Four-midable Cherries rise to occasion

A record crowd for a women’s game at Vitality Stadium saw AFC Bournemouth write a new chapter in the club’s history books on Sunday.

The official attendance of 6,805 more than doubled the previous best of 3,067 for the visit of Maidenhead United last season.

And they were treated to a resounding Cherries victory as Steve Cuss’s team maintained their 100 per cent winning start in the National League.

Goals from Maisy Smith, Gemma McGuinness, Helen Bleazard and Chloe Gilroy saw the Cherries triumph 4-0 against Portishead Town, their ninth successive league win.

Boss Cuss named an unchanged starting line-up following the Cherries’ convincing 13-2 victory over St Austell in the Women’s FA Cup a fortnight ago.

Lucy Cooper, who netted four against St Austell, went close to opening the scoring when her close-range shot struck a defender in the ninth minute.

And Cherries captain Gemma Hillier was also foiled early on when her effort deflected off Nat Zajaczkowski for a corner.

Smith made the breakthrough when she registered her seventh goal of the season in the 12^th minute, prodding the ball into an unguarded net after her initial shot had been blocked.

In the lead up to the goal, Alisha Buckingham’s thunderous drive was charged down with Smith reacting quickest and pouncing on the loose ball.

As the visitors went in search of an immediate response, Tamzin Hayward latched on to Alanna Torrington’s free-kick and fired into the side netting.

Katie James and Buckingham combined to create an opening for Cooper, the striker dragging her shot wide of the target midway through the first half.

Cooper then turned provider for Buckingham whose low drive flashed past the post before her header was saved by Portishead goalkeeper Yasmin Davies.

McGuinness doubled the Cherries’ lead in emphatic fashion, the winger arriving inside the six-yard box to volley home Buckingham’s precision cross in the 26^th minute, her 12th goal of the season. 

Bleazard’s glancing header from a James corner looped over the crossbar before Cooper’s effort from a tight angle was cleared by Zajaczkowski.

McGuinness was unfortunate not to cap an excellent individual first-half showing with a second goal, her delicate effort striking the underside of the crossbar on the stroke of half-time.

At the start of the second half, McGuinness robbed Ellie Brindley of possession on the edge of the 18-yard box and lifted her resultant shot narrowly over the crossbar.

Cherries goalkeeper Daniela Kosińska saved comfortably after Brindley had tried her luck from distance before Cooper again found the side netting having been teed up by Hillier.

Hillier, set up by James’s excellent pass, saw her rasping drive saved by Davies, the goalkeeper also pushing away Jones’s low shot following an electrifying run by the defender.

Although Molly Gladwell found the back of the net in the 77th minute, the effort was ruled out as referee Phoebe Horner had already whistled for a foul.

Bleazard met Molly Barron-Clark’s corner with a firm header, only to see it bounce past the upright, the defender adding her ninth goal of a productive season just minutes later.

The same combination saw Bleazard outjump a posse of Portishead defenders to power home Barron-Clark’s corner seven minutes from time.

Gilroy completed the scoring two minutes from time, the substitute following up to score from close range after Davies had spilled Jones’s venomous drive.

AFC Bournemouth: Kosińska, Venditto, Bleazard, A Treweek (Fripp, 85), Jones, James, Hillier (Albuery, 79), Smith (Barron-Clark, 54), Buckingham (Gladwell, 64), Cooper (Gilroy, 70), McGuinness.

Booked: A Treweek.

Portishead Town: Davies, Barrett, Torrington, Hayward (Heal, 60), Zajaczkowski, Holloway (Hopkins, 60), Gandee Morgan, Hilton-Jones (Tate, 53), Lindsay, Brindley, Turner.

Referee: Phoebe Horner.

Attendance: 6,805.