EVERTON WOMEN SECURE SECOND PLACE

Everton women secure second placeE

Everton clinched runners-up spot in the Women's Premier League with a 2-0 win at Blackburn Rovers on the final weekend of the season.

The Toffees will also join champions Arsenal in Europe next season.

Arsenal, who secured the title last weekend, ended their campaign with a 4-1 win against Birmingham City,

Chelsea won 2-1 at lowly Nottingham Forest to finish third, only one point behind Everton but 12 adrift of Arsenal.

Blackburn Rovers 0-2 Everton

Substitute Toni Duggan gave Everton the lead and Natasha Dowie, with her 31st goal of the season, wrapped up victory.

Dowie's goal was also her 18th of the Premier League campaign, but she lost out to Arsenal's Kim Little for the Golden Boot award.

Arsenal 4-1 Birmingham City

Little's tremendous goal-filled season ended with her 22nd in the league and her 47th in all competitions.

First-half strikes by Lauren Bruton and Jennifer Beattie set the Gunners up for a comfortable victory over the third-bottom team.

Little added the third goal seven minutes after the interval and captain Jayne Ludlow bagged the fourth four minutes from time.

Substitute Gina Goulding hit a last-minute consolation effort, but Birmingham's season limped to a sad end with their sixth defeat in seven outings.

Nottingham Forest 1-2 Chelsea

Andi Bell gave second-bottom Forest a 39th minute lead, but Drewe Spence levelled the scores a minute before the break.

It then took the visitors until two minutes from time to score the winning goal through Sophie Perry.

But it nevertheless completed a fine end to the campaign for Blues, who won all of their final seven matches.