BOSS Eddie Howe urged his Cherries stars to embrace the chance to play for promotion and then declared: “There should be no fears or worries.”

Howe insists Cherries will stick to the routine which has served them so well since his appointment as they attempt to successfully conclude their League One campaign.

Manager Howe has masterminded Cherries' remarkable transformation from strugglers to title contenders since succeeding Paul Groves in October.

Ahead of Saturday’s home match against Notts County (3pm), second-placed Cherries hold a three-point lead over Brentford, who have two games in hand, with Sheffield United four adrift with three in hand.

Cherries have registered five successive victories to move back into the automatic promotion spots with four matches remaining. And Howe says Cherries should relish the opportunity to stay there.

He told the Daily Echo: “The lads are a level-headed bunch and I have had no problems with anyone getting ahead of themselves or anything on that side of things. The spirit, as you can imagine for a team winning games, has been very good.

“We are playing for a positive outcome – we must make that clear. We are at the top end of the division and there should be no fears or worries.

“We want to try to play and perform at our best in the remaining games – even though there is a lot at stake. It is getting that balance right and, hopefully, we can do that.

“This is a great position for us to be in with four games to go. This club has only been in the second tier once so we are, potentially, almost breaking new ground if we achieve what we want to achieve at the end of the season. We have got to embrace that and try to meet it head on, if we can."

Notts County will arrive at Dean Court in mid-table and well clear of both the play-off and relegation zones.

Howe said: “People have asked me quite regularly in the past few weeks – ‘who would you like to play?' The answer is that you don't know until the game is over.

“We are confident we are a match for any team when we are at our best.

“We will prepare for these four games exactly the same as we have in the previous games.

“You can't influence how other teams feel. Whether they play with more freedom because there is no pressure on them, you don't know.

“What we are expecting is a difficult game because matches against Notts County have, traditionally, always been that way for us.

“We have had some great battles over the years, none more so than the 3-3 in the away game this season which was a really good advert for League One – end-to-end stuff.”

Howe is set to make a late decision on Lewis Grabban (tonsillitis).

County, meanwhile, will be without suspended star player Alan Judge. The 24-year-old, dubbed 'the Irish Messi', has scored eight goals and contributed 11 assists in 41 appearances this term. Goalkeeper Bartosz Bialkowski (virus) is doubtful.

Cherries: (from) Allsop, Francis, Cook, Elphick, Daniels, Ritchie, Fogden, O'Kane, Arter, Pugh, MacDonald, Tubbs, McQuoid, Pitman, Fletcher, Seaborne, Hughes, Fraser, McDermott, Grabban, Jalal.

County: (from) Bialkowski, Kelly, Leacock, Liddle, Sheehan, Campbell-Ryce, Bishop, Boucaud, Zoko, Hughes, Arquin, Smith, Showunmi, Labadie, Waite, Hollis, Tempest, Speiss.