Jack Clarke netted a 73rd minute penalty but the Blues were made to pay for calamitous errors at the start of each half as they were beaten 2-1 by AFC Bournemouth at Portman Road. Evanilson gave the Cherries the lead in the fifth minute after catching Christian Walton in possession, then 27 seconds into the second half a Leif Davis own goal doubled the visitors’ advantage, before Clarke pulled one back for Town from the spot after Abdoul Ouattara had been fouled.

Town boss Gary O’Neil made one change from the team which drew 2-2 at Hull City with Daizen Maeda coming in for Abdul Fatawu wide on the right.

Fatawu dropped to the bench alongside Sasa Lukic, who was back in the squad following his groin injury.

The Cherries named the same side which beat Leeds United 2-0 at Dean Court last week. England international Alex Scott returned to the bench after injury.

Town made a bright start, Maeda beating Adrien Truffert on one side having sent the ball the other before his cross was cut out.

On two, the Japanese international was played in behind the left-back inside the area and sent a low ball across the six-yard box but with no teammates on hand to add the final touch.

The ball was kept in on the other flank, Philogene playing inside to Enciso but the Blues were unable to make anything of it.

Town had looked by far the most likely to score in the opening stages but in the fifth minute the visitors took the lead after being gifted a goal.

Skipper Dara O’Shea played the ball back to keeper Walton, who looked to pass out to the right but turned back inside, straight into Evanilson, who gleefully took it off him and tapped home off the inside of the post, the Brazilian international’s fifth goal in five Premier League games, the first Bournemouth player to do so.

Matters almost got worse for Town two minutes later. Rayan burst past Florentino Luis on the right and crossed low through O’Shea’s legs, finding Marcus Tavernier, who seemed certain to score. However, the one-time Middlesbrough man’s effort lacked conviction and Walton was able to save with his feet.

The Blues began to regain their composure and in the 10th minute Emersonn scuffed a weak strike through to Djordje Petrovic in the Cherries goal.

Two minutes later, Enciso fed in Jaden Philogene, who had made a promising start, down the left and the ex-Aston Villa man hit a shot which Petrovic was able to save comfortably.

Bournemouth were next to threaten, skipper Adam Smith unleashing a strike from distance, which flew past Walton’s right post.

As the game reached the quarter-hour, Emersonn looped a header over from Davis’s free-kick deep on the right with the Blues continuing to cause Bournemouth problems.

On 18, Ryan Christie flicked a near-post header across the face and wide from Tavernier’s ball in from a corner on the right.

Six minutes later, Rayan cut in from the right but scuffed to Walton, then on 26 Christie shot over from 25 yards.

Bournemouth were seeing most of the ball as the half moved into its final 10 minutes, a rare Exequiel Palacios ending up with Evanilson hitting a shot which deflected wide.

In the 39th minute, Justin Kluivert struck a powerful dipping shot from distance which Walton did well to turn over having had to react late.

Three minutes later, the Blues broke quickly following a Bournemouth corner through Maeda and Enciso, Smith hauling over the Japan international inside the Town half. There was an altercation between Palacios and Tavernier, Enciso subsequently joining in with the Bournemouth forward. Eventually, referee Simon Hooper booked Smith, Tavernier and Enciso.

After one additional minute in which the Blues had most of the ball but without threatening, referee Hooper blew the whistle.

Town will feel that on the balance of the half they would have deserved to go in level at the break.

The Blues had been on top and in charge for long spells but hadn’t made the most of promising situations with Petrovic not having been forced into anything other than routine saves.

At the other end, aside from the gifted goal, Bournemouth had had one other real chance soon afterwards and the late strike from Kluivert, both of which Walton did well to save.

The second half got off to a disastrous start for the Blues with Bournemouth given a big helping hand as they scored their second goal only 27 seconds after the restart.

Ouattara’s stray pass fed Evanilson on the Cherries’ left, the Brazilian moved it on to Tavernier, Florentino’s toe diverted it to Christie, whose shot struck both Issa Diop and Davis before finding the net.

On 51, Kluivert could count himself very fortunate not to receive at least a yellow card for scraping his studs down the back of Palacios’s ankle with the ball long gone.

Town were still to get going after the break and in the 54th minute manager O’Neil made a double change, Emersonn and Philogene making way for Clarke and Zian Flemming.

