HOWE’S HOOPING FOR BIG CHERRIES FINISH

EDDIE HOWE says that Bournemouth worked too hard to get to the Premier League to ever surrender to the mood music... and let the next fortnight be their Last Dance.

In 1996, the Cherries came within 15 minutes of extinction but were saved by a supporters’ trust.

And they were still a

League Two team as recently as 2009-10.

They were a League One side when Howe returned for a second spell as manager in October 2012 but within three years he had led them through the Championship and into the Premier League.

Howe (right) said: “The players know what the prize is. We know how good this league is, we know how tough this league is.

“But we worked so hard to get into the Premier League.

“The journey here was enjoyable, of course, but it was tough and there was an incredible amount of effort that went into it –we don’t want to give that up easily.” Bournemouth have arguably the most difficult run-in of the relegationthreatened sides, starting with Leicester today, but Howe added: “We have performed better against the bigger teams, our results have been better and more consistent.

“We know we can lift our game against the top teams, we can perform against the elite and get results.

“All we can control now are the next four games and hope that our ability to lift ourselves and compete against the elite teams is going to be there.”

Howe has been watching The Last Dance, the Netflix documentary which charts basketball legend Michael Jordan’s final season with the Chicago Bulls.

Howe said: “I wouldn’t call that switching off – if I am going to spend the odd 45 minutes taking myself away thought-wise, I have to come back uplifted and energised, and that is what