It's a League-Cup double for the all-conquering Barnet Ladies. They followed clinching promotion back to the FA Women's Premier League as champions of the South East Combination by retaining the Middlesex Women's Senior Cup by beating local rivals Enfield Town 5-1 at the Uxbridge FC ground on Sunday.

 

This fourth win in four League and Cup games against Enfield this season provoked a champagne reception at the end ... a year after the Ladies won the Middlesex trophy with a decisive 3-0 victory over QPR.

 

The Ladies have been invited to Underhill for a lap of honour on Saturday when Barnet entertain Stockport County in a crunch Coca-Cola League 2 game.

 

Team manager Tracey Kevins, who is one of the few female UEFA A licence coaches in this country, missed the celebrations as she was en route to Romania as assistant coach to the England under-19 squad taking part in the European championships. She heard of the latest success while waiting for her flight at nearby Heathrow.

 

Club captain Cerrie Byrne, who lifted the Cup last year but has been out with a back injury this season, exhorted the Ladies to a comprehensive victory from the touchline after an uncharacteristic uncertain start by the side.

 

 

Striker Beth Curtis missed one chance in the first half when the Enfield goalkeeper fluffed a clearance, but she made no mistake from the penalty spot when Stacey Sowden was fouled after 32 minutes.

 

That opened the floodgates. England under-18 international Leanne Small, who returned to Barnet from Chelsea in November, made it 2-0 with a fine shot five minutes later and Sowden then ran through after 40 minutes for a typical one-on-one and round the keeper score.

 

Small embarrassed the Enfield goalkeeper with a left footed 30 yarder after 61minutes and then new England under-21 choice Sowden again rounded the keeper for a fifth goal 10 minutes from the end. Enfield got a consolation goal in added time.

 

That makes 48 goals in 30 matches for Sowden this season ... she will be flying back from Sweden for the Bees' last League game of the season and the League Cup final.

 

Footnote: Barnet FC Ladies reserves lost 1-0 to Staines Town at Uxbridge later in the day in the seventh women's junior cup final -- "a freaky first half goal" deciding the issue.