Pool defeated to hand title to the Cestria
DURHAM Cestria were crowned champions after challengers Hartlepool United lost 1-0 at home to third-placed South Shields.
A ninth goal of the season by Dionne Fleming started the celebrations, her goal leaving Hartlepool six points adrift with only one match left to play.
The first half saw Hartlepool carry on from last week’s dominating performance at Blyth but again go in at the break goalless.
The visitors did, however, have two efforts cleared off the line.
Shields defended resolutely and were dangerous on the counterattack.
With 15 minutes remaining, Paige Lester broke clear down the left flank and crossed, Nina Garthwaite’s flick steering the ball towards the six-yard area.
Fleming was first to the ball, beating the goalkeeper to squeeze the ball into the net.
Wave after wave of home attacks made for a nail-biting finale but without any luck in front of goal.
Hartlepool will now face the Southern Division runners-up for a place in the Premier Division.
Sheffield Wednesday are favourites to provide the opposition after Farsley Celtic secured their promotion.
South Shields’ impressive debut season - they have now beaten the top two in successive weeks - ends on Sunday at Blyth Town.
Town, meanwhile, scraped past Cramlington United 1-0 .
Two evenly-matched sides were separated by a Leigh Black effort in the first half.
Cramlington, the elected winners of last season’s Nothumberland League, finished their debut season in sixth - managing to beat only the three teams below them twice. ■■CHESTER-le-Street Town’s 10-match unbeaten run in the FA Women’s Premier League Northern Division One ended with a 4-1 defeat at home against Liverpool MF.
The Merseyside outfit, who knocked Newcastle United out of the Women’s FA Cup, went 2-0 up inside the opening 10 minutes.
Laura Hockaday pulled a goal back but Town trailed 3-1 at halftime.
Liverpool scored again two minutes after the restart, the result taking them within a point of Town who slip down a place to fourth.