From bbc.co.uk, May 1st.

Blues maintain top-flight status
By Tony Leighton



Birmingham City assured themselves of Nationwide Women's Premier League survival with a 2-1 win at Sunderland.
Blues right winger Karen Carney opened the scoring direct from a 19th minute corner before Donna Lanaghan forced home a close-range shot to equalise.

But central defender Laura Bassett put Birmingham back in front from the spot.

The result means Sunderland will finish second from bottom and face a relegation play-off against either Watford or Bristol City.

With the League set to be expanded from 10 teams to 12 next season, the bottom two in the current campaign will each have the chance to retain their top flight status in two-leg play-offs against the runners-up of the Northern and Southern Divisions.

Rock-bottom Chelsea will take on Northern Division Liverpool.

Promoted automatically are Blackburn Rovers and Cardiff City, both of whom clinched their respective titles on the weekend.

Undefeated Blackburn won 1-0 at Middlesbrough to be crowned Northern Division champions.

And Cardiff, promoted from the South West Combination last season, swept to the Southern Division title with a crushing 9-0 win against AFC Wimbledon.

If Bristol City win their final Southern Division game of the campaign, against Southampton Saints next Sunday, they will pip Watford to second place and set up an ironic play-off situation.

City and Liverpool were relegated from the top flight season, when the promoted teams were Chelsea and Sunderland.

Birmingham have overcome enormous problems to maintain their place in the top flight.

They started the season late after going to the brink of extinction due to financial problems that led to eight of their first-choice players leaving the club.

But a tremendous late run has seen them climb out of the relegation zone at the expense of Chelsea and now Sunderland.

Sunderland lost three players during the course of the match, Mel Reay with a back injury, Carly Telford through a dislocated shoulder and Emma Redhead with a hip problem.


Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/women/4963200.stm

Published: 2006/05/01 16:47:04 GMT

© BBC MMVI

I'm really pleased for Birmingham espeac. Karen Carney, i don't think she would stay on if they had gone down, but the upmost respect for her for staying! And well done to all of Birmingham! Well done to all clubs promoted.

Congrats Birmingham!

I am relieved too, I wanted them to stay in the league
and was very happy when they beat Charlton hahaha! Good job!

Congrats to Birmingham for staying up , with all their problems so early on they certainly did it the hard way. Also well done to Blackburn and Cardiff for their promotion

Good I am going to see Chelsea's home game, as the Arsenal Ladies season is over
One of my colleague in my office knows Nicky De la Salle , actually I see the Chelsea training
at Feltham on tuesdays as well.
Funnily enough I like caroline collie, she is a good keeper

When's the game shlj?! And who against?

I wanna go, I'm gonna dry out without a footie match every Sunday

14th Liverpool Vs Chelsea and 21st Chelsea Vs Liverpool
I will attend the away game leg as I have a friend in Manchester I need to initiate to women's football.