ROSS Juniors Ladies celebrated receiving the Hummel Herefordshire Women's League championship trophy on Sunday.

It didn’t matter that their final league fixture of the campaign ended in a 2-1 defeat to Penybont United at The Racecourse, with the roles reversed after the Radnorshire club had collected the trophy in their final match of last term at Ross Juniors last May.

Last season's champions opened the scoring after 20 minutes, when Gemma Bradford's 25-yard free-kick was parried by the visiting keeper on a wet pitch, and Orla Probert forced the loose ball over the line in the ensuing melee.

Both teams endeavoured to play attacking football despite the pitch being impacted by heavy rain prior to kick-off and during the match.

The Polecats had to wait until the 79th minute to double their advantage, when Cathy Harris latched on to a long ball played out of the Penybont half and clinically found the back of the net.

Juniors halved the deficit in stoppage-time, when Jess Brain lifted the ball over the head of Katie Christopher in the home goal from 25 yards, but were unable to avoid falling to only their second league defeat of the season.

However, Graham Goodfellow and George Leyshon-James, representing the Herefordshire FA, presented the championship trophy and individual medals to the joyous Juniors as celebrations followed the final whistle.

And the champions (sponsored by Kings Accountancy Ltd, Ross Health and Fitness and Scaffolding 2000 Ltd) will be looking to conclude the season in style when they host Wellington in Sunday's (April 19) Ross Invitational Cup final (2pm) at the Ross-on-Wye Sports Centre.

Meanwhile, back on home territory the same afternoon, Ross Juniors Women walloped Welland 9-0 to go fourth in the Mid West Counties League, Darcy Baker firing four, Millie Malsom a hat-trick and Lily Irving a brace.

They visit Wyre Forest Phoenix Ladies this Sunday.