Ryan Christie delivered a remarkable performance, netting three goals to secure Marco Rose's inaugural victory as Bournemouth's manager, as the Cherries dispatched Sky Bet Championship side Lincoln with a convincing 4-0 scoreline. The Scottish international was the standout for the home side, finding the back of the net in the 7th, 69th and 88th minutes, marking his second career hat‑trick. Late on, substitute Rayan added a fourth goal in stoppage time to seal the Carabao Cup third‑round win.
Rose opted for a massive overhaul, making eight changes to the starting XI. Among the newcomers were on‑loan Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, who made his debut, and Uruguayan forward Alvaro Rodriguez, who earned his first start for the Cherries.
Lincoln, on the other hand, retained only Ryley Towler from the squad that had drawn 1-1 against Southampton earlier in the season. This encounter was the first meeting between the two clubs since 2010, when both were competing in League Two. Lincoln began the match brightly, pressing early and creating a few chances, but Bournemouth struck first after just seven minutes. Christie timed his run perfectly and slotted a low finish to the near post from a cross delivered by Ben Gannon‑Doak, giving the hosts an early lead.
Gannon‑Doak continued to trouble the Lincoln defence, cutting in from the left and unleashing a right‑footed shot that was blocked by Towler. 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 goal, only for Towler to blast over from the rebound. Lincoln goalkeeper Joe Gauci also produced a smart reflex save to keep out Bafode Diakite, who had headed a long throw towards goal. Bournemouth continued to press, with James Hill attempting a long‑range effort that went wide.
Six minutes before the break, left‑back Julio Soler curled a shot from 25 yards wide after a corner from David Brooks was only half‑cleared. Hill later forced a deflection that resulted in a corner, and Christie’s 20‑yard curling effort was palmed away by Gauci just before half‑time, leaving the score at 1‑0. The second half saw Bournemouth nearly double their advantage within five minutes when Gannon‑Doak’s curling strike glanced off Rodriguez’s head and sailed just over the crossbar. The Scottish winger then attempted another long‑range effort in the 55th minute, which also sailed over.
Hill produced a thunderous 25‑yard shot that smashed against the post and crossbar, narrowly missing a second goal. Rodriguez enjoyed a brief moment of promise when he slipped 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 physical presence.
Christie’s third goal arrived 21 minutes from full‑time. He rose to meet Brooks’ corner at the far post, heading the ball into the net to complete his hat‑trick. Minutes later, he added a fourth, deflected from 14 yards after a pass from Diakite, cementing the 4‑0 victory.
In stoppage time, Rayan finished off the scoring with a tidy finish from the corner of the six‑yard box. After the match, Bournemouth head coach Marco Rose praised his side’s performance: "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 admitted his side were outclassed: "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."