(Image: Richard Crease)
(Image: Richard Crease)
AFC BOURNEMOUTH were dealt their second defeat of the campaign and their second in a row, losing 2-1 at home to Fulham.
The defeat sees the visitors leapfrog the Cherries in the table into second place.
Helen Bleazard's side now sit third, two points behind Fulham, who have 15 points.
It has been a difficult fortnight in the promotion race for Bournemouth, having also lost at home to top-of-the-table Oxford United last week.
Two wins could have seen them sitting in first place.
The home side created the first opening of the match in the fifth minute, Jenna Markham getting in behind the defence from a lofted ball by Freya Meadows Tuson.
After a Fulham defender failed to clear, Markham took it round the goalkeeper and laid it off to Georgia Wilson on the 18-yard line.
However, it was a tame effort at an unguarded net, and Fulham midfielder Olivia Dale was able to control the ball with plenty of time.
The visitors hit back with a chance of their own in the sixth minute.
After a one-two with Izzy Milne, Anna Grey found space down the left flank and delivered a low cross to the back post, which Sophie Gillies bundled into the net.
Fulham's number 10 practically fell on top of the ball just in front of the right post, knocking it across the line.
Abby Jones could not get to the cross ahead of the forward.
The following 15 minutes saw the Cherries enjoy plenty of possession, but struggle to do much with it.
The Cottagers' press particularly troubled Bournemouth, who at times could not string passes together to get out of their own half.
This was evident in the 22nd minute, when Katie Scadding attempted to play through the middle from a goal kick.
Fulham's midfield easily intercepted and found Ellie Olds up front.
She teed up Grey, who struck the ball across goal from the left side of the box, but Scadding redeemed herself with a strong hand to the shot.
Bleazard's side had their first clear goalscoring opportunity since the fifth minute when, in the 29th, Clarabella Hall swung a deep cross towards the back-left post, which Jones nodded towards an unmarked Wilson in the six-yard box.
However, it was another big chance wasted for Bournemouth's number 10, as a heavy touch allowed Fulham to clear easily.
Wilson made amends in the 35th minute when she produced an outside-of-the-boot pass from her own half, unleashing Hall behind the defence.
Hall took a good touch to go through one-on-one with Jess Gray, opening up her body before slotting home at the near post to make it 1-1.
It was a slow start to the second half, with the Cherries creating only one decent opening in the first 10 minutes.
Captain Katie James lofted a deep free kick towards the far post, and Meadows-Tuson was there to nod it back across goal.
Markham almost reached the ball, but it was cleared well by Harley Bennett.
Just before the hour mark, Fulham's Milne swung a cross into the box.
A mix-up in the Bournemouth defence, alongside appeals for handball being waved away, allowed Gillies to get a shot away while falling to the ground.
Her finish trickled across the turf and past Scadding into the bottom corner for her second goal, restoring the visitors ' lead.
A delay of nearly three minutes in the 67th minute halted any momentum Bournemouth had, though Bleazard's side were struggling to threaten the goal.
Fulham's Becky Stormer had gone down with a head injury after a collision with Scadding.
Substitute Sophia Leonard had the Cherries' best opportunity of the second half, driving into the box and nutmegging a Fulham defender.
Her left-footed chipped effort beat the goalkeeper but struck the crossbar squarely.
Bournemouth continued to push for an equaliser, but five minutes of stoppage time were not enough, and the Cottagers travelled back to west London with all three points.