Watford Women secured an immediate return to the Barclays Women’s Championship by edging past Nottingham Forest 1-0 in a hard-fought FA WNL play-off final at Stadium MK.

Forward Poppy Wilson was the hero for the Golden Girls, with the 23-year-old’s first-half header ultimately proving the difference between two largely evenly-matched sides who had already been crowned the champions of the Northern and Southern Premier Divisions.

The result sees the Hornets exact revenge on their opponents following their agonising FA WNL Cup final defeat the last time they went up against the Tricky Trees in April, while it also marks a fairy-tale end to Helen Ward’s football career as she bows out of the game in style.

After suffering relegation in heart-breaking fashion on the last day of 2021/22, Watford will now return to the second-tier for the 2023/24 season having secured the league title and promotion in Head Coach Damon Lathrope’s first term in charge.

Lathrope named the same XI that had started the final-day 3-0 victory over Billericay Town last time out (Sunday May 7), with Megan Chandler retaining the armband while club captain Ward remained among the substitutes.

Once the sides had observed the national anthem ahead of kick-off, and Gemma Davison had got things underway, the Hornets dominated the early possession and nearly made the breakthrough on three minutes when Bianca Baptiste was unleashed by Drè Georgiou on the right.

Ellie Head similarly went close to working herself into a shooting position for Watford moments later, but Forest quickly served a glimpse of their threat when top scorer Charlotte Greengrass tried her luck in the fifth minute, though Jacqui Goldsmid held the shot comfortably.

Goalkeeper Goldsmid showed her class with a great stop five minutes later, blocking Yasmin Mosby’s angled shot from close range with her foot after the Tricky Trees’ forward was slipped through by Sophie Domingo.

The Golden Girls gradually swung the game’s momentum in their favour, with patient play forcing their opponents deep into their own half, and their hard work was rewarded in the 17th minute when Wilson met a looping Davison cross at the back post to impressively head in the opening goal.

Forest went on the attack as they looked for an immediate response to going behind, and Goldsmid had to be alert to deny Domingo one-on-one - after the latter had played a neat one-two with Mosby - before Chandler leapt highest to avert the danger on two occasions in quick succession.

A Rebecca Anderson free-kick from 20 yards flashed just wide of Goldsmid’s right post shortly before the half-hour, and then Alli Palisch did well to just nip in ahead of Domingo with a last-ditch clearance.

Having weathered the storm of sustained Nottingham Forest pressure, Watford reasserted themselves towards the end of the first half, and after evading a couple of defenders Wilson looked to double her goal tally with an attempt from range in the 41st minute.

A speculative, injury-time Charlotte Steggles shot on the bounce was the closest Forest came to a leveller before referee Louise Saunders blew her whistle to signal half-time, with the Hornets holding firm to maintain their slender advantage.

Watford stopper Goldsmid was involved early in the second period, when she coolly collected a tame Greengrass effort in the 49th minute after a Forest corner had initiated a melee inside the 18-yard box.

With their opponents pushing forward in search of an equaliser the Golden Girls looked to unlock opportunities on the counter, and though Wilson helped herself to a couple of half-chances little after the 50-minute mark, Mosby then went close to making it 1-1 only for a deflection to put her off at the back post.

A tentative Head shot from the left demonstrated Watford’s danger despite Forest’s strong start to the second half, and then goalkeeper Emily Batty flapped at a Baptiste cross that nearly opened the door for Lathrope’s side to make it 2-0.

Lively wide player Head thought she had indeed scored Watford’s second in the 62nd minute, only for her neat finish from 12 yards to be ruled out for offside, and then Annie Rossiter blasted a good chance over the bar following neat trickery from substitute Flo Fyfe out on the right.

With time running out for Forest they stepped up their offensive play, and after being teed up by Domingo, Amy West dragged a fierce effort across goal and narrowly wide of the Watford upright in the 70th minute.

A double change for the Tricky Trees saw Gianna Mitchell and Niamh Reynolds spearhead a nervy final quarter-of-an-hour for the Hornets, and with just five minutes to go Goldsmid was beaten to the ball in the air only for Head to clear up-field.

The introduction of Naomi Powell signalled a final throw of the dice for Andy Cook’s team before five minutes of added time were indicated, and after the Golden Girls survived a late free-kick chance Saunders’ final whistle cued jubilant celebrations from all adorned in yellow as their ascension to the Championship was confirmed.