Everton 2-1 Bournemouth: Oumar Niasse the unlikely hero as the outcast comes off the bench to net twice and secure Ronald Koeman a crucial win

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And to think there was a point, not so long ago, when Oumar Niasse didn't even have his own locker.

The man who has had to contend with derision, being labelled the worst signing in Everton's history, suddenly finds himself cast in the role of the new cult hero of Goodison Park. This turnaround has been as remarkable as it is unexpected.

Niasse, remember, was training with Everton's Under-23s this time last year before he farmed out on loan to Hull. Had it not been for a wrangle with agents on deadline day last month, the Senegal striker would have signed for Crystal Palace.  

Oumar Niasse scored two second-half goals as Everton came from behind to pick up a crucial victory over Bournemouth 

The forward, who came on as a second-half substitute for Wayne Rooney at Goodison, turned the game on its head

Niasse brought Everton back on terms on 76 minutes, hammering past Asmir Begovic following good work by Tom Davies

The home side mob Niasse following the striker's second goal that earned them their first league win since the opening day

MATCH FACTS, ZONE AND PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE

Everton (4-2-3-1): Pickford 7.5: Martina 5 (Kenny 76mins 7), Holgate 7, Williams 6, Baines 7: Schneiderlin 5, Gana Gueye 5: Rooney 6 (Niasse 54mins 8), Klaassen 4 (Davies 54mins 7), Sigurdsson 6: Calvert-Lewin 7 

Subs not used: Ramirez, Stekelenburg, Vlasic, Lookman

Goals: Niasse 77, 81

Yellow cards: Schneiderlin, Davies, Niasse

Bournemouth (4-4-2): Begovic 6: Smith 7, Francis 6, Ake 6, Daniels 7: Ibe 5, Gosling 6, Surman 6, Stanislas 5: King 7 (S Cook 79mins), Defoe 6 (Afobe 75mins)

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

Goals: King 49

Yellow cards: Stanislas 

Attendance: 38,133

Referee: Martin Atkinson 6

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Niasse brought Everton back on terms following good work from fellow substitute Tom Davies. 

For more see Sportsmail's excellent MATCH ZONE

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Up until a couple of weeks ago, Niasse had never been in Ronald Koeman's thinking but, now, he could become a regular starter after his double against Bournemouth eased the pressure on his under-fire manager.

'Oumar was incredible,' said Koeman, who insisted that he had not been too dismissive of Niasse during his first year at Goodison. 'It has not surprised me as I know him. We did not sign a striker (in August) and that gave him a chance to be close to the first team.

'The boy has that kind of quality. It is all about opportunities for the players and productivity for the strikers. He came on last Wednesday and scored and now he has done it again. We showed great character.' 

This had the potential to be a ruinous day for Koeman, an afternoon when the home fans unleashed their fury, as Bournemouth led through a fine strike from Joshua King and had chances to kill Everton on the counterattack. 

Bournemouth had heaped the pressure on Everton boss Ronald Koeman when they went in front shortly after the break

Josh King put the Cherries ahead on 49 minutes, as Eddie Howe's visitors sought to secure their second win of the season

The young forward fired past Everton keeper Jordan Pickford into the right hand corner of the net from around 20 yards out

King celebrates his opening goal at Goodison Park, as stand-in Everton skipper Leighton Baines sits dejected on the ground

Eddie Howe lamented his side's lack of ruthlessness and when he reflects on this 90 minutes - which he claimed were Bournemouth's best of the season so far - he won't need to look too far for answers.

Still, it would take a hard heart not to begrudge Niasse this moment and perhaps, 20 months after his £13.5million arrival from Lokomotiv Moscow, he is ready to kickstart his Everton career. He has certainly given his team some much needed momentum.

For all that Wednesday's comfortable dismissal of Sunderland stopped the rot, you could still feel the tension inside the stadium before kick-off and that was fuelled, in part, by the team Koeman selected.

