CHERRIES women entertained a record crowd with a comfortable 4-0 win over Portishead Town at Vitality Stadium, stretching their winning start to the National League Division One South West to nine victories from nine.

With 6,805 watching on, Cherries were playing in front of over double the previous record attendance for a women’s match at Vitality Stadium, having drawn 0-0 with Maidenhead United in front of 3,067 earlier in 2023.

First-half goals from Maisy Smith and Gemma McGuinness were more than enough for Cherries to strengthen their grip on first place, before Helen Bleazard made sure of the result with a bullet header later on.

Substitute Chloe Gilroy added further close to the scoreline with two minutes remaining.

Boss Steve Cuss named an unchanged side to the team that crushed St Austell 13-2 in the FA Cup last time out, with a two-week break in between fixtures.

Elle Elkins suffered injury in that fixture which ruled her out of the contest at Dean Court, whilst Molly Barron-Clark was deemed fit enough to be named on the bench.

Cherries started to ramp their pressure up on their guests. A cross from the left was cut out before it could find its intended target of Bleazard, before a big block denied striker Lucy Cooper on the rebound.

There was further last-ditch defending when Nat Zajaczkowski blocked captain Gemma Hillier’s effort from close-range.

Abby Jones’ cross promised danger when it was flung in towards the near post, Portishead skipper Laura Barrett snuffing it out by turning it away for a corner.

After a significant period knocking on the door, the hosts would find their opener.

An initial effort from range was blocked before it could travel over the line, the rebound falling to Smith.

Yasmin Davies in the Portishead goal did well to save Smith’s first shot with her feet, but the ball fell back to the midfielder to roll into the empty net on 11 minutes.

After finding their opener, Cherries’ siege on the Portishead goal subsided.

The away side finally had some success getting past the Cherries defence, but were unable to trouble Daniela Kosinska in goal.

Cherries would be two ahead on 26 minutes.

Right-winger Alisha Buckingham scooped a cross towards the far post, finding her counterpart on the opposite flank, McGuinness storming into the box to double Cherries’ lead.

In the dying embers of the first half, McGuinness went close again.

Jones’ slipped in a sublime ball that enabled the Irish winger to ghost into the box, her effort from an acute angle tipped onto the underside of the bar by Davies.

Katie James fashioned a chance for Hillier on 70 minutes, the diminutive midfielder’s drive just about dealt with by Davies.

Substitute Molly Gladwell thought she had made it three with 13 minutes to go when she rolled into the empty net, only for the goal to be brought back for a foul on Davies by Chloe Gilory.

Even in the dying stages Cherries looked for further goals. Sub Molly Barron-Clark saw an effort pushed around the post for a corner by Davies.

The subsequent set-piece ended up in the back of the net, Bleazard powering home a header to make it three.

There was still time for one more, full-back Jones' curling effort from range spilled by Davies into the bath of Gilroy, who poked home Cherries' fourth.

Cherries: Kosinska, Jones, Venditto, Bleazard, Treweek (Fripp, 85); Smith (Barron-Clark), Hillier (Albuery, 79), James; McGuinness, Buckingham (Gladwell, 64), Cooper (Gilroy, 70).

Booked: Treweek.