SUBSTITUTE Callum Wilson’s late winner ensured Cherries earned their place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a pulsating 3-2 win over Blackburn Rovers.

The hitman headed home in the fourth minute of added time to ensure the Dorset club progressed after initially squandering a two-goal lead.

Junior Stanislas and a Jordon Ibe penalty looked to have put Eddie Howe’s troops in the box seat.

But Rovers rallied through Craig Conway’s strike and Adam Armstrong’s spot-kick to level up the contest.

Wilson was to have the last laugh however, he nodded in with the decisive blow at the death to ensure the Dorset club earned a dramatic victory.

Cherries made nine changes from Saturday’s 4-0 Premier League defeat at Burnley.

Jefferson Lerma and Adam Smith were the duo to keep their places in the starting XI – the latter switching to left-back.

Former England international Jack Rodwell made his Rovers debut. The ex-Everton and Manchester City midfielder started in the heart of the visitors’ defence.

Championship outfit Blackburn had the ball in the net after only 26 seconds.

Ben Brereton tapped home after latching on to a cross from the left but the assistant referee flagged the striker offside.

But Brereton almost caused a huge problem for Cherries just six minutes in.

After Armstrong’s delivery from the left was palmed away by Artur Boruc, the 19-year-old stabbed wide at the back post when he should have done better.

The Dorset club then responded. After Simon Francis’s deflected cross was turned over by visiting stopper David Raya, Tyrone Mings headed the resulting corner into the clutches of the goalkeeper.

On 14 minutes, Howe’s men were in front.

Ibe’s neat pass allowed Francis to cross to the back post, where Stanislas arrived late to smash home on the half volley past Raya.

Rovers almost caught Cherries on the counter with 29 minutes on the clock. Armstrong surged down the left flank and hammered the ball at goal from an acute angle – Mings was on hand to provide a vital block.

The contest continued to entertain as Cherries played a neat move down the right once more.

Neat interplay from Francis and Lys Mousset allowed the skipper to float the ball to Jermain Defoe. The England international’s header was somehow kept out by Raya.

A switch of wings for Ibe saw him cut back for frontman Defoe just before the interval, the former Tottenham star once again drawing a fine reflex save.

Following the break, Armstrong continued to threaten for the visitors. He outpaced Jack Simpson to run on to a ball from deep but slid wide of the target in search of the far corner.

But Cherries doubled their lead on 58 minutes through Ibe.

The former Liverpool forward got goalside of defender Darragh Lenihan and went to ground in the box – referee Simon Hooper pointed to the spot.

Up stepped Ibe to coolly send Raya the wrong way for 2-0.

But back came the visitors with a response just five minutes later. On his 500th club career appearance, Craig Conway drove at the home backline and drilled past Boruc into the bottom corner.

Armstrong then failed to connect with a volley at the back post, as the Lancashire side looked to rally.

And on 72 minutes, Tony Mowbray’s men were level from the penalty spot. Mings lunged in on Brereton inside the box and referee Hooper awarded the spot-kick.

Armstrong kept his cool to slot home off the inside of the post and level up the tie.

That was not to be the last of the drama, as Rovers defender Derrick Williams was shown red late on.

He was given his marching orders for deliberately handling a through ball when under pressure from Wilson.

And after hitting the bar with an effort moments previously, up stepped Wilson to head home the winner from a Marc Pugh corner and send the home fans into raptures.

Cherries: Boruc; Francis, Simpson, Mings, Smith; Ibe, L Cook, Lerma, Stanislas (Pugh, 70); Mousset (King, 70), Defoe (Wilson, 74).

Unused subs: Ake, Ofoborh, Dobre, Travers (g/k).

Rovers: Raya; Bell, Williams, Lenihan, Rodwell (Reed, 59), Nyambe; Palmer (Butterworth, 64), Armstrong, Rothwell, Conway; Brereton (Travis, 83).

Unused subs: Nuttall, Downing, Travis, Tomlinson, Leutwiler (g/k).

Referee: Simon Hooper.