Sylvain Distin claimed getting advice from Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi will not turn him into a goalscoring superstar.

And the 37-year-old French defender insisted his decade-plus of Premier League experience alone will not save the Cherries from a swift return to the Championship after this weekend's latest lesson on the harsh realities of the top flight.

Eddie Howe’s side will spend the international break in the bottom three despite battering Newcastle for 90 minutes.

They had 20 shots in the game, but could not beat inspired keeper Rob Elliot.

The visiting Toon had one decent chance... and won their first away game since January at a lucky 13th attempt.

The gutted post-match reaction of the Bournemouth players – and Newcastle’s celebrations - showed how important this result was for both sides.

These are the games they have to win to stay up.

In pictures - Bournemouth 0-1 Newcastle:

Distin, who has spent the past 14 years playing for Newcastle, Manchester City, Portsmouth and Everton, said: “You can’t share your experience. You can speak about it if someone asks you a question, but you can’t pass on your experience.

“They are building their own experience right now. And they showed some good character, which is a really positive sign.

“To share experience, if it was that easy, I would speak to Ronaldo and Messi tomorrow and then go up front and score 50 goals myself. It doesn’t work like that.

"If it did, everyone would be doing it.”

While Elliot was unbeatable, home keeper Adam Federici should have stopped Ayoze Perez’s 27th minute snap shot.

Rob-bed: Despite battering the door for 90 minutes the Cherries couldn't get past Rob Elliot (
Image:
AFP/Getty)

“This is football,” Distin continued. “If it wasn’t the goalkeeper it would be someone else. If there were no mistakes in football there would be no goals, no questions would be asked and everybody would be bored.

“Every goal can be traced to a mistake. Watch the Champions League and World Cup and you will see even the best players in the world make them. We are not going to start crying about it.”

Elliot is third-choice keeper behind the injured Tim Krul and Karl Darlow – and he was struggling with a thigh strain.

“I am glad for him because he was injured last week but he said he wanted to play,” said Toon captain Fabricio Coloccini.

Give 'em 'Ell: A half-fit Rob Elliot was in inspired form to deny Bournemouth (
Image:
Mike Hewitt)

“People like him we need in the changing room. He said to the manager: I am ready to play. He is an example for young players. He was outstanding.”

Paul Dummett added: “It gives you confidence when he is pulling off those saves. It is a massive confidence boost for the team when one player is playing like that and he has helped us out so much.”

Newcastle will spend the international break out of the drop zone.

“It is a massive thing for us,” said Coloccini.

McClaren added: “I said that we need character, fight and grit to win, to keep a clean sheet, and that’s what we have.

"We had a certain fragility about us early on in the season. We’d have lost that game early on. They stuck in there and the guys took belief from it.”

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