Ryan Christie delivered a spectacular performance, netting three goals to secure Marco Rose’s inaugural victory as Bournemouth’s manager, as the Cherries thumped Sky Bet Championship outfit Lincoln 4-0. The Scottish international’s brace came in the 7th, 69th and 88th minutes, marking his second career hat‑trick, while substitute Rayan capped the Carabao Cup third‑round triumph with a composed finish in stoppage time.
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 their 1-1 draw with Southampton, setting up a meeting between the two sides that had not occurred since 2010, when both were competing in League Two. Lincoln began the match brightly, creating early chances, but Bournemouth struck first after just seven minutes. Christie timed his run perfectly and finished cleanly at the near post from a low cross delivered by Ben Gannon‑Doak.
The young winger, who had been a constant threat on the flank, saw his own effort later blocked by Towler after cutting in from the left and unleashing a right‑footed shot. The game’s first real test for Di Gregorio arrived in the 22nd minute when he was called into action.
He produced a solid save, parrying a flick from Dan Oyegoke, only for Towler to blast over the rebound. Lincoln’s keeper, Joe Gauci, also made a crucial intervention, denying Bafode Diakite after a defensive header headed the ball towards goal. Bournemouth continued to press, with James Hill attempting a long‑range effort that sailed over the bar. Six minutes before the break, left‑back Julio Soler curled a wide effort from 25 yards after David Brooks’ corner was only half‑cleared.
Hill later forced a corner when his shot from the edge of the penalty area was deflected. Christie’s own curling effort from 20 yards was palmed away by Gauci just before the half‑hour mark, leaving the score at 1-0. The first half was a showcase of Bournemouth’s attacking intent, but Rose will be disappointed with his side’s overall points tally after three Premier League games, having conceded late goals to Manchester City, Everton and Newcastle.
The second half opened with Bournemouth almost doubling their lead five minutes in when Gannon‑Doak’s curling strike glanced off Rodríguez’s head and sailed just over the crossbar. Gannon‑Doak, the Scotland international, tried again in the 55th minute, launching a long‑range effort that ballooned over the bar.
Hill, ever the threat from distance, unleashed a 25‑yard piledriver that struck the post and crossbar, missing the top corner by a whisker. Rodríguez, eager to open his Bournemouth account, slipped while setting up a shot from the edge of the box, sending the ball high into the stands.
The £21 million signing later headed a cross from Hill inches wide, enduring a frustrating full debut. However, Christie showed Rodríguez the route to goal 21 minutes from time, heading in a corner from Brooks at the far post.
The Scottish midfielder completed his hat‑trick in the 88th minute when a deflected shot from 14 yards, set up by Di Akite, found the back of the net. In stoppage time, Rayan added a fourth, finishing neatly from the corner of the six‑yard box to seal a comprehensive victory. 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 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 match not only highlighted Christie’s clinical finishing but also gave a glimpse of Bournemouth’s depth under Rose, with several new faces making immediate impacts.
The victory also serves as a confidence boost ahead of a congested schedule featuring European fixtures, domestic cup ties, and a demanding Premier League campaign. Play Super 6 for a chance to win £1m! Enter for free.