Bournemouth 3-0 Huddersfield: Dominic Solanke double as Cherries stay unbeaten

Dominic Solanke's first came from the penalty spot

Dominic Solanke scored twice to help unbeaten Bournemouth maintain their Championship lead with a thumping victory over Huddersfield Town.

The 24-year-old took his tally for the season to 11 in all competitions, as the Cherries swept the visitors aside at Vitality Stadium, ending their opponents' four-game unbeaten streak.

Solanke's first came just two minutes after an emotional round of applause for David Brooks on seven minutes, following the winger's cancer diagnosis.

He picked himself up after a foul in the box to send Lee Nicholls the wrong way from the spot, and rattled home his second after Philip Billing knocked down a Ryan Christie cross.

Huddersfield showed flashes in attack through the lively Sorba Thomas and Josh Koroma, but Bournemouth ruthlessly put the game to bed when Lloyd Kelly headed in a teasing Christie delivery midway through the second half.

Koroma hit the crossbar with a fierce effort late on, but Danny Ward's attempt to force the rebound in was ruled out for offside as Town were kept scoreless.

Scott Parker's Cherries, unbeaten in 14 games this season, are the only side in the English Football League yet to have tasted defeat, and they were confident from the off.

Their surge to the top of the table has been anchored by a fine home record, with this a fifth straight win, and a miserly defence which has only conceded eight goals.

For Carlos Corberan, a lack of goals has seen them fail to score in five of their past seven Championship games, while defender Matty Pearson is their top scorer with just three.

Bournemouth boss Scott Parker told BBC Radio Solent:

"2-0 is always a precarious position, especially when you're dominating like we were. We were superb in the first half with two goals, but we've been in this position a few times and probably needed the third to kill the game off.

"I thought again today we were very, very good, well worthy of the three points.

"I was really impressed with us, I thought in the second-half we were a bit slow out of the blocks but this has been a monster week for us, with two tough away games at Bristol City and Stoke.

"We were relentless and it was a very good performance."

Huddersfield boss Carlos Corberan told BBC Radio Leeds:

"It was important for us, we knew that in these types of games we would have to use our opportunities to attack.

"We know they are an offensive team for me to work well in defence was very important today.

"It's too bad for me that they were better than us, they were using the chances better and and we couldn't score with the opportunities we had.

"Once they scored the second goal we knew it would be more difficult but I didn't want the team to give up."