AFC BOURNEMOUTH moved to within one point of league leaders Swindon Town with a comfortable victory over the Robins at the Vitality Stadium.

Going into the clash at Dean Court, the Cherries trailed their visitors by four points at the top of the National League Division One South West, but with two games in hand.

But an emphatic win for Bournemouth saw them close that gap as they continued their unbeaten start to the season and ended Swindon’s.

Two first half goals from Katie James, including a 25-yard rocket, gave the Cherries a deserved lead at the break.

(Image: Richard Crease) Molly Barron-Clark extended the lead after 65 minutes, before Erin Bloomfield came off the bench to win and then convert a penalty with 15 minutes to play.

The Cherries saw out the remainder of the game to take all three points and make a strong statement as they look to achieve the promotion they so narrowly missed out on last term.

Steve Cuss made four changes to his eleven that beat Bournemouth Sports 5-0 in the week.

Maisy Smith, Alisha Buckingham, Chloe Gilroy and Erin Bloomfield dropped onto the bench, replaced by Gemma McGuinness, Kelci Bowers, Kenni Thompson and former-Robin Ellie Strippel coming into the side.

Swindon got the game underway but it was the Cherries who went closest inside the opening minutes, Strippel firing over the bar from close range.

There was a break in play as Holly Beck-Esson received treatment for the visitors, and she was replaced by Izzy Cook.

Skipper Abby Jones made a couple of key interventions as Swindon’s Libby Davies looked threatening.

(Image: Richard Crease) Jenna Markham curled an effort over the bar after latching onto a long ball and cutting inside to be one-on-one with keeper Hannah Cox.

Kelci Bowers then saw a deflected cross punched clear by Cox, before Jones found herself in the Swindon box and had two bites at the cherry, seeing a shot blocked before her effort from the rebound was claimed by the keeper.

Katie James fired high and wide on the half-volley, before Strippel fired an effort just past the post, with many in the crowd thinking it had snuck in.

Thompson went very close to an opener for Bournemouth, as the Cherries counter attacked with pace, but Thompson’s low effort went just past the far post.

Swindon had their first effort on goal after 24 minutes, but it was weak and straight at Erin Foley in the Cherries net.

Cox saved well from a Markham header on the half hour mark, before James gave the Cherries a deserved lead five minutes later.

The midfielder flicked on a diagonal to McGuinness behind her on the right wing, and she played it back to James who swept home past Cox from the right-hand side of the box.

(Image: Richard Crease) Isi Meade went into the book for bringing down James on halfway as the Cherries looked to counter, before James added her second goal of the afternoon after 40 minutes.

It was a fantastic strike from the midfielder, after the free kick was put into the box and then laid off by Barron-Clark to James, who hit it first time from 25 yards and it found the net via a slight deflection.

Thompson nearly scored an outrageous goal from distance in stoppage time at the end of the half, spotting the keeper slightly off her line, but her effort went just over the top.

(Image: Richard Crease) Cherries took the deserved 2-0 lead into the break and went close to extending their lead in the early exchanges of the second period.

Phoebe Williams replaced McGuinness at the break as Strippel had an early sighter from distance, before she had the ball in the back of the net, only for the flag to go up for offside.

Cox made a big double save from a Cherries corner to keep the deficit at two, before Markham slid an effort just past the post when she was one-on-one with the keeper, under pressure from the retreating defence.

Substitute Williams then went close, flashing an effort over the bar after an intelligent run in behind the Swindon defence.

(Image: Richard Crease) Barron-Clark got herself on the scoresheet after 65 minutes, as Strippel was found on the charge on the right wing and her perfect pass across the box was stroked home first-time by the midfielder.

Markham was replaced by Bloomfield after 70 minutes, with the striker getting herself on the scoresheet four minutes later.

The striker was chasing a ball over the top when her ankles were clipped and she went down, the referee pointing to the spot.

The striker, who had 11 goals in her past five Cherries appearances, then cooly converted, sending Cox the wrong way.

(Image: Richard Crease) Thompson went close to adding a fifth, her shot sliding past the post, before she was replaced by Gilroy with eight minutes to play.

With five minutes on the clock, Cuss made another swap, Alisha Buckingham coming on for Ellie Strippel who impressed against her former club.

Bloomfield drew a save out of Cox before Bowers made a strong challenge to preserve the Cherries clean sheet at the other end.

Maisy Smith replaced Barron-Clark as the game entered four minutes of stoppage time, as the Cherries saw out an emphatic victory over the Robins.