Goals from Charlotte Harris and Sophie Quirk handed Bournemouth the halftime advantage, and, despite a late goal from the visitors, they held on for the three points.
Elsewhere, Watford drew 1-1 with Real Bedford – meaning the Cherries moved back above the Hornets on goal difference.
Match report:
Reflecting on the game and moving back to the summit, Bleazard told the Daily Echo she was ‘very happy’.
“We only found out at the end the other results,” she said.
Helen Bleazard (Image: Richard Crease)
“All the focus was on the win and we had to grind it out, obviously on a massive pitch, we got some tired legs at the end, but I feel like we dominated the game and we deserved the three points.”
It was two moments of magic that earned the Cherries the points, Harris curling in brilliantly from the left before Quirk finished wonderfully from the top corner of the box on the right.
“Charl’s probably never scored a goal like that and probably never will again!” Bleazard said.
“But the fact that everyone was so happy for her, even the bench, like we were jumping off the chart on it.
“But again we set up the game plan and the girls executed it fantastically. And to get those two goals really, really early on, I think set the tone for the game.”
(Image: Richard Crease)
Quirk moved onto 12 goals for the season with her strike, since joining the club from Portsmouth.
Bleazard said she brings a great character to the squad beyond her brilliance on the pitch.
“She's really, really bubbly and always just a happy player to have,” she said.
“And I mean, what she does on the pitch, it's not only her quality on the ball, it's what she does off the ball.
“She’s probably got one of the highest stats in terms of work rate tonight as well.
“So like I said, it's not only everything she does for us in terms of her creativity and obviously the goal, it's all that work rate she does for the front three for us.”
(Image: Richard Crease)
Bleazard was pleased with the side’s determination to see out the win, despite conceding as the game entered stoppage time.
There were ten added minutes – which proved to be ten tense minutes for the 5,850 fans and the players at Dean Court.
“I'm not going to comment on the 10 minutes, but 10 felt like 20,” Bleazard said.
“But to be fair, the girls actually shouted over it was ten minutes and we just had to grin and bear it.
“But also we still had some good moments in that and like I said, we grinded it out and got the win we thoroughly deserved.”