Cherries make one change from the Cheltenham draw with Danny Hollands coming in for Jason Pearce

Cherries: Stewart (Pryce 41), Young, Cummings, Gowling, Cooper, Hollands, Bartley, Gradel, Bradbury (Tessem 72), Vokes, Kuffour (Pitman 64)
Subs: Pearce, Partington.

Hartlepool: Lee-Barrett, Boland (Monkhouse 55), Nelson, Liddle, Humphreys, Barker, Sweeney, Lee (Porter 75), Foley, Antwi, Craddock (Mackay 70).
Subs: McCunnie, Robson.

Cherries started the match in brisk fashion and put early pressure onto the Hartlepool penalty area. Sam Vokes was proving an early menace and forced keeper Arran Lee-Barrett into an error when attempting to clear the ball.

The keeper made a hash of his clearance and it was up to experienced campaigner Graeme Lee to spare Lee-Barrett's blushes by blocking Gradel's strike at goal.

From the corner it was Vokes again causing the defence difficulty. He rose highest to meet Cummings' delivery and pin-pointed a header into the top corner to register goal number nine of the season.

Marvin Bartley started the game in his usual tenacious manner although he did concede a free kick in a dangerous area, which he was booked for on the quarter hour mark. Richie Humphreys' effort smashed into the Cherries wall.

Three minutes later Graeme Lee failed to repeat what Sam Vokes could at the other end from Boland's corner and the header fell safely over the bar.

Jo Kuffour took advantage of Nelson's error on twenty-four minutes as a chance to test the keeper. His low shot to Lee-Barrett's left was met with an outstretched fist and resulted in a couple of corners, the second of which Vokes fired wide from an acute angle.

Four minutes later a foul by Young gave Hartlepool another free kick from the twenty-five yard range. Lee's drive hit the wall and Stewart blocked bravely from Foley's follow up. Cherries were quickly up the other end and Gradel's finish brushed the side netting on the wrong side.

A neat pass by Foley ten minutes before the interval set up an opportunity for Craddock. His final shot flew over the bar under pressure from Gareth Stewart.

Gareth Stewart's afternoon came to a premature end five minutes before the break. The keeper seemed to go over on his ankle and immediately went to ground in obvious pain. Rookie teenager Ryan Pryce took up the position between the sticks.

The final chance of the half fell the way of Sam Vokes and he duly doubled Cherries lead. Number ten for the season was a low angle shot across Lee-Barrett after Bartley had ensured the chance fell his way.

Half time: AFC Bournemouth 2-0 Hartlepool United

Ryan Pryce was given an early test in the second half when Tom Craddock fired a low drive from eighteen yards. Pryce held firm and at the other end Vokesey's quest for a hat-trick saw a high effort tipped over by the Hartlepool keeper.

Unable to build on their early chance Hartlepool brought on Andy Monkhouse. He had a chance within a minute of coming on that Josh Gowling blocked well. Minutes later Gowling was involved with Barker in a penalty area tussle and when Barker went down the referee adjudged the striker to have dived and booked the player.

The second half was much quieter in terms of goalmouth action, but that suited a Cherries side leading 2-0. Sam Vokes was at the heart of every forward move while Hollands and Bartley had the measure of the midfield battle.

A superb low cross from Bradbury with twenty minutes remaining would have seen Vokes claim a hat-trick, but a last ditch diving header from a Hartlepool defender took the ball away from Vokesey's feet.

Ryan Pryce had a relatively untroubled half, but when called upon seventy-six minutes in, he fisted away Humphreys' cross from Barker's head.

Gradel and Pitman both had half chances towards the end, but neither seriously troubled Hartlepool keeper Lee-Barrett. The pair then combined for a double shot on eighty-five minutes and this time Lee-Barrett had to be on better form to deny a third Cherries goal.

Ryan Pryce was finally forced into a save in the eighty-ninth minute, but it was a bread and butter stop to keep out substitute Porter's effort.

Final Score: AFC Bournemouth 2-0 Hartlepool United