Solanke brace lifts Bournemouth out of relegation zone with 2-0 win over Newcastle

BOURNEMOUTH, England (AP) — Eddie Howe’s return to Bournemouth turned into a nightmare after Dominic Solanke’s brace condemned Newcastle to a 2-0 defeat in the Premier League on Saturday.

Magpies boss Howe, who was the Cherries manager the last time they beat Newcastle in 2017, saw his side’s seven-match unbeaten league run end and its injury crisis deepen.

Newcastle was already missing 11 players through injury and suspension. It then lost Miguel Almiron to what looked like another hamstring problem midway through the first half.

Bournemouth had to wait an hour before Solanke finally made the breakthrough. When Joe Willock challenged Antoine Semenyo, the ball rolled off him into the path of the former Liverpool striker, who raced into the area and lashed his shot inside Nick Pope’s near post.

Pope saved a fierce drive from Marcus Tavernier but Bournemouth doubled the lead from the following corner in the 73rd, with Solanke flicking the rebound home with his heel after Luis Sinisterra’s header hit a post.

It secured only a second win of the season for Bournemouth and lifted the team out of the bottom three. Newcastle dropped to seventh.

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