Ryan Christie delivered a spectacular hat‑trick, securing Marco Rose’s inaugural victory as Bournemouth’s manager when the Cherries thrashed Sky Bet Championship side Lincoln 4-0. The Scotland international was the focal point of the encounter, finding the net in the 7th, 69th and 88th minutes to register his second career hat‑trick, while substitute Rayan capped the Carabao Cup third‑round win with a late goal in stoppage time. Rose opted for a wholesale overhaul, making eight changes to the starting XI.
Among the newcomers were on‑loan Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, who earned his debut, and Uruguayan forward Alvaro Rodriguez, who earned his first start for the club. Only Ryley Towler retained his place from Lincoln’s 1-1 draw with Southampton, marking the first meeting of the two sides since 2010 when both were competing in League Two. Lincoln began the match brightly, pressing early and creating a few chances, but it was Bournemouth who struck first after just seven minutes. Christie latched onto a low cross from Ben Gannon‑Doak and slotted the ball neatly at the near post.
The early goal set the tone for the rest of the game. Gannon‑Doak, who had been active on the left wing, saw his own effort blocked by Towler after cutting inside and unleashing a right‑footed shot. The Juventus loanee Di Gregorio was called into action for the first time in the 22nd minute, making a crucial save to deny Dan Oyegoke’s flick-on, only for Towler to blast over the resulting rebound.
Lincoln’s keeper Joe Gauci also produced a smart reflex save to keep Bafode Diakite’s headed long‑throw attempt out of the net. Bournemouth continued to probe, with James Hill testing the Lincoln goal from distance. Six minutes before the break, left‑back Julio Soler curled a wide effort from 25 yards after a corner from David Brooks was only partially cleared. Hill later forced a deflection that resulted in a corner, and Christie’s curling 20‑yard strike was palmed away by Gauci as the first half drew to a close.
The result left Rose still looking for points in the Premier League, having collected only two from his first three fixtures after conceding late goals against Manchester City, Everton and Newcastle. Nonetheless, the cup win provided a morale boost. The second half began with Bournemouth nearly doubling their lead within five minutes when Gannon‑Doak’s curling shot glanced off Rodriguez’s head and sailed just over the crossbar. The Scotland winger then attempted another long‑range effort in the 55th minute, which again went over the bar.
Hill produced a thunderous 25‑yard strike that struck the post and cross‑bar, narrowly missing a spectacular goal. Rodriguez, eager to open his Bournemouth account, slipped while preparing a shot from the edge of the box, sending the ball high into the stands. Later, the £21 million signing headed inches wide from a Hill cross, enduring a frustrating debut despite his evident quality.
Christie, ever the opportunist, demonstrated to Rodriguez the best route to the net by heading in a Brooks corner at the far post 21 minutes from full time. He then completed his hat‑trick in the 88th minute, tapping in a deflected shot from 14 yards after a pass from Diakite. In stoppage time, Rayan sealed the 4‑0 scoreline with a tidy finish from the edge of the six‑yard box, wrapping up a dominant performance. After the match, Bournemouth head coach Marco Rose praised his side: "It was a top performance for 94 minutes and we had many shots on and off target.
We only gave one chance away, so I am really happy. Ryan [Christie] is a nice guy.
We really love him and he deserved it. He came back from an injury, worked hard and now he's back in shape. It's good for us because the upcoming time is really busy and we need everyone. In the next few weeks we have European football, cups in England and the Premier League is getting very demanding.
I'm new in this club, new in this country, but it's about winning games and winning titles." Lincoln joint‑head coach Chris Cohen reflected on the defeat: "Certain players had moments in the game, but overall Bournemouth were by far the better team. We were looking for a low‑scoring match and wanted to get to 60 minutes still in the game. The frustration is we did not implement our in‑possession stuff at all and could not impose ourselves with our set‑pieces as well as we normally do.
We had a lot of new players and will learn a lot as a team from the game." The victory not only gave Bournemouth a comfortable cup progression but also highlighted the depth of Rose’s squad and the impact of newly arrived talent. With the Carabao Cup now moving forward, Bournemouth will look to build on this momentum as they juggle domestic league commitments and the prospect of European competition later in the season.