BOSS Eddie Howe failed to hide his disappointment after Cherries had rounded off their season with defeat against a Wayne Rooney-inspired Manchester United.

Howe’s squad was forced to regroup and return to the North West on Tuesday after the clash had been postponed due to a security alert at Old Trafford on Sunday.

But despite holding United until the stroke of half-time, Cherries were beaten 3-1 by goals from Rooney, Marcus Rashford and Ashley Young, with Chris Smalling’s late own goal a mere consolation.

Howe told the Daily Echo: “You are programmed to not accept defeat and I can’t accept defeat, whether it is the first or last game of the season. At whatever stage, and including pre-season friendlies, you want to win.

“We went to Manchester United and were desperate to win. Ultimately, they had too much quality. I thought they were better than us and that showed. We did our best but they were too good for us on the night.”

Asked whether he felt the re-staging of the fixture had affected his team’s performance, Howe replied: “It was difficult for everybody connected with our club.

“The players had plans beyond the game on Sunday, as you would at the end of a season, and, suddenly, those had to change so it would have affected them mentally.

“You think the season is over and then have to extend it at the last minute. From a training perspective, it was difficult because we couldn’t do anything with the players because work has already started on our training pitches and main pitch. We got round it and did our best but Manchester United were too good for us on the night.”