Watford are back!

The Golden Girls return to Barclays WSL2 after an absence of two years. Here’s how they did it in what was a memorable season

Watford will be playing their football in the Barclays Women’s Super League 2 next season after winning the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division.

It was a campaign that started with a goalless draw against Lewes, which was immediately followed by a result that would prove to be vital be the season’s end, as a Madison Perry brace saw them past Plymouth Argyle, who would finish a mere point behind them in the table.

That was the start of a seven-game winning streak across all competitions for Watford, which included a 5-0 victory over Actonians in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup, while the Golden Girls’ unbeaten start to the campaign would last a whopping 12 matches.

There was a blip in December, as having made it past Saltdean United in the FA Cup, Watford eventually exited to current WSL2 leaders Charlton Athletic. That is no cause for concern on its own against the level of opposition, but it was sandwiched between league defeats to Lewes and AFC Bournemouth, while all three of those matches peculiarly finished with a 3-2 scoreline.

Renee Hector’s side proved that there was no need for concern in 2026, though. They went on a nine-game winning streak to ensure the title and promotion were wrapped up with a 3-1 win over Gwalia United that Coral Haines contributed to with a brace, meaning the Golden Girls’ final day defeat to Bournemouth was inconsequential.

“This is such a talented group, but it’s not just about that, it’s about the people,” Hector told watfordfc.com after winning the title. “They have been a joy and a privilege to work with. To be part of this team is something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

Arguably the most important win out of all of those was the first, a 3-1 victory over their closest challengers Plymouth, especially as they had been a goal down with just 13 minutes left on the clock.

The nine-game run included four clean sheets, taking their total to 11 across all competitions for the season. That return is made even more noteworthy by the involvement of London City Lionesses loanee Sophie Hillyerd.

Shortly after joining London City from West Ham United in 2023, the goalkeeper suffered a knee injury that kept her out for the best part of two years and required three surgeries. Making her return to the pitch, she initially joined Watford on a short-term loan in October before returning for the rest of the season in January.

“I hadn’t played in a very long time, so coming to Watford was massive for me,” the 23-year-old told watfordfc.com. “It’s definitely boosted my confidence and my ability to perform under pressure, especially as we were going for the league title. It wasn’t easy and there were times when I was nervous, but joining the girls has been made smooth for me.”

There were also some big-scoring affairs. Throughout the campaign, Watford were on the right side of a seven-goal game four times having edged 4-3 thrillers against Cheltenham Town and Oxford United, defeated Gwalia United 7-0 and seen off Hashtag United 6-1.

Even so, those scorelines were dwarfed by the Golden Girls’ 14-0 victory over Billericay Town, which featured five goals from Perry and a Haines hat-trick.

That helped Perry to finish as the club’s top goalscorer this season with 25 goals from 30 appearances, while also recording ten assists, which contributed to the 20-year-old striker being named Watford Women’s Supporters’ Player of the Year.

“It’s the first silverware I’ve won playing senior football, so I’m definitely going to remember it for a long time,” Perry told watfordfc.com after her successful campaign.

“It’s a brilliant group of girls and it’s such a tight group – that togetherness in the team is important to have. It’s just been a really enjoyable season.”

There was an extra special element to the title celebrations for everybody involved as the women played their penultimate home match, a 5-0 win over Exeter City, and their season finale at Vicarage Road. That was a decision befittingly announced on International Women’s Day.

Watford’s women certainly had their day, and they can now focus on making a return to the second tier after two years away.

Word credit: Danny Lewis