Doubles from Lucy Cooper and Alisha Buckingham helped AFC Bournemouth maintain their unbeaten record in the National League with a 6-0 win over Abingdon United on Sunday.

Cooper took her tally for the season to 17 by scoring twice in the first half before Buckingham repeated the feat after the break with her sixth and seventh of the campaign.

Headers either side of half-time from Katie James and Erin Bloomfield ensured Steve Cuss’s team would give their goal difference a boost with a string of fine saves from Abingdon goalkeeper Hannah Cox keeping the scoreline in check.

The Cherries went close to drawing first blood in the third minute when Molly Barron-Clark’s spectacular volley from Maisy Smith’s cross came back off the upright.

But the hosts did not have to wait long to open the scoring, Cooper tapping home from close range having been teed up by Gemma Hillier just a minute later.

Abingdon goalkeeper Hannah Cox safely gathered Kenni Thompson’s drive and saved with her legs after Cooper had gone clean through having been picked out by Alisha Buckingham.

Cooper then turned provider, her deep cross setting up Buckingham whose low drive flashed past the opposite post.

The Cherries doubled their lead in the 14th minute, Cooper prodding the ball past Cox at the second attempt after Katie James had found her inside the six-yard box.

It was almost 3-0 when a frantic goalmouth scramble ended with Buckingham poking the ball narrowly past the post.

Buckingham then saw her powerful header from a Thompson centre come crashing back off the upright before Abby Jones curled an effort just past the post with Cox well off her line.

The woodwork again came to Abingdon’s rescue when Barron-Clark’s ferocious strike hit the crossbar with Cox doing superbly to save Smith’s follow-up effort.

Buckingham lifted her shot over the top following Jones’s cross, the same player heading Barron-Clark’s centre narrowly off target in the 37^th minute.

The Cherries deservedly extended their lead six minutes before half-time when Katie James arrived to meet Thompson’s corner with header which looped over Cox to make it 3-0.

Cooper was foiled by a fine save from Cox at the start of the second half, the Abingdon goalkeeper diving full length to tip her shot over the crossbar following Thompson’s centre.

Cox was powerless to prevent the Cherries from making it 4-0 just four minutes after the restart, Buckingham sweeping home Barron-Clark’s cross following a quickly-taken corner.

And just a minute later, Buckingham added her second and the Cherries’ fifth, finishing emphatically past Cox having robbed a defender of the ball on the edge of the box.

Cooper’s effort trickled inches past the post after she had outstripped the Abingdon defence before the teenage striker was thwarted by another outstanding save from Cox after she had gone through one-one-one.

Bloomfield made it 6-0 after 73 minutes, the striker climbing highest to meet Buckingham’s free-kick with a header which found the back of the net for her seventh goal of the season.

Cox capped an excellent individual display when she parried Chloe Gilroy’s effort following a sharp turn and shot from the substitute.

AFC Bournemouth: Kosińska, Venditto (Gilroy, 51), Smith, Treweek, Jones (Fripp, 68), James, Barron-Clark (Elkins, 57), Hillier (Bloomfield, 63), Buckingham, Cooper, Thompson. Unused sub: Scadding (g/k).

AFC Bournemouth women are in action at Vitality Stadium against Keynsham Town on Sunday, March 24th. You can book tickets and select your seat here.