DEFEAT WOULD BE TOFF TO TAKE

EDDIE HOWE is desperate to avoid relegation heartache with his Bournemouth side today – at the hands of boyhood idols Everton.

The Cherries head to Goodison Park knowing that even victory might not be enough to keep them up – depending on how Watford and Aston Villa get on at Arsenal and West Ham, respectively.

But having been an Everton nut as a kid – despite being born near Watford – Howe is well aware that great escapes do happen.

The Bournemouth boss vividly recalls tuning in on the radio to the final day of the 1993-94 season when the Toffees survived in an incredible 90 minutes of drama.

Mike Walker’s Merseysiders were 2-0 down at home to Wimbledon – and heading for the second tier – before staging a fightback to clinch victory 3-2 and preserve their top-flight status.

If Howe and his Dorset strugglers need to draw on some historical inspiration for their own must-win trip, they have it there.

The Cherries chief said: “I remember that game really well. Everton went two behind and things looked really bleak for them at that time. It was a remarkable comeback.

“Those memories stick in your head, whether you’re watching, managing or playing. It shows the unpredictability.

“Why can’t we be another story that you add to that? There have been so many last-day escapes from different teams down the years.

“So why can’t we be one of those?”

The irony that Howe’s men must beat Everton and pray his home-town club Watford crash to the Hammers and Villa – his first opponents as a Premier League boss – are beaten by Arsenal is not lost on him.

On those strange twists of fate, Howe said: “I was born in Amersham. My first game was at Watford – being around the corner.

“But the first one I watched on telly was, bizarrely, Watford-Everton in the 1984 Cup final. I just instantly decided to support