BRADFORD City Women have missed out on an immediate return to the FA Women’s National League Division One North, but they have finished their season in style.

An inconsistent first half of the North East Regional Women’s Football League Premier Division campaign left them on the back foot, but they have been superb since Christmas, not losing a single league game.

They have ended up third, seven points behind promoted champions Barnsley, and remarkably picked up nine points over the weekend.

Struggling Redcar Town have forfeited their last two games, both against the Bantams, giving Emily Senior’s ladies six points for free.

All of a sudden, that meant Sunday afternoon’s game at Hull United was City’s last of the season, and they achieved an excellent 6-2 win, which was not without a couple of scares.

The Bantams started on the front foot in East Yorkshire and had an early penalty claim turned down, before taking the lead on 15 minutes.

Captain Monika Stube blasted home her first goal of the season from outside the box, after being teed up by Hannah Markey.

But City switched off in the sweltering conditions, allowing their hosts straight back into the game with an equaliser.

Kanisha Underdown struck an effort wide for the visitors following a well-worked set-piece, but the Bantams went behind after a spot of pinball in their box from a Hull corner.

This time it was City’s turn to respond instantly, as Markey cut inside from the left and bent a brilliant strike into the net.

Markey came agonisingly close to giving her side the lead on the stroke of half-time, only for her free-kick to be brilliantly stopped by Hull’s goalkeeper.

In an end-to-end start to the second half, Stube flashed a shot just over the crossbar, before Bantams defender Dani Trickett made a brilliant block to keep out a United counter-attack.

The home side went even closer when they hit the bar directly from a corner.

But it was City who took the lead on 53 minutes, when Summer Paley was fouled from behind in the box and Underdown tucked away the resulting penalty.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Kanisha Underdown put City back in front from the spot just after half-time.Kanisha Underdown put City back in front from the spot just after half-time. (Image: Alex Daniel.)

Markey forced another good save midway through the second half, before Stube caught the home keeper out with a lofted effort which found the net.

Aaliyah Nolan soon put the game to bed, striking an effort across goal into the bottom left corner.

Hull were crumbling at this point and they conceded a sixth when Nolan pounced on a loose pass and slipped in Maria McKenna, who poked an effort into the far corner of the net to round off the scoring.

The result means Hull will finish ninth in the 12-team table, 10 points clear of relegation, while City, with 14 wins from their 22 league games, can pat themselves on the back after a satisfying campaign.