Out went Jonjoe Kenny, Nikola Vlasic, Tom Davies and Sandro Ramirez - the tyros who had given Everton energy - and in came Gylfi Sigurdsson, Cuco Martina, Davy Klaassen and Wayne Rooney, who was making his 400th Premier League start.  

Shortly before half time, blood began to pour down the face of Everton's Rooney after a challenge from Simon Francis

The former England captain went down in the penalty box after a clash with the Bournemouth defender at Goodison Park

Video replays suggested Rooney was right to feel aggrieved by the knock, which came shortly before half-time at Goodison

Rooney, left angry by the nasty collision, indicated to Jon Moss that he had been elbowed but Francis was not punished

The Bournemouth captain appears to check Rooney is okay following the challenge, which forced Rooney off for treatement

But including all of those players slowed the tempo down and it made the first half a horribly tedious affair. Everton passed the ball around for the sake of it, without ever threatening to create something, while Bournemouth sat back and soaked it all up.

The biggest flashpoint was the elbow from Simon Francis that left Rooney with a deep gash above his eye, the blood flowing so profusely that he needed to change his shirt and shorts. Rooney was apoplectic that Francis was never sent-off.

'Simon had his eyes on the ball all the time,' argued Howe. 'He has caught Wayne accidentally.' Bournemouth did not show much adventure before the interval, other than a shot from Junior Stanislas that was comfortably gathered by Jordan Pickford, but the way they moved the ball left the impression they had a devastating break in them.

So it proved just after half-time. As Everton tried to settles back into the game, in the blink of an eye it was taken out of their grasp as Charlie Daniels darted into win possession and instantly released King.

Mason Holgate tried to keep tabs with King but the striker was too powerful and, after holding off his challenge, he swept a drive beyond Pickford that ripped into the Park End net and left Everton staring at a crisis.  

Ten minutes after the break, Ronald Koeman made his first changes as Wayne Rooney and Davy Klaassen were brought off

The 31-year-old Everton talisman complained to the officials after being replaced by Niasse during the Goodison Park win

King battles with young Blues defender Mason Holgate during the second half of Saturday afternoon's Premier League clash

Dominic Calvert-Lewin was given the chance to start by Koeman but the 20-year-old striker failed to get on the scoresheet

That they were able to extricate themselves from such a bleak position owed much to events in the 51st minute. Another quick break from Bournemouth looked like it would lead to a second goal but Jermain Defoe's shot was superbly saved by Pickford.

It was the defining moment. Koeman, aware of the building opprobrium, threw the dice and took Rooney, whose face had been badly damaged by a collision with Simon Francis, and Klaassen out of the game, replacing them with Niasse and Davies.

Suddenly a spark was lit in the stadium and rather than growling at their team, Goodison Park became a bear pit with the vast majority of the 38,133 crowd imploring Everton to score a goal.  

Pickford makes a crucial save for the home side, using his feet to stop Jermain Defoe doubling Bournemouth's advantage

Calvert-Lewin challenges former Blues midfielder Dan Gosling for possession as the home side sought a way back on terms

The Everton forward complains after Atkinson turned down his appeals for a penalty on what looked set to be a frustrating day

Davies (left) came on for Klaassen and played a critical role in helping the home side turn the game on its head and win 2-1

Eventually the mounting pressure paid off when Niasse thrashed in a drive from his fellow substitute in the 77th minute to end Everton's barren run of 347 minutes without a Premier League goal.

The noise which greeted that intervention was considerable but pandemonium followed in the 81st minute when Niasse doubled up, bundling in at the second attempt after Davies had seen a shot blocked. It was huge moment, personally and collectively.

'This was important for me, for the players make, for everyone,' said Koeman. 'Everyone knows the situation of managers,' said Koeman. 'If you win, you are sure about your job. If you lose, you are not sure about your job. It is ridiculous. But we showed great character.' And nobody showed it more than Niasse. 

Howe applauds the away support following the 2-1 defeat that leaves his side without a point away from home all season