Ryan Christie delivered a standout performance, netting three goals to secure Marco Rose’s inaugural victory as Bournemouth’s manager, as the Cherries comfortably dispatched Sky Bet Championship side Lincoln with a 4‑0 triumph. The Scottish international marked his second career hat‑trick with strikes in the 7th, 69th and 88th minutes, while substitute Rayan added a fourth in stoppage‑time to seal the Carabao Cup third‑round win. Rose opted for a wholesale overhaul, making eight changes to his starting eleven.
Among the newcomers were on‑loan Juventus keeper Michele Di Gregorio, who earned his debut, and Uruguayan forward Álvaro Rodríguez, who earned his first start for the club. Lincoln, on the other hand, retained only Ryley Towler from the side that had drawn 1‑1 with Southampton earlier in the season, marking the first meeting between the two clubs since 2010 when they both competed in League Two.
Lincoln began the match brightly, but Bournemouth broke the deadlock just seven minutes in. Christie timed his run perfectly and finished neatly at the near post from a cross delivered by Ben Gannon‑Doak. The young winger then attempted a shot from the left, which was blocked by Towler after cutting in and firing a right‑footed strike.
Di Gregorio was called into action for the first time after 22 minutes, making a crucial save to deny Dan Oyegoke’s flick, only for Towler to blast over from the rebound. Lincoln’s goalkeeper Joe Gauci also produced a sharp reflex save to keep out Bafode Diakite, who had headed a long throw towards goal. Bournemouth continued to press for a second goal.
James Hill missed a long‑range effort, and six minutes before the break, left‑back Julio Soler curled a wide shot from 25 yards after David Brooks’ corner was only partially cleared. Hill later forced a shot off the edge of the penalty area, resulting in a corner, and Christie’s curling 20‑yard effort was palmed away by Gauci as the first half drew to a close. The defeat left Rose frustrated, having collected just two points from his first three Premier League outings, with late concessions against Manchester City, Everton and Newcastle.
Bournemouth nearly doubled their lead early in the second half when Gannon‑Doak’s curling effort glanced off Rodríguez’s head and sailed just over the crossbar. Scotland’s Gannon‑Doak then launched another long‑range strike, which went over the bar in the 55th minute. Hill came close to a spectacular 25‑yard piledriver that struck the post‑and‑crossbar junction. Rodríguez, eager to open his Bournemouth account, slipped while attempting 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 full debut. Christie, however, continued to dominate. He headed in Brooks’ corner at the far post 21 minutes from full‑time, giving Bournemouth a comfortable 3‑0 lead. He completed his hat‑trick in the 88th minute when a deflected shot from 14 yards, set up by Diakite, found the back of the net.
Rayan capped the performance in stoppage time with a tidy finish from the six‑yard box corner, sealing a 4‑0 victory. 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 acknowledged the gap in quality: "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 win not only gave Bournemouth a morale‑boosting cup victory but also highlighted Christie’s importance to Rose’s side as they juggle domestic league commitments, European fixtures and a demanding cup schedule.
Lincoln, meanwhile, will look to regroup and address the tactical shortcomings exposed by the Cherries as they continue their campaign in the Championship.