Three first-half goals gave Watford Women victory over Braintree and, with Oxford United, losing confirmed them as champions of the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division.

The 3-0 success clinched the title on goal difference from second-placed Ipswich Town, who beat Oxford 1-0.

Watford will now face Northern Premier Division winners Nottingham Forest – who narrowly edged them out 3-2 in the recent Women’s National League Cup Final – in a play-off with a place in the FA Women’s Championship at stake.

The Golden Girls had started the day second in the table, and it was quite simple: they had to win and hope that Oxford didn’t.

There were other permutations whereupon Watford could win the league, but that was the most straightforward.

Any nerves on such a big day were settled with an early goal as Gemma Davison drove forward and then fired into the bottom corner in the 14th minute.

Ellie Head had a shot saved soon after, and Watford then extended their lead after 32 minutes, Poppy Wilson showing a cool head inside the Billericay box to fire home.

The home side hit the post from a corner before the Hornets made it 3-0 five minutes before the break.

Bianca Baptiste followed up her worldie in the win over Oxford at Vicarage Road by cutting in from right and curling a shot into the corner with her left foot.

Meanwhile, The U’s were having a frustrating first 45 minutes against Ipswich Town, who started the day with slim title aspirations of their own.

Jenna Legg fired just over but then Ipswich almost went ahead in the 15th minute, forcing Riva Casley to head clear from near the line.

Carly Johns was then denied an opener by a great save and the opening half at Felixstowe and Walton United’s AGL Arena ended goalless.

It was 14 minutes into second half of that game when Watford had one hand on the trophy as Ipswich’s Freya Godfrey ran onto a pass from Anna Grey and planted a shot under Rose Kite to put her side ahead.

That sent Watford to the top of the table, level on points with Ipswich but ahead of them comfortably on goal difference – meanwhile Oxford dropped from top to third.

Over at Billericay’s New Lodge stadium, Watford were pushing for a fourth and Head went close when she seized on the ball after keeper Alex Baker had parried a shot, but sent her effort just wide.

Oxford reacted to going behind by sending on striker Carly Johns and she almost got on the end of a lofted pass from Daisy McLachlan but was denied by Ipswich keeper Sarah Quantrill.

Meanwhile, Watford were able to play expansive football with a three-goal cushion and in the 63rd minute Dre Georgiou went on a run that ended with her seeing a shot saved by Baker.

Needing two goals, Oxford started to go for broke and with 20 minutes left replaced midfielder Naomi Cole with forward Taome Oliver.

Watford were making changes of their own and had the luxury of being able to bring on the legendary Helen Ward and former Arsenal forward Flo Fyfe for Georgiou and Baptiste.

Goalscorer Davison nearly added her second and Watford’s fourth in the 69th minute but was denied by a fine save from Baker.

Time was rapidly ticking away for Oxford and they saw tall defender Amy Goddard get on the end of a corner from Johns but send her header wide.

Back at the AGL Arena, Fyfe came close to marking her arrival when she was denied by Baker from close range.

It was Ipswich who were doing the pushing over in East Anglia, as Abbie Lafayette saw Kite fumble her free kick but then recover before Grey headed a cross from Natasha Thomas onto the roof of the net.

Needing two goals in five minutes Oxford made more attacking changes, sending on both Iesha Swaby and Sarah King.

Watford, meanwhile, used their bench to freshen things up, safe in the knowledge they pretty much had the points in the bag.

As Oxford pushed forward they left gaps and Ipswich almost added a second in the 89th minute when Megan Wearing headed just over the top.

However, The U’s kept pressing and it took a huge block from Ipswich defender Maria Boswell to deny Swaby four minutes into stoppage time.

That, though, was to be their final chance and Ipswich’s 1-0 win condemned Oxford to third place in the league.

With Watford still sitting comfortably 3-0 up, the only hope for Ipswich was a monumental collapse from the Hornets, who would have to draw in order to leave the door open for Town to win the title.

Word reached the New Lodge of the final score from Ipswich, and the Watford fans broke out into cheers as Nicola Gibson shot just wide from an 89th-minute corner.

Those initial cheers got even louder a few minutes later as the final whistle went to confirm Watford as champions of the Southern Premier Division.

Watford: Goldsmid; Meiwald (Gibson 76), Rossiter, Baptiste (Ward 65), Davison, Head (Wallace 76), Georgiou (Fyfe 65), Chandler, Wilson (Brough 80), Palisch, McLean.