Newcastle's run of nine victories came to a crashing end on Saturday lunchtime, Bournemouth punishing a sloppy home side to leave Tyneside with a deserved and comprehensive win.

Justin Kluivert eclipsed any of his father Patrick's games at St. James' Park with a hat-trick; Milos Kerkez rubbing salt into the wounds with a fourth goal at the end of second half added time.

The Magpies had failed to beaten the Cherries in any of their last five Premier League meetings and that soon looked like becoming six; Eddie Howe's lack-lustre team undone after just four minutes when Martin Dubravka had to push away Dango Ouattara's effort.

Antoine Semenyo wastefully flashed his shot over the bar from the rebound that time, but two minutes later he teed up Kluivert to tuck a low effort into the far corner of the Gallowgate net.

A United side unchanged for the third successive league game did level through Bruno Guimaraes on 25 minutes, but that was a rare piece of proficiency on a day when the visitors continually exploited our increasingly ham-fisted attempts to play out from the back.

A poor corner from Anthony Gordon on the right was blocked and when the taker won another, Lewis Hall produced a superior delivery for Bruno to head home powerfully from near the penalty spot, although 'keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga probably should have saved it.

The flow of play remained predominantly towards the home goal however and Kluivert bagged a routine second  a minute before  half-time, after Bruno was needlessly dispossessed by Ouattara.

Unavailable due to illness in midweek, Fabian Schar replaced Sven Botman for the second half as United looked to establish some sort of supply route to a front line scarcely involved during the opening 45 minutes.

Schar's suicidal pass across his own box almost gifted the Cherries a third, before Outtara converted a cross just after the hour following a passage of play when Newcastle were incapable of clearing their lines after Ouattara had shot against a post from almost on the right hand byline.

That goal was eventually ruled out after VAR determined the ball had gone out of play for a corner before Sandro Tonali's attempted clearance.

The let-off should have seen the hosts pile on the pressure against a team with little experience on their bench and numerous bookings on the field, but any meaningful Magpies momentum failed to materialise as Bounemouth claim close several times - Dubravka foiling Brooks at his back post.

Gordon's blockbuster was blocked by Dean Huijsen but Cherries custodian Kepa had little to do as his side time and again outmanoeuvred Newcastle - Alexander Isak enduring one of his quietest games for the club and having no opportunity to extend his club record top-flight scoring run.

Another regrettable allowed Kluivert to thump in his third before Milos Kerkez fired home the fourth to complete a thoroughly deserved victory for a side who matched our famed intensity and isolated both full backs in a way reminiscent of our most recent loss, at Brentford in November.

Anticipating a club record tenth successive win, instead shell-shocked home supporters witnessed Newcastle's heaviest loss here since Manchester City scored four without reply in December 2021.

More recently, this home capitulation was reminiscent of Boxing Day 2023, when Nottingham Forest trampled through our defence at will when winning 3-1 in another 12.30pm kick-off. That day it was a former Magpie - Chris Wood - who collected the match ball, rather than the son of one.

United ended the day fourth in the table, while Andoni Iraola's side sat one point behind after lengthening their own unbeaten run to ten PL games - six of which have come away from home. Sunday's demolition of Ipswich Town then saw the Magpies drop to fifth.

That achievement is made even more impressive given a lengthy injury list that includes a trio of strikers with a combined transfer price tag of over £65m. If he wasn't already, then expect Iraola's name to be added to managerial wish lists both in the Premier League and further afield; this was a perfectly executed example of tactically nullifying an opponent. 

For Newcastle, signs of a drop off had been there in midweek against a Wolves side less adept at unpicking us than Bournemouth proved to be. The absence of injury victim Harvey Barnes from the bench meanwhile underlined the lack of genuine game changers we have in reserve: Joe Willock's search for some sort of form during another of his periodic appearances is painful to watch.

After a whirlwind few weeks it's a relief for players (and fans) to have some respite in the shape of a blank midweek. Saturday's visit to basement side Southampton is a well-timed pick-me-up, United looking for what would be their fourth consecutive league and cup victory at St.Mary's.  

A bad day at the office then and a pertinent reminder that the two goal lead we currently have over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup could rapidly diminish, were we to suffer another collective failure as happened today. Check those hotels are booked on cancellations, just in case.

Biffa/Niall