Dwight Gayle set the tone for the evening by sweeping home the Magpies’ first five minutes in, with Sean Longstaff picking out the top corner on the half-hour mark to leave the Cherries with a mountain to climb.
Allan Saint-Maximin provided the assist for both of those strikes, and the in-form wide-man repeated the trick by teeing up Miguel Almirón just before the hour, the Paraguayan applying a confident finish.
A fine display on the South Coast was completed by Valentino Lazaro, whose first goal for Newcastle was as eye-catching as any of the three which preceded it on the night. Former United midfielder Dan Gosling pulled one back for the home side at the death, though they had long been dead and buried by that point.
Frontman Gayle’s miss was one of the enduring moments from Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Man City at St. James’ Park, but he responded in perfect fashion by opening the scoring against Eddie Howe’s side. A lapse in concentration from Jefferson Lerma allowed Longstaff to intervene, and the United midfielder helped the ball on to Saint-Maximin. The Frenchman, in turn, slid the ball through for Gayle, who calmly picked out the far corner.
First-half goals have been in short supply for the Magpies this term, but they helped themselves to another as the Cherries started to unravel. Saint-Maximin was again the architect, superbly working his way past three defenders before cutting the ball back for Longstaff, whose finish was emphatic. Unfortunately for Longstaff, that was to be his last involvement of the night, with injury forcing him off the pitch just a minute later.
Leading up to the break, there was little to suggest Bournemouth were capable of staging a comeback against Steve Bruce’s side, though they were unfortunate not to pull a goal back early into the second half. Dominic Solanke’s deflected effort from 20 yards nearly dropped in, looping over Martin Dúbravka before clipping the ‘keeper’s right-hand post. Josh King headed home the rebound but was, quite rightly, flagged offside.
That was as nervy as it got for United, as Almirón – Longstaff’s replacement – made it game, set and match after 57 minutes. Jonjo Shelvey and Saint-Maximin combined before the latter rolled the ball into the substitute’s path. Almirón strode forward and brilliantly found the same part of the net as Longstaff – albeit at the opposite end of the pitch.
Though David Brooks hit the woodwork for Bournemouth, Newcastle continued to look in total control. Shelvey again had a part to play in their fourth, threading a fine ball through the heart of the Cherries’ defence for Lazaro, who took a touch to his left before beating onrushing ‘keeper Aaron Ramsdale.
The Austrian then saw a raking effort come back off the woodwork just moments later, with another substitute – Isaac Hayden – blazing the rebound high and wide. Andy Carroll also threatened before the Cherries grabbed a late consolation – though that was certainly all it was. Gosling applied the decisive touch, beating Emil Krafth to a loose ball after Nathan Aké helped on a set-piece.
