AT THE end of the match players from both teams sank to the ground, some on their haunches, some flat out on their backs. It was testament to the effort that everyone involved had put into this pulsating encounter.

It wasn’t quite the chaos theory of Newcastle’s last home match, the anarchic 4-4 against Luton. But again, they had to dig deep, twice clawing their way back after falling behind to Bournemouth.

That former Cherry Matt Ritchie grabbed the equaliser two minutes into injury time — his first goal since July 2020 — was of small comfort to Eddie Howe.