Preston took advantage of slip-ups by their closest rivals to stretch their lead at the summit of the FA Women’s Premier League Northern Division to nine points.
In their final game of the league season, Preston won 2-1 away to Bradford, coming from behind to pick up the three points.
Rosie McDonnell had put Bradford in front in the first half, but the league leaders responded in perfect fashion, with second-half efforts from Yasmine Swarbrick and Jenna Carroll.
FA Women's Premier Leagues
Northern & Southern Divisions
Sunday 24 April
By Paul Eddison
That means that Preston have done everything they could in their title bid, but they will have to wait nervously with Sporting Club Albion still in contention with five games in hand.
Albion didn’t help their chances with a goalless draw at home to Huddersfield however, and now sit nine points behind Preston, and with a vastly inferior goal difference.
They could still catch the leaders though, which now seems impossible for Blackburn, after they were also held to a 0-0 draw, at home to Nottingham Forest.
While theoretically they could match Preston’s 49 points, with three games in hand, a goal difference which is 30 goals worse off means second place is likely the best they can hope for.
Stoke’s title hopes also came to an end as they went down 2-1 to bottom side Loughborough Foxes although they could still manage a top-two finish.
Elsewhere Guiseley drew 2-2 at home to fellow strugglers Nuneaton while Newcastle United were 2-0 winners at home to Derby County.
In the Southern Division Charlton had seen their title hopes ended last week as Brighton clinched the league, but they responded in style with a 9-1 win over Forest Green.
There were standout displays from Charley Clifford and Gemma Shepherd, who each scored hat-tricks, while Charlotte Lee, Stefanie Simmons and Kit Graham also scored.
Elsewhere fourth-placed Portsmouth beat third-placed Cardiff 2-1, while bottom side Plymouth made it successive home draws, holding QPR to a 2-2 stalemate.
