EDDIE Howe insisted his emotions were “90 per cent positive” after Cherries won a dramatic Carabao Cup tie against 10-man Blackburn.

Callum Wilson’s late header saw Cherries into the fourth round after they had been pegged back to 2-2.

A Junior Stanislas strike and Jordon Ibe’s penalty seemingly put the hosts in control but Craig Conway and Adam Armstrong struck to level matters, the latter from the spot.

However, moments after hitting the crossbar, Wilson rose well to nod home Marc Pugh’s corner in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Responding to questions from the Daily Echo, Howe said: “Only we could do that to ourselves. We created so many chances, were 2-0 up and you were thinking ‘maybe we can have a nice evening and enjoy the last part of the game’.

“But we shot ourselves in the foot twice, made some bad decisions and conceded two goals and then it was in the balance.

“You were thinking the lottery of a penalty shootout was going to be the outcome of the game and we should never have been in that position.

“That’s where I have to credit the players. We got out of the hole we were in because of our attitude and spirit. It was great to see Callum score.

“I’d say my feelings are 90 per cent positive because of the amount of chances we created against a good team.

“I thought we played some good football and defended well and suddenly, bang bang, we conceded two goals.

“It was 90 per cent positive but the 10 per cent we need to work on.

“We desperately needed a performance after the Burnley game – of course we needed a reaction.

“I’m delighted to win and with a lot of aspects of the performance and, of course, some players have done their chances no harm.”

Wilson might be widely perceived as a pace-orientated striker but Howe was pleased to see the ex-Coventry frontman prove an aerial threat.

Howe said: “Callum’s done well with his head this year. I think back to the header against Everton which came back off the post and then Nathan Ake scored the rebound – that was a big moment in our season.

“That was a big header tonight and the one previously where he hit the bar. He has got that in his game. He has always been decent in the air from crosses and he will be pleased with the goal – it was important for him.

“Any striker would say they need a variety of goals. If you just rely on one type of finish, you are one-dimensional, so the fact he can score headed goals as well as others where he uses his pace and gets himself in different situations is a vital part of any striker’s make-up.”

Having just returned from a serious knee injury, Stanislas’s finish from Simon Francis’s cross put the polish on a fine individual display.

Howe added: “I think he will be delighted with the goal. It caps a really impressive comeback.

“It was a great finish, a superb goal. It wasn’t an easy ball to hit coming off the floor and it was typical Junior. Technically, he’s excellent.

“He’s come back with such a good physical frame that I wasn’t surprised by his performance.”