Bournemouth are continuing to blaze a trail, even in the depths of midwinter. A club record eighth consecutive Premier League match unbeaten also added three more points to their unprecedented tally to this point and all delivered by David Brooks, the cultured forward who retains the heartfelt affection of the Bournemouth support and scored a banger after coming on as substitute.

Nearly three years after receiving the all clear following treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Brooks remains a bit-part player for the Cherries, but one still trusted by Andoni Iraola to deliver. The Welshman duly did so in the 77th minute, crashing home a cross at the back post to decide a contest of few clear opportunities.

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Perhaps not unsurprisingly, the rival manager offered differing takes on the contest. “It was a tight game they edged,” said Sean Dyche. “Everyone could see the goal was coming,” was Iraola’s take.

The truth was probably somewhere in the middle as Everton largely held Bournemouth at arm’s length and grew into the contest in the second half. But such was the lack of attacking force from the visitors, that Bournemouth were able to push further on as the game progressed without taking much more in the way of risk.

“Even if the game was a bit stop and go we had very clear chances in the first half,” Iraola said. “We haven’t scored but we had the patience. We had just to continue putting pressure on them. It was a matter of them running out of legs and not arriving to every shuffle, to every support defensively, and we could make the difference at the end.”

The Spaniard said before the match that clinical finishing would be necessary to get past the Everton defence and Jordan Pickford, a keeper possessed. Iraola said Brooks had matched up to the required standard. “That finish is the definition of clinical from David.”

Brooks is now into his seventh season at the Vitality Stadium and has remained a fringe figure since his convalescence. But injuries within the squad over the past two months have given him an opportunity.

“Everyone in the club trusts David,” Iraola said. “I think in the last month he has started two games, he has come on from the bench all the other games, so he’s played more minutes lately because we have the injuries [to Marcus Tavernier and Luis Sinisterra] in his position. Everyone is fighting for minutes and it’s good for the team.”

The goal came seven minutes after Iraola made decisive changes. He introduced Brooks for Dango Ouattara and brought Enes Unal on for Justin Kluivert and stationing him closer to Evanilson. Seven minutes later and Antoine Semenyo, moved to the left, contested an aerial ball. His flick sent Milos Kerkez clear. The full-back had been conscientious in his defensive duties throughout the match, but here was an opportunity to open up his feet and he swirled a cross deep to the back post. Brooks was waiting for the ball, in lots of room. His volley was clean, beautiful and deadly.

“First half was a close affair but we weren’t where we wanted to be so I made changes for the second half,” Dyche said. “We were stronger second half and we got into key areas.

“What has been a challenge since I’ve been at the club is finding that last moment, people passing when they could shoot and that sort of thing. The final cross, the final finish and we don’t find that so it’s very frustrating.”

This is a script Dyche has repeated too many times for many frustrated Everton fans and there was a sense of exasperation from the manager as he restated the circumstances he finds himself in. “I said at the beginning of the season there is miles to go with this story, miles to go and there still is,” he said.

“The new ownership will bring stability, they’ve made that clear and over time they’ll build. That’s it. The rest of it is working constantly with a group of players to try and win matches, but I tried to make that clear.

“Everyone said they wanted the truth, I told them the truth and then they don’t want the truth. What do you want me to tell you?”