SALOMON RONDON’S first goals at St James’ Park were the difference as Newcastle United grabbed a second successive win, beating high-flying Bournemouth 2-1 yesterday.

The hosts raced into a two-goal lead and held on for the victory despite Jefferson Lerma scoring deep into lengthy first-half stoppage time due to an injury sustained by visiting fullback Adam Smith.

Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez admitted he was “pleased” for the Venezuelan after his performance, but says there is more to come from him.

“When we signed Rondon, we were talking about a striker who could win in the air, who could hold the ball up but at the same time has some mobility,” he said.

“He did really well. He can improve but if he keeps working hard he will get even better. I was really pleased for him.

“We signed him because we knew about his characteristics and we knew he could give us something different.”

Newcastle couldn’t have wished for a better start when Rondon opened his Premier League account with just seven minutes on the clock. He tapped home the rebound after Asmir Begovic parried his first effort from DeAndre Yedlin’s byline cross.

After a build-up of pressure in open play, Bournemouth, who had won five of their previous seven games in all competitions, went close when Ryan Fraser fizzed in a free-kick from the left, forcing Martin Dubravka into a smart save.

Smith had to be stretchered off just before the half-hour mark having sustained a knee injury, forcing Eddie Howe into his first change as Charlie Daniels came on to replace him.

With eight minutes of stoppage time on the horizon, the Magpies doubled their lead when Rondon powered home Kenedy’s pinpoint cross.

Two saves from Begovic stopped Newcastle from getting a third before the break; first he denied Kenedy from close range before reacting brilliantly to stop Callum Wilson heading into his own net from Ki Sung Yueng’s free-kick.

Dubravka then did the same at the other end, thwarting Steve Cook, but from the resulting corner, Lerma halved the deficit before Ayoze Perez hit wide when one-on-one with Begovic.

The two sides again traded chances in the early stages of the second half as Cook and Rondon both headed wide of the target. Fraser, the Cherries’ most threatening player all afternoon, saw his shot from distance claimed by Dubravka after a dangerous run.

Wilson then headed over the bar as the hour passed, before a great counter from Newcastle culminated in Matt Ritchie rolling the ball agonisingly wide.

Jordon Ibe had another chance to equalise, but he failed to keep his shot down after going one on one with Dubravka.

Bournemouth’s threat from set-pieces was a real theme of the second half, and they thought they’d equalised late on when Gosling had the ball in the net late on after a scramble followed a corner, but he was adjudged to be offside.

Rondon then squandered an opportunity to grab his hat-trick when through on goal, but Newcastle held on for another vital win.