Newcastle 1-4 Bournemouth: Justin Kluivert nets a stunning hat-trick at St James’ Park to end Magpies’ nine-match winning streak

Chasing 10 out of 10, Newcastle gave a performance worthy of only minimal marks and were duly given a right chasing by brilliant Bournemouth. The one player who merited a maximum score here was Justin Kluivert, scorer of a wonderful hat-trick.

Kluivert’s dad, Patrick, netted only once in the Premier League at St James’ Park in Newcastle’s colours. His son had two inside 45 minutes and he lowered those black and white stripes still further when smashing a third in injury-time.

That made it 3-1 but only when Milos Kerkez made it four a few minutes later did the game have the scoreline that was a true reflection of the difference between the sides.

It would have been a new club record for Eddie Howe’s Newcastle had they extended their winning run to double figures. But if you’re going to have an off day, don’t have it against Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth.

Newcastle were unchanged from a midweek win over Wolves but, even after five minutes, it was evident that tired legs and tired minds would prove their undoing. 

Howe was already shaking his head at his slumbersome stars and they had not made it out of their own half by the time the Cherries led on six minutes.

The Cherries have moved up to sixth in the Premier league table, one point behind Newcastle

Chasing 10 out of 10, the Magpies gave a performance worthy of only minimal marks

Kluivert swept the ball home after six minutes after Bournemouth’s strong start

It all looked rather easy, too. Antoine Semenyo escaped in behind Tino Livramento – now there was a recurring theme – and pulled back for Kluivert to drill home unmarked from 12 yards.

Bournemouth did not let up, either. Sensing a home weakness – several, in fact – they continued to swarm forward. Livramento and Lewis Hall, a pair of England full-backs, were enduring by far their most torturous outings of the season up against Semenyo and David Brooks.

For all Newcastle were slow and, at times, soft, the visitors were fast and aggressive. So, when the second goal of the game arrived on 25 minutes, the only surprise was that it was an equalising one. 

There were shades of Gary Speed about Bruno Guimaraes as he found space and leapt to flash a header into the bottom corner from Hall’s corner. It was the reprieve Newcastle so badly needed but one of which they failed to take advantage.

Normal service – or abnormal, given pre-match expectation – was soon resumed. At one point, Anthony Gordon screamed at his team-mates in defence, ‘No more!’. 

He was asking them to stop playing the ball out from the back. He was asking them to stop gifting Bournemouth possession.

They did not listen. And so, on the stroke of half-time, Dan Burn played a pass to Guimaraes that he probably did not need and the Brazilian was very quickly mugged of possession. Kluivert was set free by Dango Ouattara and he finished across Martin Dubrvaka.

He had to wait another 45 minutes for his hat-trick goal but it was the pick of the lot, seizing a loose ball 25 yards out and sizing a shot that he swept into an unguarded corner.

Bruno Guimaraes  found space and leapt to flash a header into the bottom corner

Kluivert was set free by Dango Ouattara and he finished across Martin Dubrvaka for his second

The Dutchman seized a loose ball 25 yards out and sizing a shot that he swept into an unguarded corner for the hat-trick

Kerkez was found by Kluivert and the full-back whipped across Dubravka deep into added time

Newcastle had conceded three goals during their previous nine wins, but they soon shipped a fourth in 90 minutes when Kerkez was found by Kluivert and the full-back whipped across Dubravka.

At 2-1, in the 89th minute, Newcastle made a mess of a free-kick and Howe was left with his head in his hands on the sideline. It was that sort of afternoon, and it had been from the very start.