On 56, Diop did well to slide in a block in front of Rayan after the visitors had broken quickly down the left and had been played inside.

Just before the hour mark, Bournemouth should have gone 3-0 in front. Evanilson was found on the left of the box by a cleverly worked free-kick, the Brazil international clipping to the far post where James Hill somehow headed over the bar when it was easier to score.

Town threatened for the first time since half-time in the 63rd minute, Ouattara crossing from the right and Hill getting between Flemming and Enciso to head over for a corner. Two minutes later, the Blues swapped Maeda for Fatawu.

In the 66th minute Davis played a ball over the top down the channel for Enciso, who headed it beyond Hill, but the defender was able to nod back to Petrovic, who had had a quiet second half. Soon after, Bournemouth switched Christie and Kluivert for Lewis Cook and Junior Kroupi.

In the 71st minute, Town were handed a lifeline. Fatawu played a pass in behind Cook inside the area and the sub tripped the Ivorian, who had done well to get himself beyond the midfielder, who had dealt with the situation clumsily. Referee Hooper pointed straight to the spot and VAR upheld his decision.

Clarke took the kick and hit it low to Petrovic’s left and into the net to provoke a big roar around Portman Road, fans having suddenly gone from resignation to belief that their side could get something out of the game.

On 75, Fatawu sent over a cross from the right towards Flemming beyond the back post but the Dutchman was unable to keep his header down. Four minutes later, Bournemouth switched skipper Smith for Diakite.

The game was held up in the 81st minute when Hill and Diakite clashed heads, the latter coming off worse and needing lengthy treatment on the pitch before continuing. Ahead of play restarting, the Blues withdrew Florentino for Chuba Akpom, while the Cherries made a double change, Evanilson and Rayan making way for Amine Adli and Alvaro Rodriguez.

On 89, Enciso curled a free-kick from just outside the area towards the top corner of the net, but without much power and Petrovic was able to turn it over. The resultant flag-kick came to nothing.

The fourth official’s board indicating nine additional minutes saw the Portman Road faithful up the volume.

Three minutes into time added on, Antonio Silva was booked for pulling back Flemming 10 yards outside the area as the striker was about to shoot. Enciso took the free-kick and a sent the ball only just past Petrovic’s left post.

The Blues were putting the Cherries under pressure, Petrovic grabbing a Clarke cross at the second attempt under pressure from Flemming.

As the match moved into the final additional minute, with Bournemouth players going down easily at every opportunity, Flemming was booked for a foul, although the striker appeared to win the ball.

Seconds before the whistle, Rodriguez was played in on the left of the area but Walton did well to block the sub’s low shot.

Boss O’Neil admitted soft defensive mistakes were costing his side at Friday’s press conference and again the Blues were made to pay for errors, one at the start of each half, Bournemouth making the most of them both in the manner that other clubs have in previous games.

The Blues, who had started the game very strongly, had been competitive for the rest of the first half after conceding but without making enough of potentially dangerous situations, another theme which is becoming all too common.

Having given Bournemouth, who have now won eight in a row in all competitions, four in the Premier League, and are seventh in the table, their second goal so soon after the break, the visitors had been well in control until the penalty, the Blues then pushing for an equaliser but without being able to seriously test Petrovic.

A fourth game without a win sees Town drop to 14th, now only three points from the bottom three as it stands, with a trip to Tottenham Hotspur awaiting them after the international break.

Town: Walton, Ouattara, Diop, O’Shea (c), Davis, Florentino (Akpom 85), Palacios, Maeda (Fatawu 65), Enciso, Philogene (Clarke 54), Emersonn (Flemming 54). Unused: Scherpen, Furlong, Greaves, Matusiwa, Lukic.

Bournemouth: Petrovic, Truffert, Hill, Evanilson (Rodriguez 85), Christie (Cook 67), Adams, Silva, Smith (c) (Diakite 79), Tavernier, Kluivert (Kroupi 67), Rayan (Adli 85). Unused: Di Gregorio, Soler, Scott, Gannon-Doak. Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire). Assistants: Edward Smart and Alistair Nelson. Fourth official Farai Hallam. VAR: Peter Bankes. Assistant VAR: James Bell. Att: 29,396.

Photo: James Fearn / Stringer / Getty