AFC Bournemouth
Manager Steve Cuss saw AFC Bournemouth ease to a 4-0 win against National League counterparts Southampton Women on Wednesday before hailing his team for delivering “a complete performance”.
Lucy Cooper’s double coupled with goals from skipper Gemma Hillier and defender Amber Treweek helped the Cherries maintain their 100 per cent winning start to the season.
Victory over the Sirens at Ringwood’s Long Lane followed league wins against Selsey and Bridgwater United, Cuss’s team also knocking Bridgwater out of the National League Cup.
Cuss told afcb.co.uk: “I was really pleased. I thought it was a dominant performance right from the first whistle. We got on top and put them under a lot of pressure in the first half.
“It looked like we were going to come in leading 1-0 at the break which I would have been a little disappointed with having had so much of the ball.
“But we got that second goal on the stroke of half-time and learned our lesson a little bit from the weekend.
“We just kept pushing forward and, again, it was a complete performance. Scoring the four goals and keeping a clean sheet, it was a really good night.
“We created lots of chances and probably could have had a few more. But that’s probably being a bit greedy because we scored four goals and kept a clean sheet.
“It was the way we played. I loved our energy and I loved the way we wanted to win back the ball when we lost it. That gives you a really strong platform to be as creative as we were.”
Hillier doubled the Cherries’ lead in first-half stoppage time, the captain becoming the 12th different player to score this season. Cooper took her tally to three, while central defender Treweek added her second of the season.
Cuss added: “We’re sharing the goals around so we’re pleased with that. We’ve got a few options up front as well so it’s nice to get the strikers scoring.
“I thought Lucy’s work-rate deserved those two goals, she really put their back four under a lot of pressure and when the chances came to her, she took them.
“I know she was desperate for a hat-trick but she did exceptionally well and I was really pleased with her.
“It’s been a great start, four wins, four nice wins as well and some really good points but we want to get better and we want to improve.
“We need to move on to the next challenge now. This is a tough league and four wins is great but we’ve got a tough game in our next one and we’ve got to start preparing for that so we need to get our minds on it straight away.”
The Cherries, who currently top Division One South West on goal difference from Exeter City, host unbeaten Maidenhead United at Long Lane on Sunday 17th September (2pm kick-off and free entry).
