Head coach Andoni Iraola saw AFC Bournemouth given another excellent test as his first game at Vitality Stadium ended in a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Atalanta on Saturday.

Denmark international Joakim Mæhle drew first blood for the Serie A outfit after seven minutes before Teun Koopmeiners doubled their lead in the 36th minute.

But the Cherries halved the deficit just two minutes later when defender Marcos Senesi hammered home the loose ball after Dom Solanke’s header had been cleared off the line.

Both teams created chances in an entertaining second period with Emmanuel Latte Lath completing the scoring late on for the visitors.

Cherries goalkeeper Neto did well to turn Koopmeiners’s thumping drive on to the post as the visitors created the first shooting chance after seven minutes.

But after the loose ball had been crossed to the edge of the six-yard box, Mæhle was there to roll it into the back of the net to give Atalanta the lead.

As the Cherries looked for a quick response, David Brooks swept the ball into the grateful arms of Atalanta goalkeeper Juan Musso following good work by Senesi.

Brooks went down under a challenge from Berat Djimsiti in the penalty area but referee Craig Pawson was unmoved before Illya Zabarnyi cut out a teasing cross from Koopmeiners.

A corner from Koopmeiners flashed across the face of the goalmouth before Solanke, who was stretching and under pressure, just failed to make contact with Ryan Christie’s cross.

Solanke’s powerful header from Adam Smith’s centre narrowly cleared the upright, the Cherries striker then flattened by Musso as he challenged for a Justin Kluivert cross.

Atalanta doubled their lead when Koopmeiners flicked the ball past Neto from close range having been teed up by Ademola Lookman in the 36th minute.

However, the visitors’ two-goal cushion lasted barely 120 seconds, with Senesi emphatically reducing the arrears in the 38^th minute.

The defender reacted quickest after Solanke’s glancing header from a Brooks corner had been cleared off the line, Senesi on hand to rifle the rebound into the back of the net.

Some determined build-up play, – including nifty footwork from Christie and Solanke – ended with Brooks lifting his shot from the edge of the box over the crossbar.

New signing Andrei Radu replaced Neto for the second half, the goalkeeping watching on as Lookman dragged a shot into the side netting.

Former Charlton and Everton striker Lookman then turned inside off the left flank and tried his luck, his effort rolling narrowly past the post.

Senesi arrived at the far post to meet Brooks’s 62^nd-minute corner but could not direct his header goalwards before Smith’s piledriver fizzed past the upright.

Hamed Traorè’s 20-yarder was saved comfortably by Musso before Latte Lath completed the scoring when he drilled the loose ball past Radu after a free-kick had fallen for him.

AFC Bournemouth: Neto (Radu, h/t), Smith (Hill, 77), Senesi (Ouattara, 65), Zabarnyi, Kerkez, Cook (Kilkenny, 77), Brooks (Mepham, 65), Solanke (Moore, 77), Christie (Rothwell, 77), Kluivert (Traorè, 65), Anthony.

Unused sub: Greenwood.

Atalanta: Musso (Carnesecchi, 73), Tolói (Bonfanti, 86), Mæhle (Kolašinac, 53), Koopmeiners (Mallamo, 86), Pašalić (Latte Lath,73), Lookman (Cambiaghi, 73), De Roon, Djimsiti, Ruggeri (Bakker, 53), Scalvini (Okoli, 82), Zappacosta (Ghislandi, 86).

Unused subs: Højlund, Zortea, Rossi (g/k).