A tired Newcastle were surprised on the south coast as they were beaten 2-0 by Bournemouth as Dominic Solanke scored a brace.
With 11 players missing, Newcastle were already up against the tide as they saw their seven-game unbeaten run come to an end on Saturday.
The defeat was made worse when they lost Miguel Almiron to what looked like a hamstring problem midway through the first half with 17-year-old Lewis Miley being thrust into the action.
The injury to Almiron compiled a miserable evening for Eddie Howe’s side with Bournemouth failing to capitalise on numerous chances in the first half before Solanke eventually broke the deadlock after an hour.
He doubled Bournemouth’s lead 13 minutes later, flicking in a rebound after Luis Sinisterra’s header came back off the post.
Sean Longstaff had Newcastle’s best chance late in the second half as he curled a shot over the be from an unmarked position.
Who stood out for Newcastle?
It was a poor display thanks in large to an injury crisis within the squad that will hopefully be eased as the international break drops.
It’s hard to pick many positives from a display that was largely not anywhere near competent with Nick Pope the obvious contender for man of the match.
The former Burnley stopped made several key saves throughout the game, holding the tide of Bournemouth chances for as long as he could before Solanke broke the deadlock midway through the second half.
Lewis Hall had some good moments within the game and was perhaps unfairly taken off at half time. A special mention needs to be given to Lewis Miley, whose performance in isolation was neat coupled with the endeavour you’d expect from a youngster keen to make an impression.
In addition, Anthony Gordon once again showcased his quality in what was a poor display going forward. He was Newcastle’s most dangerous player in the final third in a blunt performance.
