Mollie Green’s 35-yard free-kick deep in stoppage time saved Coventry United and relegated hosts Watford in an incredible match at Vicarage Road.

Coventry staved off extinction in the winter, and the subsequent 10-point deduction left them rooted to the bottom of the FA Women's Championship, seemingly destined for relegation to the National League.

A seven-game unbeaten streak in the league leading up to the final day of the season meant they could catch Watford with a win, sending the hosts down instead.

That's exactly what they did with Green's strike seven minutes into time added on, one of the most exhilarating scripts in recent women's football history.

The visitors had the better start, with Green firing off target from distance in the sixth minute, and a header from Natalie Haigh cleared off the line by a Watford defender.

Gemma Davison broke forward for the Golden Girls just after the half-hour mark, but her shot as caught by keeper Lucy Thomas.

It was a cagey second half, befitting what was at stake.

Coventry skipper Katie Wilkinson’s 58th minute free-kick was struck with power from the edge of the penalty area, but it made for a comfortable save for Watford’s Georgie Ferguson.

With 12 minutes remaining a Watford corner led to a shout for a penalty, which was not given, and sub Emma Beckett’s tame shot was well saved.

In seven minutes of added time, Grace Riglar’s header cannoned off the post for the visitors, before they earned a free kick 35 yards out.

Green stepped up to take it and delivered a perfect finish into the corner of the net, causing an eruption on the visitors’ bench as they ran onto the pitch to mark the most unlikely of comebacks.

Watford could actually have stolen an equaliser but a late ball into the box bounced up and hit the top of the crossbar.

Coventry’s bench streamed onto the pitch at the final whistle to celebrate again with their players, whilst Watford’s were left strewn across the field, utterly dejected at their return to the National League.

Watford midfielder Megan Chandler said: “It’s going to be a hard one to take. I think the girls gave everything. We felt confident going in. Sometimes you win them and sometimes you lose them. Unfortunately today, we lost. I’m so proud of every single one of the girls, the people on the bench, the injured girls, the staff. It’s not just the 11 on the pitch, it’s the whole team. I’m so proud of them.

“I think this will be motivation for us. Not many people know what we’ve been through as a team this season, and what our story has been. We do, and we’ll use that to go into next season, to give everything. I know full well the girls will continue to give everything on the training pitch, in the summer, for pre-season, and we’ll be back.

“It’s a game of what ifs. What if we got the penalty? We might be in a different position now. Football’s cruel. Sometimes it goes your way, and sometimes it doesn’t. Today, unfortunately, it didn’t go our way.”