Tottenham Ladies 3-0 Blackburn Ladies: WSL beckons for Spurs after play-off win

Tottenham Ladies
Tottenham Ladies picked up four trophies in total in 2016-17

Tottenham are set to join the Women's Super League for the first time in 2017-18 after a 3-0 win over Blackburn in a third-tier play-off at The Valley.

Spurs were Women's Premier League Southern Division champions this term, while Rovers won the Northern Division.

Bianca Baptiste's brace either side of the break and Wendy Martin's late lob gave Spurs victory and the WPL title.

With just one promotion spot available, Tottenham will now join the WSL subject to meeting certain licence criteria.

But BBC Sport understands meeting those criteria will be a formality for Spurs, a club who have bolstered significantly behind the scenes this season, adding a strength and conditioning coach and additional resources off the field.

Then, as a WSL 2 club, Spurs could - in theory - join other WSL 2 outfits in applying to join WSL 1, if they were to submit an application before 30 May, after the FA invited second-tier sides to bid to replace defunct club Notts County in the top tier.

For the first winter season of the WSL - starting in September - there will be 10 teams in WSL 1 and 10 in WSL 2.

Meanwhile, Gemma Donnelly's Blackburn - who impressively went their entire regular league season unbeaten - are set for a further year in the third tier.