Milton Keynes Dons and Plymouth Argyle went top of the FAWPL South East and South West Division 1 tables respectively with midweek wins.
FAWPL Southern Division Champions, Charlton Athletic stretched their lead to five points with a game to play by thrashing ninth in the table Gillingham 8-1, watched by a crowd of 155.
Kim Dixson opened the scoring for the Addicks but it was a Georgia Griffin hat-trick that then ensured the home win.
Kit Graham made it 5-0 on 70 minutes and soon afterwards won a penalty which she converted herself.
Gillingham got a goal back through a superb 30-yard strike from Jade Keogh, before Charlotte Gurr got the hosts’ seventh and Charley Clifford rounded off the scoring from 25 yards.
Brighouse Town secured the Northern Division 1 runners-up spot with a match to spare, after winning 3-0 at Chorley.
Annabelle Cass gave them a tenth-minute lead, after a lay off by Jodie Redgrave from a Danni Brown delivery.
Lauren Doyle saw her header tipped onto the crossbar, while goalkeeper Steph Jones did well to deny Chorley an equaliser, who also had a goal disallowed before the break.
Emma Dobson headed home the second from Kayleigh Bamforth’s 50th-minute corner and Redgrave completed the scoring with a dozen minutes left.
There were 450 fans at Stadium MK as Milton Keynes Dons defeated mid-table Stevenage 1-0 to move three points clear at the top in the title battle with rivals AFC Wimbledon.
The breakthrough came with 16 minutes left on the clock, Leah Cudone forcing the ball over the line.
Promotion now looks a certainty for MK Dons as they only need a point at basement side Haringey Borough on Sunday, while Wimbledon have a tough match at Ipswich Town.
Plymouth Argyle are the new South West Division 1 leaders on goal-difference, after netting nine time against ninth-placed Cheltenham Town.
Natasha Knapman scored after only 3 minutes, with Zoe Cunningham and Rebecca Dandridge adding one each by half time.
Kate Middleton headed in a corner, Dani Barr made it 5-0 with an emphatic finish, Dandridge struck her second and then set up Darcey Hepworth to score.
Cunningham then doubled her tally and Ebony Dover got on the scoresheet from a stoppage-time spot-kick.
Still to come this midweek –
Thursday 17th May: ND – Guiseley v Blackburn (Bradford Academy 3G, 8), SD – Coventry v QPR (Daventry Town FC, 8), SED1 – Luton v Cambridge (LTFC training ground, 7.45).
Friday 18th May: ND1 – Newcastle v Chorley (Coach Lane, 8), SWD1 – Plymouth P-P Maidenhead.
