SIMON Francis admitted Cherries’ victory over Burnley had been a “big game” for boss Eddie Howe and was one the players had been desperate to win.

Howe’s team lost 3-2 at Burnley in December, a day Francis said had been disappointing and had left Cherries itching for revenge.

They duly got their wish, with Joshua King firing home a late winner, two minutes after former Dean Court favourite Sam Vokes had equalised Junior Stanislas’s first-half goal.

It was Howe’s fourth encounter with Burnley since he returned to Cherries from Turf Moor in 2012 – and the first time he had got one over his former club.

Francis told the Daily Echo: “It was a big game for the manager. I don’t think it was a game he targeted as an individual one we had to win during the season – but I think it was big for everyone at the club.

“We were disappointing away from home against Burnley so we knew we owed them one. We have beaten teams second time round after losing the first game a few times this season.

“It was a great game to win, whether for the gaffer or for the players, that’s not the most important thing. The most important thing was getting the points to climb the table.”

The three points Cherries won on Saturday ensured they would finish in the highest league position in their 118-year history.

And Francis says the team are being fuelled by twin-motivators as the campaign reaches its climax – the possibility of securing an extraordinary top-10 Premier League finish and the desire to avoid last season’s limp to the line when Cherries took only four points from their final eight games.

“I know we’re getting towards the end and we have already secured our safety but we made sure we didn’t fall into the mindset we had last season, unfortunately, that we’d stayed in the Premier League and that was great for the club,” continued the skipper.

“We didn’t want to do the same this season. There is still a lot to play for and now it goes down to the final match at Leicester to try to get that top-10 finish.

“We dealt with Burnley’s aerial threat a lot better than we did last time, although Sam Vokes still scored a great header. There wasn’t much either Cookie or Artur could do about that.

“But we had enough chances before that equaliser to go and win the game.

“As long as we are creating opportunities, and we have Kingy in the form he is at the moment, we have a chance of winning games. And all credit to him for popping up with the winner again.”