EDDIE Howe piloted Cherries to the Premier League and then insisted the club’s players and supporters should “enjoy, relish and embrace” their place in the big time.

Cherries effectively sealed their first promotion to the top flight thanks to last night’s emphatic 3-0 victory over Championship rivals Bolton at Dean Court.

 

See all the pictures from the celebrations at the Goldsands Stadium in a gallery 

The win, which came courtesy of strikes from Marc Pugh, Matt Ritchie and Callum Wilson, took Cherries three points clear of nearest rivals Middlesbrough and with a vastly superior goal difference.

Second-placed Cherries will battle it out with leaders Watford for the title on Saturday when only an improbable 19-goal swing would prevent the Dorset club from going up.

Howe, who has taken Cherries from League Two to the Premier League in five years, said: “We have to try to enjoy, embrace and relish it.

“When you’ve had the journey we’ve had, I don’t think you can fear it and we all need to take in every moment. There will be some hard times and I’ve no doubt it will be very difficult. But we will just try to make the most of every opportunity we have.

“We had it the same when we went up to the Championship. It only felt real once the fixtures had come out and then it was down to work.

“I don’t think it will feel real until we see who we have and then it will be a case of – I won’t swear – but ‘right, now we’ve got to try to get some points!’”

Promotion to the top flight came almost six years to the day since Howe led Cherries to the Greatest Escape, preserving their Football League status despite a 17-point deduction.

“It’s difficult to put it into words,” added Howe. “It’s difficult to reflect in football because you don’t get the time. You are always focusing on the next game and looking forward.

“Now is a time to look back and think where we were six years ago and how difficult it was to run the football club with bailiffs coming in near enough every day, staff and players not getting paid and people being made redundant.

“It doesn’t seem real to be where we are now, although of course we know it is. A lot of people deserve a lot of credit for how we have risen from near enough the ashes.

“It was great to see the supporters sharing in the success because this is a unique club in respect that they kept the club going.

"I was at the Winter Gardens in 1997 when buckets were being handed round and they were putting in what they could. They played a huge part in the club existing and deserve a lot of credit for this moment as well.”

Howe added: “The players have given everything and have been a real pleasure to manage. They are very focused and very professional. They had the goal to get promoted so it was just a case of trying to keep them grounded and keep them working towards that goal. They have been magnificent for the football club.

“It was a great evening. There was a lot of pressure on us and I thought we were better once we had scored the first goal. It really settled us down. The second was one of our goals of the season. It was a really top-class goal.

“We worked hard in the week to pick up the players after what happened against Sheffield Wednesday. We went back to the training ground to work on what I would call Bournemouth drills. I wanted to see a Bournemouth performance and thought we got one.”

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