ROVERS Ladies missed out on promotion to the Women’s Super League 2 after a 3-0 defeat in the play-off final to Tottenham Hotspur.

Gemma Donnelly’s side had gone through the whole of their Northern Premier Division season unbeaten as they dropped just six points on the way to lifting the title.

However, Spurs had knocked Rovers Ladies out of the FA Cup third round stage, and the southern division winners proved too good once again at Charlton Athletic’s Valley Stadium.

The game was tight in the opening stages, with few chances inside the opening half an hour.  Top scorer Saffron Jordan poked an Ella Toone cross just wide of the target, while Toone herself then fired wide from a Jess Holbrook pass.

But the deadlock was broken nine minutes before the break as Bianca Baptiste ran on to a neat through ball to poke the ball in to the net via the post.  Spurs then almost doubled their advantage, but Wendy Martin skewed an effort wide of the target from the penalty spot.

Rovers started the second half well, and pressed hard for an equaliser.  Jordan went close in the 52nd minute, but she was desperately unlucky not to level on the hour mark as he saw her effort, from a Toone knockdown, come back off the post.

And cruelly, within seven minutes, Spurs made it 2-0 as Baptiste once again punished Rovers with a neat finish from inside the box, firing across Hill to find the corner.

It was then an uphill struggle for Rovers, who would have gone 3-0 behind had Danielle Whitham not come up with an excellent last-ditch tackle.

Four minutes from time, Ellie Stewart headed wide, before Spurs rounded off the win with a third goal five minutes in to added on time with a fine 30-yard lob after collecting a long goal-kick.

For Rovers it will now be a third consecutive season at this level, despite their impressive campaign.

Rovers: Hill, Whitham, Shepherd, Pearson, Holbrook, Fenton (Rankin, 76), Jordan, McDonald, Stewart, McCoy (Taylor, 89), Toone (Montgomery, 76)

Subs not used: Fryer, Cook