Just as Bournemouth’s Alex Scott seemed to have succeeded in building a personal playground by the Tyne, another midfielder emerged from the shadows and stripped the shine from his afternoon.
Since Matthias Jaissle succeeded Eddie Howe as Newcastle’s manager Jacob Ramsey has been largely shunted to the margins but the home substitute’s superbly executed 88th-minute equaliser ensured Scott and his teammates needed to settle for a point.
For a third straight Premier League game Bournemouth’s new manager, Marco Rose, watched his side surrender a lead as much stellar passing and movement on Scott’s part was ultimately eclipsed.
“Newcastle had two shots on target and we conceded twice,” said Rose, whose side were 2-0 up at one point and had 17 shots on target. “Newcastle had no real solutions to our first-half pressing and, then, more or less from nothing, we conceded.”
Like Jaissle, Rose is a German graduate of the Red Bull coaching school and former RB Salzburg manager. Big on verticality, intensity and relentless pressing, both men have much in common but systems are only as good as the players within them and, in Scott, Rose possessed a player blessed with the brain and vision to dominate central midfield. “I love Alex,” said Rose. “I’m so proud and happy he’s a Bournemouth player.”
Newcastle’s manager knew he had been slightly fortunate in denying his compatriot a first win of the season. “It’s something special to come back after being 2-0 down,” said Jaissle. “But there’s mixed feelings. The two goals we conceded were a bit slapstick. We’re still on a learning curve.”
It became a little steeper in the ninth minute when Scott’s shot was deflected into Marcus Tavernier’s path and the latter’s rapid reaction resulted in his deft finish whizzing past Lukas Hornicek.
As Newcastle’s rearguard continued to wobble, with Sven Botman looking particularly vulnerable, Evanilson spurned a chance to make Rose jump for joy for a second time. Jaissle was receiving a reminder as to why the name Bournemouth is synonymous with banana skin on Tyneside.
Newcastle, after all, have now failed to beat their guests from Dorset in any of the pair’s last nine Premier League meetings.
Once again the visitors seemed to be finding the north-east air hugely restorative. Indeed, as the minutes ticked by, it appeared as if a malicious cyber hacker had somehow programmed Newcastle’s players to forfeit possession at every opportunity. Jaissle’s team appeared at once cowed and overwhelmed by Rose’s ruthlessly clever press.
At this stage the only puzzle was how Bournemouth, with Scott increasingly impressive, were not at least 3-0 ahead.
After failing to polish off a series of chances, Bournemouth eventually made it 2-0 when Justin Kluivert unleashed a high velocity shot from distance that rebounded off a combination of a post and Hornicek before dropping to Scott.
All that remained was for Malick Thiaw to register an own goal after deflecting Scott’s cross-shot beyond Hornicek.
Rose raced down the touchline in celebration only to, metaphorically, fall flat on his face two minutes later when the previously frustrating Harvey Barnes cut inside from the left and curled a wonderful shot past Dorde Petrovic after collecting Lewis Hall’s intelligent pass.
Perhaps galvanised by Jaissle’s half-time homily Newcastle improved. They came tantalisingly close to equalising when Joe Willock’s glancing header flashed fractionally off target following Yoane Wissa’s excellent cross and Elanga’s flick-on. Suddenly Rose looked distinctly nervous.
The moment had arrived for Jaissle to introduce his new £51m attacking signing. This time last week Matias Fernandez-Pardo was a Lille forward but now he was making his Newcastle debut in the No 10 role behind Wissa.
Bournemouth though refused to fold and Jaissle received a yellow card for persistently stepping outside his technical area while repeatedly offering the fourth official a piece of his mind.
No matter; his mood brightened appreciably in the 88th minute. When Bournemouth failed to clear the fallout from Jacob Murphy’s cross, the ball fell, eventually, to another home substitute returning from the periphery.
Ramsey needed no invitation to make his presence felt, striking the ball low and cleanly into the bottom corner. “It’s been a bit disappointing not to play more,” he said. “But, hopefully, I’ve shown I’m more than capable.”
