JOSHUA King fired home his 16th goal of the campaign with five minutes to play to seal a dramatic victory for Cherries over Burnley, just when it looked as if two points had slipped through their fingers.

Junior Stanislas's sumptuous 25th-minute finish had given Cherries an advantage they didn't appear in much danger of relinquishing, until Sam Vokes headed home against his former team on 83 minutes to draw the visitors level.

It is the first time in four attempts that Eddie Howe has beaten his old club – and Cherries' first win against the Lancashire side since 1998.

Burnley were exceptionally quick from the blocks. Thirty seconds, in fact, was all it took for them to threaten Cherries' goal, George Boyd steering Scott Arfield's cross-shot from the left narrowly past the far post.

But to the backdrop of a celebratory atmosphere – both sets of fans understandably cock-a-hoop to be watching their teams operating without the spectre of relegation hanging over them – Cherries soon set about Burnley's backline.

Stanislas's low, first-time cross, after he had been sent scampering away by King's pass, was intercepted by the sliding Kevin Long, with Lys Mousset ready to pounce.

And Adam Smith went early with the party tricks, the defender executing an impudent, complex piece of footwork to fire the ball into Stanislas, hogging the touchline. Indeed, the right-back's cheeky pass came in the midst of an extended passage of Cherries' possession, with Smith, Stanislas and Harry Arter laying exclusive claim to the ball following a short corner.

Stanislas eventually cut a pass across for Simon Francis. His shot cleared the stand behind the goal.

Cherries, in fact, were attacking almost exclusively down the right side during the game's opening exchanges; the telepathic understanding between Smith and Stanislas the root of much of the hosts' more progressive work.

Visiting centre-half James Tarkowski's pulse would have quickened a beat or two when referee Lee Probert blasted on his whistle at the precise moment King tumbled under the former Brentford player's clumsy, recovering tackle.

It was the Cherries striker, though, who had been penalised, rather harshly, for tugging on Tarkowski to win the ball in the first instance.

Another terrific Stanislas delivery on 24 minutes flashed across the six-yard box and just out of the onrushing King's reach.

So, one minute later, Stanislas decided it was time he had a go himself.

The winger's run in off his flank, on left-back Stephen Ward's blindside, was excellent, and the raking pass from Lewis Cook to pick out his raiding team-mate its match.

Stanislas's chest control was perfect. And his finish everything you could wish for. The former Burnley player would, surely, have been tempted to ram his foot through the ball. Instead he coolly slotted it low, inside the left post, utterly defeating visiting goalkeeper Tom Heaton.

Burnley swiftly summoned a response. Initially it centred on plenty of neat, quick passing in front of Cherries' back four. Arfield was the architect of most of this aesthetically pleasing, but ultimately impotent work.

When he eventually opted to go for goal the Scottish winger had an optimistic hit blocked by Steve Cook. His next dig was rather more convincing, a low strike form 20 yards that skipped inches past the right post.

Cherries' first sortie of note down the left ended with Marc Pugh toeing the ball into Heaton's gloves. Perhaps emboldened by the winger's effort, left-back Charlie Daniels soon dribbled forward to send a shot whistling over the top.

Between times, Vokes – a strong, nuisance of a striker for centre-halves to deal with, one imagines – spun and lashed high of the target from the edge of the area.

Two minutes before the break, Artur Boruc preserved Cherries' lead. Ashley Barnes's heavily deflected shot from distance reared up and fell for Arfield, who was still considering where to plant his finish when the Polish 'keeper smothered at his feet.

Pugh could have been forgiven for asking why there were no takers for his prod into the box shortly after the restart. He'll reflect fondly, though, on the piece of skill that totally flummoxed Arfield on his way to the byline.

There was nothing subtle about the pop at goal Steve Cook had as Cherries kept their foot on Burnley's throat. Stanislas and Arter caressed the ball across the pitch, before the defender unleashed a fierce, dipping strike that Heaton did well to pouch.

The dangerous Arfield then took aim from distance but bent his shot a yard past Boruc's left upright. Vokes's subsequent effort from similar range was an altogether more feeble affair, dribbled into Boruc's hands.

Mousset headed straight at Heaton on the hour mark, following a Cherries' counter that started with Steve Cook overpowering substitute Andre Gray on halfway and ended with the Frenchman meeting King's lifted delivery.

King then received a pass played left by Pugh – increasingly popping up in central positions. The striker chopped inside right-back Matthew Lowton but erred at the decisive moment, blazing beyond the far post.

The Norwegian was soon showing off his incredible strength, first winning a foot race down the left with Long and then contemptuously shrugging off the Irishman's shoulder barge, before drifting inside to unleash a shot that was bravely blocked by Tarkowski.

Ryan Fraser, on for the stricken Mousset, was promptly in the action, racing to the byline, via a one-two with Pugh, and sending in an inviting cross that travelled unmolested to the back post, where the grateful Ward diverted behind.

Pugh, for his part, was starting to make merry down his flank. More intuitive link-up play with Daniels ended with him thrashing a shot into Tarkowski's body.

But Burnley drew encouragement from their deficit still being pinned at one entering the closing stages. Hendrick's goalbound effort was inadvertently steered off course by Gray – positioning himself to swoop on any rebound.

And Steve Cook demonstrated exactly why he topped the fans' player-of-the-year poll by scampering across and throwing himself in the way of Lowton's drive

The Burnley defender's chance had been teed up by Johann Berg Gudmundsson, on for Arfield in what was effectively Clarets boss Sean Dyche's last throw of the dice.

And from Gudmundsson's next delivery Dyche was vindicated. The Icelander was allowed to shift the ball back onto his favoured left foot. He accepted the invitation to send in a wicked ball that found Vokes, nipping in front of Steve Cook to glance the ball beyond Boruc and into the far corner.

Rather than feel sorry for themselves, Cherries acted as if they had been slighted.

In the blink of an eye Fraser was latching onto a ball down the left. He realised King had stolen a yard on Tarkowski and provided the perfect delivery for the forward.

King took one touch with his right foot, brushing off Tarkowski's attentions in the process. His second touch, with his left, sent the ball unerringly across Heaton and into the back of the net.

That's 16 goals for the season and 13 in 2017 for the red-hot former Manchester United man.

It's also 45 points for Cherries, and a place in the top 10 of tonight's Premier League table.

Whoever lobbed a plastic champagne bottle on the pitch early in the second half must have had an idea of what was coming.

Cherries (4-4-2): Boruc, A Smith, Francis, S Cook, Daniels, Stanislas (Ibe, 87), L Cook, Arter (Gosling, 81), Pugh, King, Mousset (Fraser, 66).

Unused subs: Gradel, B Smith, Mings, Allsop (g/k).

Burnley (4-4-2): Heaton, Lowton, Long,Tarkowski, Ward, Boyd (Brady, 55), Westwood, Hendrick, Arfield (Gudmundsson, 75), Barnes (Gray, h-t), Vokes.

Unused subs: Flanagan, Defour, Darikwa, Pope (g/k).

Booked: Brady.

Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).

Attendance: 11,388.