear Luke Guttridge's corner and when the ball fell to Tom Cowan, he acrobatically scissor-kicked it into the bottom corner of the net from 12 yards.

But the visitors' lead lasted just six minutes when Feeney volleyed home his 12th goal of the season to level.

Feeney latched onto a cross from Wade Elliott which Cambridge defender Adam Tann inadvertently allowed to bounce over his head before Feeney struck from just inside the box.

The Ulsterman almost added a second eight minutes before half-time when he seized on a poor header from Cowan before beating Lionel Perez to the ball.

But as Feeney prepared to pull the trigger, Jackman got in ahead of him to clear the danger.

On the stroke of half-time, Hughes made a vital block when he threw himself bravely in front of a full-bloodied effort by Neil Mustoe.

Then, deep into first-half stoppage time, Feeney outstripped the Cambridge defence to meet a huge clearance from Stewart only to see his blistering drive pushed away by Perez before the follow-up trickled wide.

Cherries grabbed the lead three minutes after the restart when Tann was penalised for handball inside the area and referee John Brandwood pointed to the spot on the say-so of his assistant Simon Snartt.

And Elliott banished his spot-kick nightmare from Reading a fortnight ago when he tucked the penalty into the bottom right-hand corner past the despairing dive of Perez.

Stephen Cooke, who turned in an eye-catching display in midfield, saw a low shot saved by Perez as Cherries pressed for a third.

But disaster struck after 58 minutes when Cherries were carved open at the back by a swift Cambridge break.

And after Jackman's initial shot had been headed away by Eddie Howe, the Aston Villa loan player was on hand to clinically bury the rebound.

Hayter was set free by Cooke's incisive pass, but after rounding Perez, his shot from an acute angle rolled agonisingly wide of the post.

U's substitute Bridges headed past Cherries goalkeeper Gareth Stewart with eight minutes remaining, but again the goal was ruled out by a linesman's flag for offside.

Cambridge were awarded a free kick after Tindall had hauled down Bridges on the edge of the area and Warren Goodhind's resultant shot was spilled by Stewart.

Then, following a frantic goalmouth scramble, Bridges looked to have grabbed the winner before McAnespie spared Cherries' blushes with his last-gasp heroics.