Howe’s high-flyers hit stalemate with battling Cherries
EDDIE HOWE predicted his first return to his beloved Bournemouth would be an emotional rollercoaster – and so it proved.
And not just on a personal level, either, for the Newcastle boss as his history-making outfit were stretched to the limit at the Vitality Stadium.
Gary O’neil’s strugglers are still without a win since he took the job permanently but this point will feel almost as good.
Although Marcos Senesi’s first-half strike failed to produce the victory that would have lifted them out of the drop zone – after Miguel Almiron equalised – to hold top-four contenders Newcastle was impressive.
All of which left Howe, in tears when given a standing ovation at the end, frustrated even if this stalemate made it a record eight away Premier League games unbeaten for the Geordies, who have not lost in 17 top-flight outings.
If Howe’s high-fliers, on their way to Wembley at the end of the month for the EFL Cup final, arrived here in excellent shape and spirits, the same could not be said of the Cherries.
The Dorset club, which Howe put on the Premier League map first-time round, kicked off in big trouble.
No wins in eight in all competitions, including seven defeats, had sent them plunging to second from bottom and already in serious danger of sinking straight back into Championship.
The pressure on rookie boss O’neil was growing too. Having backed him with six new signings in the January window, the new American owners
Harry Pratt reporting from the Vitality Stadium
can surely stay patient only so long. With a positive result imperative, Newcastle were the last side O’neil wanted in town.
Howe, who discreetly took his place in the away dug out without any ceremony or fuss, said pre-match that silencing the home crowd in the opening 15 minutes would be key.
And they would have done that big-time had Fabian Schar not flashed a header wide from Kieran Trippier’s 10th-minute free-kick.
Bournemouth responded in superb manner with fit-again striker Dominic Solanke, making his first appearance since December 10, forcing Nick Pope to save smartly. The opening period was fast and furious. An inswinging corner was flicked on by unmarked Dango Ouattara and there was Argentina defender Senesi to score his first goal since a summer move from Dutch side Feyenoord.
And just when it seemed that was that before the break, Newcastle pounced to level, against the run of play.
Allan Saint-maximin broke at speed, fed Sean Longstaff, whose blistering effort was parried by Neto and Almiron fired in a beauty.