AFC Bournemouth Women started the new year with three points, beating Barton Rovers 2-0 at Verwood Town FC.

Second half goals from Hannah Bennett and Jade Hockey secured the win, as Steve Davies’ side moved into third in the Southern Region Women’s Premier League.

The Cherries started brightly, with Hockey having the best of the chances but putting both over the bar.

The side continued to push for an opener as the first half went on, with attacking football very much at the forefront for the hosts.

As the second half got underway, however, it didn’t take long for AFC Bournemouth to break the deadlock.

Bennett, fresh from coming off the bench just five minutes before, received the ball from Rosie Eden and made no mistake, firing home from close range.

A little of 15 minutes later, the Cherries had doubled their lead, this time through Hockey. Her shot from just outside the box was too strong for the Barton ‘keeper, who couldn’t stop it from finding the net.

The hosts continued to push, with Eden going on to hit the bar and Sian Tilly narrowly firing wide from a corner.

Yet, the score remained 2-0 as the final whistle blew, with the Cherries now winning six out of a possible seven in the league.

Following the game, manager Davies spoke with afcb.co.uk.

“It’s really good to be back after the Christmas break,” he began.

“The team played well and we’re looking forward to our upcoming games.”