The Verdict: Our unbeatable 20-page football pullout
* FOR YOUNGER READERS, ‘NICE ONE CYRIL’ WAS A 70s TERRACE CHANT IN HONOUR OF SPURS LEGEND CYRIL KNOWLES, AND A CHART HIT FOR THE COCKEREL CHORUS IN 1973
Timing, they say, is everything and just when they needed him Tottenham’s favourite Son turned up to perform his duties on mothering Sunday.
The first skidded in off a shin as Spurs stole ahead in the game and his second gave them a cushion of comfort they barely deserved.
Supporters serenaded him to the tune of ‘nice One, Cyril’ and the Korean beamed back his enormous smile and ran through his repertoire of fancy handshakes with team-mates.
Son Heung-min may have saved the season for mauricio Pochettino, banishing the disappointment of the Champions League exit and the taunts from Juventus about how they always crumble.
Pochettino needed a reaction but Bournemouth had come out at such a frenetic tempo and taken the lead in the seventh minute through a goal by Junior Stanislas. His team were wobbling, and when Harry Kane limped off injured after half an hour, the narrative seemed set for another tale of woe.
in the absence of Kane, however, others seized responsibility. Dele Alli equalised before the interval and Son scored twice, taking his tally to seven goals in his last four appearances and 18 for the season. Serge Aurier headed the fourth in stoppage time.
Spurs climbed above Liverpool to third in the Premier League and spirits were lifted ahead of an FA Cup quarter-final at Swansea on Saturday.
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe lamented a result which flattered the visitors and a goal ruled out by referee mike Dean when the score was 2-1.
Callum Wilson thought he had equalised but was adjudged to have pushed Davinson Sanchez. Howe felt contact was ‘minimal’ and he had a point, and nothing to show for a bold start.
Spurs might easily have gone behind in the fourth minute, with echoes of Pablo Dybala’s slicing through the centre of their team at Wembley as Lewis Cook released Lys mousset.
Striding clear of Sanchez, mousset decided to cut the ball square into the path of Stanislas, who tried to dink a finish over goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, got too much on it and lifted it on to the bar.
Tottenham sighed with relief as they scrambled the rebound aside for a corner, but three minutes later Stanislas made amends.
Adam Smith tore past Danny Rose and his cross reached the far post where Stanislas took a touch and fired a crisp drive past Lloris.
There were other signs of danger but Tottenham had found their rhythm by the time Kane was hurt in a collision with goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
Kane won the race for a teasing pass from Christian Eriksen, tapping it into the net, only to find the flag was up and the goal would not stand. The Spurs striker was a yard offside and was left on the ground holding his right ankle.
He was unable to continue and Pochettino set about the reshuffle which brought on Erik Lamela and moved Son from his position wide on the left to centre forward.
Spurs were soon level. Son found Aurier on the right and his splendid delivery was converted by Alli, smartly nudging the ball past Begovic with his thigh as it skipped up off the slick surface.
Alli cupped his ear to the Bournemouth fans behind the goal who had been giving him abuse. it was his first goal since January 2, although his 10th of the season in all competitions. Bournemouth summoned a response and the game pulsed back and forth in the balance.
Simon Francis forced Lloris into a full- stretch save and nathan Ake went close when Aurier’s clearance hit him on the head and flew narrowly over.
Dan gosling, excellent in the heart of midfield, dragged a decent chance wide from the edge of the penalty box.
At the other end, Francis reacted quickly to deny Alli and Begovic saved from Eriksen.
it was Son who tipped the impetus although there were traces of good fortune in his first goal.
Replays and accompanying TV graphics showed the Korean was offside by a matter of inches.
Part of his right foot was behind the line with Ake, Bournemouth’s last defender.
There was no flag and Son took a swing at a cross from Alli with his left boot, connected with his shin and the ball skidded down into the turf and up into the top corner.
Tottenham survived the scare of Wilson’s disallowed goal before stretching ahead with two late goals of their own.
First Son seized on a rare mistake in midfield by Lewis Cook and sped clear on the break to dribble around the goalkeeper and score his second.
Begovic saved at the near post to deny him a hat-trick.
Aurier nodded in the fourth when Begovic palmed a cross from Kieran Trippier on to his head.
BOURNEMOUTH (4-4-2): Begovic 5; Francis 6, S Cook 6, Ake 6, Daniels 6 (Ibe 67, 5); A Smith 6.5, L Cook 6.5, Gosling 6.5, Stanislas 7 (Defoe 76, 5); Wilson 6.5, Mousset 6.5 (King 67, 5). Subs not used: Boruc, Surman, Arter, Fraser. Scorer: Stanislas 7. Booked: Gosling. Manager: Eddie Howe 6.5.
TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1): Lloris 6; Aurier 6.5, Sanchez 5, Vertonghen 5.5, Rose 6 (Trippier 80); Wanyama 6, Dembele 6.5; Eriksen 7, Alli 7.5 (Sissoko 85), SON 8; Kane 5 (Lamela 34, 6.5). Subs not used: Vorm, Dier, Moura, Llorente. Scorers: Alli 35, Son 62, 87, Aurier
90+1. Booked: Rose. Manager: Mauricio Pochettino 7. Referee: Mike Dean 6.
Attendance: 10,623.