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Cherries aim to extend gap at summit of league against second-placed Moneyfields

AFC Bournemouth currently lead the Portsmouth-based side by four points at the summit of the league – but with two games in hand over their fellow south coast side.

Steve Cuss’s side have won each of their 16 games in the league this season, compared to Moneys’ 14 wins from 18 games.

The two teams have met three times already this season, with Bournemouth winning two and Moneyfields one.

On Sunday, the sides met at Moneyfields in the Hampshire Senior Cup semifinal.

It was the Cherries who emerged victorious, winning 3-0 thanks to goals from Phoebe Williams, Jenna Markham and Molly Barron-Clark.

_(Image: Richard Crease)_ Williams opened the scoring after 34 minutes, finishing well after she was found by Markham.

Markham then gave the Cherries a two-goal advantage at half time, glancing Barron-Clark’s cross home on the stroke of the break.

Barron-Clark’s fantastic strike from 25 yards six minutes into the second period sealed the win and booked Bournemouth’s place in the final against Southampton U21s.

Last time out in the league, the Cherries beat Abingdon United 2-0, with Katie James and Ali Hall getting on the scoresheet, to back up wins against Bridgwater United and Keynsham Town.

Moneys, meanwhile, beat Bridgwater by the same scoreline, Charley Wilson-Wilton and former Cherry Lucy Cooper with the goals.

This followed a 2-2 draw with Worthing and a 2-0 win over Bristol Rovers for the Hampshire team.

_(Image: Richard Crease)_ The Cherries and Moneys met for the first time this season back in August in the determining round of the National League Cup.

Heading into the final ten minutes of the game, the sides were level at 1-1, Erin Bloomfield on the scoresheet for the Cherries.

Moneys scored in the 84th minute before Cooper equalised for the Cherries to send the game to extra time.

In the additional half an hour, Moneys gave themselves the advantage before Katie James again brought Bournemouth level.

_(Image: Richard Crease)_ But former Cherry Shannon Albuery headed in with two minutes left to play to send Moneys to the cup and the Cherries into the plate competition.

This defeat was avenged three days later at the John Jenkins Stadium, though.

Albuery again scored against her former club to hand Moneys the lead, but Ellie Strippel levelled four minutes from time.

And Cooper was on target to score a dramatic late winner for Bournemouth in injury time.

Since conceding after 79 seconds to Albuery, Erin Foley has not conceded a league goal, the Cherries keeping 13 clean sheets in a row.

AFC Bournemouth host Moneyfields at the Ringwood Community Hub on Wednesday, March 19. Kick off is at 7.45pm.

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