CHERRIES yesterday made certain of their Premier League status despite a 2-1 defeat at Everton.

Eddie Howe’s men were seconds away from the finishing line but ex-Cherries striker Jermain Defoe netted in the fourth minute of added time to pinch a 1-1 for Sunderland at Stoke.

WATCH: Eddie Howe's disbelief as Cherries lose at Everton

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However, with Norwich losing 1-0 at Arsenal in the late kick-off, the Canaries, Newcastle and Aston Villa can no longer catch Cherries.

Here, we look back at five of the results which made it possible.

1. West Ham United 3 Cherries 4 The breakthrough victory.

After a pair of hard luck stories in openers against Aston Villa and Liverpool, Cherries needed to break their duck.

There were plenty of imperfections but essentially, Cherries left the Boleyn Ground with Callum Wilson knowing he could score at the top level and that they could dig out victories against established names.

2. Cherries 2 Sunderland 0

On the back of a rare off day at Norwich, the pressure was on to beat the Black Cats and for the first time in the Premier League, Cherries looked too good for an opponent.

They flew out of the traps with a customary strike from Wilson and Matt Ritchie’s ripsnorter.

This one fuelled not only the belief that they could win in the top flight but that there were games they should win.

3. Cherries 3 Everton 3

October and November had been miserable months on the back of a deepening injury crisis.

Many may point to the victory at Chelsea seven days later but the real turning point came in the last-ditch fightback against the Toffees.

Hailed as one of the matches of the season, in truth it seemed destined to be a routine 2-0 victory for the visitors until the last 10 minutes.

Adam Smith and Junior Stanislas saved the day before England international Ross Barkley popped up with what everyone assumed would be a cruel 95th-minute winner.

Everton fans even invaded the pitch, only to see Stanislas slam home in the eighth minute of added time.

Buoyed by the result, Cherries went on to beat Chelsea and Manchester United. Their survival mission suddenly began to shift.

4. West Bromwich Albion 1 Cherries 2

While toppling the big guns will live long in the memory, leaving the Black Country with a maximum haul was probably tougher in some respects.

Following the hype of such high-profile scalps, Cherries had to deal with the burden of new-found expectation as well as the prospect of an aerial bombardment at the Hawthorns.

Despite being down to 10 men, Albion did not disappoint in the second half were on top having levelled.

But Cherries held firm and claimed the spoils courtesy of Charlie Daniels’s late penalty.

5. Cherries 2 Southampton 0

A strong showing in the 0-0 draw at Watford saw Cherries recover from their February dip and teed up one of the most memorable nights in Dean Court’s recent history.

Prior to a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, the Saints had won five out of six without conceding but Cherries showcased their attacking prowess and deservedly took a stride away from the trapdoor thanks to Steve Cook and Benik Afobe.

The club’s first league win over Southampton since 1958 preceded victories over Newcastle and Swansea.

From there, survival was never in doubt.