PLYMOUTH Argyle ended their FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division campaign on Sunday with a 4-1 away victory over Real Bedford.
It was the perfect way for the Pilgrims to prepare for their promotion play-off match against Wolverhampton Wanderers on May 4.
Argyle actually finished their league season just one point behind champions Watford, who were beaten 4-2 by third-placed AFC Bournemouth in their final match.
The Pilgrims had to come from 1-0 down at half-time on Sunday to secure the victory.
Issy Bryant had fired in a volley on 29 minutes to put Real Bedford ahead.
But Argyle turned on the style in the second half.
Paris Dalton pulled them level in the 51st minute with a header from an Ellie Noble cross and six minutes later Olivia Francis put the visitors ahead with a fine finish inside the box.
And two goals in two minutes towards the end of the game sealed the victory for the Pilgrims.
Tianna Teisar bagged their third from the left before Tamara Wilcock capped the impressive second half performance with their fourth.
In the FA Women’s National League Division One South West, Marine Academy Plymouth ended their first season at that level with a 2-1 home defeat to seventh-placed Ascot United.
Ascot thought they had gone in front in the 23rd minute with a goal from a corner but that was disallowed and Marine Academy went straight up the other end and won a corner themselves from which youngster Sophie Pearse headed home to put her side in front.
It looked like eighth-placed Marine Academy were going to take a 1-0 lead into the break, but in the ninth minute of added-on time, Ascot pulled level with a goal from Mae Goulden.
Clear cut chances were few and far between in the second half, but with 15 minutes to go, Ascot went in front with a fine long-range effort from Liberty Doyle.
In the dying minutes Marine Academy threw everything at Ascot looking for an equaliser and they could not have been closer from a corner deep in injury-time, but somehow the visitors blocked the ball on the line and managed to get it clear.
Saltash United ended their South West Women’s League fixtures with a 5-0 home defeat at the hands of Poole Town.
Lauren Kelly scored a hat-trick for the visitors, with Lucy Coalter adding their other two.
Saltash have managed to stay up but they have had a disappointing end to the campaign with seven successive defeats in all competitions.
However, they will be hoping to book a place in the Cornwall Cup final when they play St Agnes on Tuesday night at Sticker in the semi-finals of the county competition.
Plympton are certain to win the Devon Women’s Premier Division after they beat Stoke Gabriel & Torbay Police 11-2 away on Sunday.
Libby Willimas bagged five of their goals at the weekend, with Samantha Metters and Bella Brown-Tunnell both netting twice. Lois Igalawuye and Crystal-Mae Pollock scored their other goals in south Devon.
Second-placed SB Oak Villa had played Teignmouth on Thursday night and had won 2-0 thanks to strikes from Kelsey Blight and Saskia Brisley.
SB Oak Villa are now preparing for two cup finals within the space of four days.
On Friday, they will play Torquay United in the Devon Premier Cup at Newton Abbot before playing Teignmouth at Tavistock on Tuesday in the Devon League Cup final.
Plymouth Marjon are looking on course for a league and cup double in Devon South & West.
On Friday evening they won the Devon Senior Cup final at Newton Abbot by beating Fremington 5-2.
Phoebe White had fired them ahead after just six minutes, but Fremington equalised before Amelia O’Connell put Marjon 2-1 up on 10 minutes.
Siana Goddard headed in to make it 3-1 on 20 minutes before Aimee Kilpatrick fired in a curling effort into the top corner just before the break to make it 4-1.
Fremington pulled one back just after half-time, but White scored with a long-range effort late on to wrap up an impressive win.
They then followed that up by beating Plymouth True Blue 4-0 on Sunday with two goals from Kilpatrick and further strikes by Beatriz Almeida and Goddard.
Marjon are currently second in the league at the moment, five points behind leaders Elm Fusion, but the students have six games in hand.
Elm Fusion, who have played far more games than anyone else, beat Drake FC away on Sunday.
Lucia Webb, Bethany Liddicoat and Talisha Shawcross scored for Fusion.
Third-placed Horrabridge Rangers are still in the race for the title and they beat Hunter District 9-1 away on Sunday.
Leah Parnell-Moses and Toni Allen both scored hat-tricks for Horrabridge, with Tara Finch, Kerry Gibbings and Kirsty Jones also on the scoresheet. Chloe Thompson netted Hunter’s only goal.
Tavistock secured their first win of the season on Sunday when they beat Lakeside Athletic 3-2 to move off the foot of the table.
Lakeside had beaten Tavistock the week before at the Parkway, but Tavistock turned the tables on Sunday.
Maia Wearne was the hero of the hour scoring her first-ever goal to win the match.
Louise McLeod and Megan Williams had also scored for Tavistock, with Aaliyah Mcadam scoring both Lakeside’s goals.
In the other game in the division, Elm United were narrowly beaten 4-3 at home by Plainmoor. Megan Austin (2) and Katie Hengle scored for Elm.
In Cornwall League Division One, Callington Town were handed a home walkover by Padstow United.
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