Marco Rose secured his maiden competitive victory as Bournemouth boss after his side demolished Lincoln City 4 0 in the EFL Cup third round on home turf. Ryan Christie was the standout performer, netting three times, while substitute Rayan sealed the rout with a stoppage time finish, sending the Cherries through to round four.
The German coach shuffled his lineup significantly, handing starts to eight players who had missed Saturday’s 2 2 draw against Newcastle United. That decision paid dividends almost immediately, as Ben Gannon Doak and Christie linked up superbly inside seven minutes. Gannon Doak whipped in a cross from the flank which Christie met with a delicate volley, guiding it past goalkeeper Joe Gauci.
Lincoln nearly found an instant response when Ryley Towler skewed a golden chance wide after debutant shot stopper Michele Di Gregorio spilled the ball into his path. From there, however, the Championship visitors struggled to stay in contention. Bafode Diakite forced a save with a glancing header, and Christie tested Gauci again right before the interval.
James Hill almost produced a moment of magic early in the second period, his long range effort crashing against the crossbar area. Alvaro Rodriguez, making his first start since arriving from Elche during the summer, also came close via a header. Christie then doubled his tally, converting from a David Brooks set piece delivery, before completing his hat trick with a composed finish off another corner that Lincoln failed to clear.
With the game already settled, Rayan capped the emphatic scoreline by converting a rapid counter attack in injury time, giving Bournemouth a commanding finish to their cup campaign opener under Rose.
