Super sub Oumar Niasse climbs off the bench to score twice and save Everton against Bournemouth

Ronald Koeman once made clear that he had little time for Oumar Niasse, yet the returning outcast is now the man keeping the Everton manager’s head above water.

Niasse spent the first half of last season exiled to the club’s Under-23 side, and the second on loan at Hull. He had shown no sign of being anything other than a misfit at Goodison Park following a £13.5m move from Lokomotiv Moscow – until Everton failed to sign a striker to replace the departing Romelu Lukaku.

Suddenly, Niasse is a wanted man again. On Wednesday, he marked his first senior appearance for Everton in 17 months by coming on as substitute to score against Sunderland in the Carabao Cup. His contribution against Bournemouth was even more significant.

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Everton trailed to a Joshua King goal, and were set to drop to second-from-bottom by losing to a Bournemouth team who started the day below them in the table. On came Niasse for Wayne Rooney with 35 minutes left, and changed all that. Goodison Park, a seething mass of agitation, suddenly erupted with joy and relief. Koeman did likewise.

It had been a tricky afternoon for Koeman. Everton’s defence had something of a makeshift look, with club captain Phil Jagielka absent because of an ankle injury and Michael Keane suffering with a foot problem. Mason Holgate was drafted in to play alongside Ashley Williams in the centre, and frequently looked on edge against King.

It was not just the home side’s defence who were nervy. Everton’s supporters thought they had reason to be optimistic after a summer transfer outlay of almost £150million, yet their season so far has been one of turbulence, and there were groans of apprehension from the stands almost every time the visitors attacked.

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Bournemouth threatened occasionally, as did Everton, but neither side did enough to warrant a goal in a poor first half, memorable chiefly for the flashpoint that left Wayne Rooney with a cut above his left eye, and a strong sense of grievance.

The former England captain was left on the ground after being caught by the elbow of Bournemouth captain Simon Francis, and was convinced the contact was deliberate. Referee Martin Atkinson awarded nothing, and television replays suggested that it had been an accident. A furious Rooney, with blood pouring from the wound, argued vociferously as he made for the touchline to receive stitches.

Rooney was a hard-working presence in Everton’s attack as they laboured in the first half. Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed an early chance wide from a Leighton Baines cross, while Gylfi Sigurdsson had a penalty appeal rejected after making too much of a minor nudge by Dan Gosling, but Bournemouth otherwise defended solidly.

Rooney’s first-half frustrations were summed up when, moments after his cut had been repaired, he dashed in from the right on to Sigurdsson’s pass and fashioned an angle for a right-foot shot across goal, only to strike the ball against his left leg.

The visitors threatened only occasionally, with King dispossessing Holgate in the corner to start a move that ended with Junior Stanislas hitting a tame shot that was easily gathered by Jordan Pickford.

It was King, Bournemouth’s best attacking player, who strode through to put Eddie Howe’s team into the lead three minutes into the second half, amid some woeful Everton defending.

The former Manchester United forward gathered Charlie Daniels’ pass and just kept running, side-stepping Holgate’s challenge and continuing without further obstruction before rolling a shot past Pickford and into the corner of the net.

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That served to raise the tension among the home support further, and their agony was almost compounded as King played in Jermain Defoe for the sort of chance the former England international would normally finish without a thought. Fortunately for Everton, Pickford stuck out a foot to save, and keep his team in the game.

Koeman sent on Niasse for Rooney, while Tom Davies replaced the ineffective Davy Klaassen, with the teenager getting himself booked within seconds as he flew into Andrew Surman.

Everton almost equalied with 20 minutes left, as Holgate diverted Sigurdsson’s corner towards goal, but Surman somehow twisted his body to hook the ball off the line via the post.

The respite was brief, though. Davies’ through pass played Niasse in behind Francis, and the forward controlled to fire past Asmir Begovic to give Koeman a little respite.

Remarkably, the striker repeated the trick four minutes later, as Davies’ shot was knocked up into the air by Steve Cook, and bundled in by Niasse at the far post. Koeman's joy on the touchline was mirrored in the stands. For now at least, the pressure has eased just a little.

Everton (4-3-3): Pickford 6; Martina 6 (Kenny 76, 6), Holgate 5, Williams 4, Baines 6; Gueye 6, Schneiderlin 5, Klaassen 4 (Davies 55, 5); Rooney 6 (Niasse 55, 8), Calvert-Lewin 6, Sigurdsson 5.

Subs not used: Stekelenburg, Lookman, Vlasic, Sandro.

Bournemouth (4-4-1-1): Begovic 6; Smith 6, Francis 7, Ake 6 (Mousset 83, 6), Daniels 6; Ibe 6, Gosling 6, Surman 7, Stanislas 6; King 7 (S Cook 79, 6); Defoe 5 (Afobe 74, 6).

Subs not used: Ramsdale, L Cook, Pugh, Fraser.

Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorks) 7