Watford secure promotion back to the Championship | OneFootball

Watford have secured promotion back to the Barclays Women’s Championship at the first attempt with a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in the FA Women’s National League Championship Play-Off Final this afternoon.

A sunny Milton Keynes played host to the FA Women’s National League’s showpiece fixture with divisional title-winners Nottingham Forest and Watford going head-to-head for the right to become the 12th side in next season’s Barclays Women’s Championship.

Watford know plenty about what it takes to compete in the second tier having been relegated in dramatic fashion a little over a year ago. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest were victorious when the two teams last met in the FAWNL Cup Final last month. Andy Cook’s side won 3-2 in extra-time, giving a good indication of how closely-matched these two teams are.

It was the FAWNL Cup runners-up who took the lead in the first half of this afternoon’s clash. Gemma Davison was able to get the ball onto her right foot and she looped a cross into the Nottingham Forest penalty area. Poppy Wilson was there at the far post to meet the ball with her head and power it into the back of the net.

Forest had good chances of their own in the opening 45 minutes but Jacqui Goldsmid in the Watford goal put in a strong display to keep them out going into the break.

The FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division champions continued to push hard for an equaliser and big chances for Amy West and Yasmin Mosby went excruciatingly wide of the Watford goal. There was a nervous moment for Watford when Goldsmid rushed out to meet a long ball and took out Charlotte Greengrass in the process. Goldsmid could have been given her marching orders on another day.

In the end, it was Watford’s day as they saw out the match thanks to that solitary Wilson goal, sealing their return to the Barclays Women’s Championship at the first time of asking.