Ryan Christie delivered a spectacular performance, netting three goals to secure Marco Rose's inaugural victory as Bournemouth's manager, as the Cherries dominated Sky Bet Championship opponents Lincoln with a convincing 4-0 win. The Scottish international marked his second career hat-trick by finding the back of the net in the 7th, 69th and 88th minutes, while substitute Rayan capped the Carabao Cup third‑round triumph with a late finish in stoppage time. Rose opted for a wholesale overhaul, making eight changes to his starting eleven. Among the fresh faces were on‑loan Juventus keeper Michele Di Gregorio, who made his debut, and Uruguayan forward Alvaro Rodriguez, who earned his first start for the club.
Lincoln, on the other hand, retained only Ryley Towler from their recent 1-1 draw with Southampton, setting up a rare meeting between the two sides since their League Two days in 2010. The match began with Lincoln showing early intent, but Bournemouth struck first after just seven minutes. Christie timed his run perfectly and slotted a low finish at the near post from a precise cross delivered by Ben Gannon‑Doak.
The young winger continued to trouble the Lincoln defence, forcing Ryley Towler into a block after cutting in from the left and unleashing a right‑footed shot. Di Gregorio was called into action for the first time in the 22nd minute, making a crucial save to parry a flick‑on from Dan Oyegoke. Shortly after, Lincoln goalkeeper Joe Gauci produced a smart reflex to deny Bafode Diakite, who had headed a long throw towards goal. Bournemouth pressed for a second goal, with James Hill attempting a long‑range effort that sailed over the bar.
Just before halftime, Julio Soler, the Cherries' left‑back, curled a wide‑angle shot from 25 yards after a David Brooks corner was only half‑cleared. Hill then forced a deflection that resulted in a corner, and Christie unleashed a curling 20‑yard strike that was palmed away by Gauci as the first half drew to a close.
The result left Rose with only two points from his opening three Premier League fixtures, a situation compounded by late concessions against Manchester City, Everton and Newcastle. Nonetheless, Bournemouth continued to press in the second half, nearly doubling their lead five minutes in when Gannon‑Doak's curling effort glanced off Rodriguez's head and sailed just over the crossbar.
The Scottish winger kept the pressure on, launching another long‑range attempt that sailed over the bar in the 55th minute. Hill came close to a spectacular 25‑yard piledriver, only to see the ball smash against the post‑corner junction. Rodriguez, eager to open his Bournemouth account, slipped on a chance from the edge of the box, sending his shot high into the stands. Later, the £21 million signing headed narrowly wide from a Hill cross, enduring a frustrating debut despite his physical presence.
The breakthrough finally arrived when Christie, displaying his aerial awareness, headed home Brooks' corner at the far post, extending the lead to 3‑0 with 21 minutes remaining. Christie's third goal came in the 88th minute: a deflected 14‑yard shot, set up by Diakite, that found the net and completed his hat‑trick. In the dying moments of stoppage time, Rayan sealed the rout with a tidy finish from the six‑yard box, bringing the final score to 4‑0.
Post‑match, Bournemouth head coach Marco Rose praised his team'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 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 superiority of the visitors: "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."