AFC Bournemouth: King decides it as Cherries reign supreme at Newcastle

The irrepressible Norway international’s low cross from the left was deflected into his own net by United defender Steven Taylor on 28 minutes.

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And in a match of few tests for either goalkeeper, King finished off the move of the match by lashing past the exposed Rob Elliot to seemingly settle matters with 20 minutes to play.

Ayoze Perez’s calm finish with nine minutes left set the nerves jangling with the first goal Cherries had conceded for 296 minutes in the Premier League.

But Charlie Daniels capped a fine team display in injury time, rounding off a rapier exchange with Marc Pugh to hand Cherries an 11-point cushion over the top-flight's drop zone.

Eddie Howe made one enforced change from the 2-0 midweek win over Southampton with Dan Gosling drafted back in against his former club in place of the injured Harry Arter.

United made two changes with Emmanuel Riviere making his first start of the season up front and Perez recalled at the expense of Aleksander Mitrovic and Yoan Gouffran.

Meanwhile, the pre-match talk was of the unusual statement released by Newcastle’s players to Sky Sports refuting recent reports that they expected manager Steve McClaren to be sacked should they get beaten by Cherries.

Newcastle immediately got the home crowd excited when Moussa Sissoko swung in a teasing centre that flashed just in front of Riviere.

Jonjo Shelvey then pounced upon a loose ball but drove just wide of Artur Boruc’s near post from 20 yards but Cherries soon settled into a rhythm and kept possession well early on.

An attack down the Cherries left saw play spread to the opposite flank for Adam Smith to find Benik Afobe who lifted a deft finish over the bar under pressure from close range.

As the home crowd ferociously called for their team to attack, their patience was nearly rewarded when Gosling allowed Daryl Janmaat to pinch possession on the edge of the Cherries box but a combination of Steve Cook and Andrew Surman alleviated the pressure.

Newcastle were inches from the opener midway through the first half when Janmaat’s low centre found Riviere whose goalbound shot deflected off the back of Simon Francis and narrowly wide of the far post.

Shelvey’s corner just evaded everybody but the pressure kept coming with Perez dragging wide another effort from the edge of the box.

Sissoko bullied his way past Gosling and Daniels to swing in a high cross which Francis did well to glance away but then Cherries hit Newcastle with a sucker punch on 29 minutes.

Shelvey’s poor pass from the edge of his own box was picked up by Gosling with Max Gradel taking over and spreading to livewire King on the left with his low cross deflected into his own net by Taylor with Elliot diving the other way.

McClaren was roundly booed by the home crowd when he replaced full-back Paul Dummett with Vurnon Anita soon after the goal but United’s bubble had burst, for the first half at least.

Afobe had two penalty shouts waved away in quick succession, the first as Jack Colback, now at left-back, ran across his run before going down under the challenge of Taylor moments later.

Taylor then had a near-post effort deflected wide by Francis at the end of a spell of Newcastle pressure but more boos reverberated round the stadium as the half-time whistle went.

McClaren responded by replacing Riviere with Mitrovic but it was Cherries who had a great opportunity to double their lead.

King picked the pocket of Jamaal Lascelles but despite being two-on-two, he overhit his pass to Afobe before Smith stung Elliot’s palms with a near-post drive.

Gradel wriggled free but failed to pull the trigger with King picking up the loose ball, only to see his effort blocked by Taylor.

Alarm bells were ringing when Ritchie, claiming he had been fouled, lost a tussle with Colback who then teed up Mitrovic to flash a dipping 20-yard effort just wide of Boruc’s left upright.

A slick exchange down the right then saw Janmaat draw a save from Boruc at his near post in the 64th minute, while Sissoko thumped into the Pole’s arms from the right edge of the box moments later.

Mitrovic continued to trouble Cherries, dancing round two challenges before drawing a full-stretch block from Cook.

But Cherries countered as the match became stretched with King’s low ball across the face of goal evading Afobe and the second arrived at the end of a glorious move with 20 minutes to play.

Francis’s clipped ball down the right found Ritchie to play a slick exchange with substitute Lewis Grabban before threading in King to lash into the roof of the net from close range.

Out of nowhere, United grabbed a lifeline with nine minutes left when Shelvey’s ball from midfield found the run of Perez who caressed home one on one with Boruc.

There were few signs of panic, however, and Cherries carried a greater threat on the break.

Grabban went agonisingly close to a third twice either side of substitute Pugh forcing an awkward save from Elliot.

Georginio Wijnaldum had a fierce shot blocked during the dying embers but Cherries ensured a maximum haul when Daniels combined with Pugh down the left, cut inside and stroked home with aplomb in added time.

Newcastle: Elliot, Janmaat, Taylor, Lascelles, Dummett (Anita, 31), Shelvey, Colback, Sissoko (Aarons, 69), Wijnaldum, Perez, Riviere (Mitrovic, h-t). Subs: Saivet, Gouffran, Doumbia, Darlow (g/k).

Booked: Perez.

Cherries: Boruc, Smith, Francis, Cook, Daniels, Surman, Gosling, Ritchie (Distin, 90), King, Gradel (Pugh, 60), Afobe (Grabban, 69). Subs: Elphick, O’Kane, Murray, Federici (g/k).

Booked: Cook, Gosling, Grabban.

Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire).

Attendance: 52,107.