DEFENDER Steve Cook wants Cherries to become the dominant force on the south coast.

Cook is set to be part of Eddie Howe’s squad when Cherries lock horns with Southampton on Saturday (3pm) knowing victory would secure their Premier League status for next season.

Cherries have not finished above Saints in the league since 1959, having been pipped by the St Mary’s outfit on goal difference last season.

And with the 27-year-old’s former club Brighton also in the mix for south coast supremacy, Cook is keen for Cherries to establish themselves as the best club in the region.

The centre-half told the Daily Echo: “It would be nice to dominate the south coast.

“I feel we are the best side out of them all. I am biased but I think we will finish above them all and it would just show how far we have come.

“I don’t think Bournemouth have ever been seen as the best club in the south because we have had to dig in from League Two to get here.

“It would mean bragging rights. Southampton are in a precarious position at the moment and we can make that a lot more difficult for them.

“I am sure our fans would want to see us win well and keep them down there.

“If we managed to finish above Brighton – who are a huge club and have done extremely well this season – it would show a huge amount of character from the club and the players.”

Cook scored when Cherries recorded their only top-flight victory over Saints – a 2-0 home win in March 2016.

The Dorset club have never triumphed at St Mary’s but will face a Southampton outfit which has won once in the league since November.

Mark Hughes’s side are 18th and four points from safety.

Cook added: “In our final three games, we have to be looking to be unbeaten and get a minimum of two wins. We want the three wins and are desperate to beat Southampton.

“I want to win but I would like them to stay up because we were beginning to get a good rivalry going. But if it means us winning and them going down, then so be it.

“Their fans probably don’t see it as much as a derby as our fans but the more it goes on and the more games you play, it builds. You get that passion between both sets of fans.

“If they were to go down that game would no longer be there. It is a shame to see them there because I think they are an excellent side. They have excellent players and it will be very difficult.

“The pressure is on them but we want to finish the season well. We don’t want the season to peter out because we still have a lot more work to do."

Cook tops Cherries’ statistics for successful blocks in the Premier League this season – only Brighton duo Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy have recorded more.