EDDIE Howe insisted the magic of domestic cup competitions was still alive after reliving one of his greatest knockout moments.

Fourteen years ago, the Cherries boss slotted the winning penalty in the Dorset club's League Cup shootout at Blackburn – the visitors for tomorrow’s third-round tie (7.45pm).

And while he admitted the demands of the Premier League meant knockout battles required a balancing act, Howe said his love for the tournaments was strong as ever.

He told the Daily Echo: “For me, the tournaments haven’t lost any of their magic. They are great formats and they are all unique in how they are put together.

“That is the beauty of cup competitions. It’s on the night. The winner stays in and the loser goes out. That in itself is part of the magic of the cup competitions – it’s do or die.

“We love the competitions. The challenge is that because the Premier League is so huge, it’s about balancing those competitions and trying to progress while maintaining your league form. It’s a difficult balance.”

Then in League One under Sean O’Driscoll, Cherries toppled a Blackburn side which included the likes of Lorenzo Amoruso, Morten Gamst Pedersen and Lucas Neill.

After an enthralling 3-3 draw against the Premier League outfit at Ewood Park, Howe stepped up to drill the winning spot-kick past Peter Enckelman as Cherries progressed to the third round 7-6 on penalties.

Brought back on loan from Portsmouth after suffering a serious knee problem, Howe on the night said: “This is my first good day in football for a long, long time.”

Quizzed on the famous result in Lancashire, the Cherries boss said: “That one sticks in the memory because I actually did all right!

“I remember the penalty shootout because I was thinking ‘please don’t come round to me’. I think I was number seven on the list and it’s very rare it would get down to my number.

“As they were ticking away I was thinking ‘oh no!’. I was not renowned for my penalties, I can assure you.

“I had to score to send us through and I remember thinking as I was stepping up with the ball ‘just smash it as hard as you can and see what happens’.

“Nights like that weren’t very frequent for us. We were waiting for really good cup draws for all that spell and it never really came. That was one of the good ones and it was definitely a highlight.”

With just one division now separating the sides following Blackburn’s promotion to the Championship last season, Howe is expecting a difficult encounter.

“They are playing with confidence and are a team that, on the back of promotion have kept that momentum into this season,” he added.

“They have done very well adapting to life back in the Championship. It’s a really difficult league, as we know, with the amount of games you have in a short period of time – and the physicality of those games.”