Bolton Wanderers Women secured the title and promotion to Tier 5 of the Women's pyramid on Sunday afternoon with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Preston North End Women at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
Goals from Faye Knox, Ocean Flanagan and Eboni Bradshaw was enough to claim the win and ensure Wanderers finished the season undefeated with 20 victories and 2 draws from their 22 league fixtures.
Their league triumph follows their Challenge Cup success just two weeks ago, sweeping aside Accrington Stanley 5-1 at Leyland to make it a double-winning season in their first campaign working under club operations.
With a crowd of 2,344 supporters inside the Toughsheet - including club chairman Sharon Brittan and the Mayor and Mayoress of Bolton - Myles Smith made three changes from the 1-1 draw with Stanley a week ago, with Flo Rigby and Flanagan coming into the starting side alongside Jess Lightfoot, who returned from suspension.
The tone of the game was set early on, as Bolton came out with attacking intent, with Flanagan and Rigby having early strikes on the Preston goal but their efforts flew wide.
But Wanderers did not have to wait long to get their opener, and it was delivered by top goalscorer Knox in stunning fashion.
Receiving a pass in space, Knox let fly with a thunderous strike from 25 yards to beat Emily Gibbins and into the top corner to give the Whites the advantage.
The goal had settled Wanderers into their full flow, and Eleanor Seals and Eboni Bradshaw going close with efforts to double the home side's advantage with both well saved by Gibbins.
After a foul right on the edge of the PNE penalty area, Knox had the opportunity to grab hers and Wanderers' second of the afternoon with a dipping strike that looked destined for the top corner but found the roof of the net instead.
Moments later, Knox turned provider, picking out Jess Lightfoot in space before striking first-time on-goal but she couldn’t keep her effort down.
Lightfoot threatened again soon after, latching onto a through ball and attempting to round Gibbins, only for the goalkeeper to step in with a courageous save at her feet.
Preston had their moments too, with Alicia Scott, going close in the 41st minute that gave Myles Smith's side a timely reminder of sticking to their game-plan.
But the Whites responded almost immediately with Seals' strike from 25 yards tipped onto the crossbar by Gibbins to deny her a spectacular goal and keep the score at 1-0 going into the break.
The second half resumed with Bolton picking up where they left off as Knox again went for goal from distance but Gibbins gathered at the second attempt.
Former Accrington midfielder Flanagan, who was everywhere in an all-action performance, thought she had double the lead, after latching onto Knox’s clever pass and tucking home after beating Gibbins to the ball, but the goal was chalked off as she was deemed to have fouled the North End 'keeper in the build-up.
But Flanagan got her rewards shortly after, and a clever, threaded pass from Seals picked out the England schoolgirls representative, and she fired confidently past Gibbins to grab her first goal in Wanderers' colours and give her side control of the fixture.
Wanderers weren’t done yet, and made it three shortly after as Bradshaw added a third. After latching onto a clever pass from Rigby, Gibbins made the initial save from the wing-back but the wing-back was quickest to react to slot home and let the party start inside the Toughsheet.
Changes were made in the second half as Hannah Baldwin, Charlotte Tyers, Madison Hardman, Emme Shone and Lexi Williams were all introduced as Wanderers look to see the game out in complete control.
Gibbins had more work to do before the end, however, as she smartly diverted Seals' well-struck shot onto the post. But the game was done and as the full-time whistle blew, joyous scenes immediately ensued as Wanderers lifted the league trophy to crown an almost perfect league campaign - finishing the season as invincibles and laying the platform to build from for many years to come.
Wanderers: White, Smith, Holt, Clarke, Seals, Rigby, Gordon, Flanagan, Bradshaw, Knox, Lightfoot.
Subs: Baldwin, Tyers, Hardman, Shone, Williams.
Preston: Gibbins, Tunstall, Mahon, Stevens, Jones, Hadley, Woodhead, Hindle, Brindle, Scott, Walker.
Subs: Wright, Skiba, Cragg, Cronshaw, Wolfenden.
Report by Katherine Byrne. Pictures by Jake Horrocks.