Doncaster Rovers Belles captain ready for top flight return

The title may have eluded Doncaster Rovers Belles on the final day but skipper Leandra Little says the sky is the limit for her side following promotion to WSL 1.

The Belles dispatched Millwall Lionesses 4-0 through Beth England, Hope Knight and Sue Smith’s double, but it wasn’t enough to be named WSL 2 champions after Reading secured a superior goal difference.

But Little is adamant that the Belles can mix it with the best in the top tier of FA Women’s Super League with BT Sport next year – and has highlighted Sunderland’s success as an example to follow.

"We’re really, really happy," she said. "The main aim throughout the whole season was to get up into WSL 1. It would have been nice to have gone up as champions and it was close, but all credit to Reading.

"Millwall are a physical team and had a good gameplan in that they made it difficult for us to break them down, but our fitness at the end won the game. 

"We want to go up and compete. We’re not just going up to make up the numbers. You look at Sunderland, who were in a similar position to us when they went up last year, and they’ve finished fourth.

"It just shows us what can be done with the right backing, the right support, and more training in place."

England’s header in the 41st minute briefly put Doncaster top of the league, but two minutes later news came through that Reading had also taken the lead.

The Belles responded to Reading’s second goal by doubling their lead through Smith after Dionne Lennon blocked England’s initial effort on 68 minutes.

Former England winger Smith made it 3-0 six minutes later, getting onto a good through ball and dinking over Sarah Quantrill to score.

The Belles celebrate their promotion back to the top flight from WSL 2

The Lionesses temporarily staved off Donny’s attempts at a fourth, with top scorer Courtney Sweetman-Kirk unable to convert after Quantrill saved well from England.

But there was no stopping substitute Knight as the siege on Quantrill’s goal continued nine minutes from time, with the winger bundling home at the far post.

And Lionesses manager Dan Mlinar said: "We had numerous counter attacks and entries into the final third, but we just didn’t kill them off with a killer pass or the right run. I thought the game was a lot tighter than 4-0. I think we gave them a good test.

"We knew they were going to have a lot of the ball and a lot of territory but, to a player in the first 41 minutes, we’ve done our jobs. 

"It was the first time we’d let an uncontested cross come in and, in fairness, it was a fantastic header from Beth England.

"We had a great start to the season and a difficult finish, but now we’ve got some foundations laid. 

"When I took over at the start of the season it was all over the place, but now we can build on those foundations and move it on to the next step."

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