PREM: Newcastle 2-1 Bournemouth

Rondon belatedly announces himself as Newcastle's deserved No 9

A Salomon Rondon double secured Newcastle a second successive victory in the Premier League, with the 2-1 win condemning Bournemouth to back-to-back defeats.

Rondon's first league goal for Newcastle (7) sent the hosts on their way, and the Venezuelan headed in a fabulous second (40) to stretch their lead.

A knee injury midway through the half for Bournemouth left-back Adam Smith brought about eight minutes of stoppage time, and Jefferson Lerma (45+6) headed the visitors back into contention.

However, Newcastle valiantly held on in the second half, and the victory lifts them up to 14th in the table ahead of the international break, while Bournemouth remain sixth.

 

Rondon got Newcastle off to a perfect start, tapping in a rebound after his initial effort was parried back into his path by Bournemouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.

Shortly after, a Federico Fernandez challenge on David Brooks went unpunished inside the Newcastle area, and the game was then halted for eight minutes as Smith was treated for a knee injury, having innocuously gone down after feigning a free-kick in his own half.

 

After the delay, an unstoppable Rondon header from Kenedy's cross gave Newcastle daylight, and they could have stretched their lead further but for two superb Begovic saves, first denying Kenedy before preventing Callum Wilson - fresh from his first England call-up - from flicking the ball into his own net.

 

Bournemouth clawed their way back into the match in the sixth minute of stoppage time, with Lerma heading in from a corner after Martin Dubravka had denied Steve Cook from point-blank range.

 

Ayoze Perez fired narrowly wide just before half-time, and 10 minutes into the second half Rondon headed wide as he searched for his hat-trick.

Jordon Ibe squandered a golden opportunity to level when firing over for Bournemouth, and after Begovic parried substitute Christian Atsu's effort, Rondon was denied his third late on when Begovic's boot kept out the low strike.