C&K BASILDON Ladies completed a remarkable season with a win against Crystal Palace to secure promotion to the top tier of women’s football.

Basildon won 3-2, having trailed by a goal approaching the half-time interval, but goals from Zoe Rushen, Merrick Will and Sara Sinclair fired them into the lead and they held on to record their 13th win of the season.

Five titles in seven seasons means the team will now compete in the FA Women’s Premier League Southern Division, one below the Women’s Super League, with teams such as West Ham, Brighton, Tottenham and Charlton Athletic set to visit next season.

Heading into the weekend’s match, a point would have been enough for second-placed Basildon due to their superior goal difference over table-toppers MK Dons, although they were in for a tough test against third-placed Palace.

And Basildon started the match well forcing a number of corners in the early exchanges. But Palace took the lead against the run of play inside the opening 10 minutes, when Katy Morris found space behind the Basildon defence before lifting the ball over goalkeeper Mel Kinsalla.

Basildon pushed on and Rushen forced the Palace goalkeeper Sam Saint into a good save before she was denied again when her free-kick struck the crossbar on 10 minutes before the break.

Claire Lacey headed Amy Nash’s free kick just wide of the post before some quick-thinking from Sinclair saw her block a goalkeeping clearance only for her effort to be cleared off the line.

Sinclair saw a header from Amy Nash’s free kick well held by Saint before Basildon finally equalised with a penalty on the stroke of half-time when Amy Nash was fouled. Rushen sent Saint the wrong way from the spot.

Basildon began the second-half at speed, with some fine defensive work from Sinclair saw the ball drop to Amy Nash but her low shot was inches wide of the far post.

But the goal wasn’t long in coming. Eight minutes after the break Will profited from some more superb work from Sinclair as she headed her cross beyond Saint.

Looking for the goal that would kill the match off, Sinclair volleyed over and, just after the hour mark, Will’s run saw her in behind the Palace defence, round Saint and cross for Rushen, whose shot was blocked on the line.

Sinclair did get the goal her play deserved as, on 66 minutes, a Nash corner caused confusion inside the Palace penalty area, and Sinclair turned and hooked home.

Palace were still in with an outside shot of winning the title themselves but they needed a win in Essex and when Mary Onianwa pounced on a loose ball inside the area an exciting finale was ensured.

Will hit a post late on but they had enough to secure the win.

Basildon: Kinsalla, Carty, Lawler, Lacey, Porter, Eagles, Will, Stephanou (Doyle), Rushen, Nash, Sinclair. Unused subs: Rodney and Hinz