Arsenal 3 Bristol Academy 0 match report: Arsenal Ladies show men how it's done with FA Cup victory

Arsenal Ladies celebrate winning the FA Women's Cup (Getty images)

It may be eight years since their male counterparts last won a trophy but Arsenal Ladies have no such problems. English football's most successful team lifted their 12th FA Women's Cup thanks to a comprehensive victory over Bristol Academy at Doncaster Rovers' Keepmoat Stadium.

Steph Houghton struck first blood with a powerful header in the second minute and Bristol had goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain to thank for keeping the score respectable for the next hour.

Jordan Nobbs doubled Arsenal's lead with her header on 72 minutes before Ellen White made the most of six minutes of added time – awarded because of Lucy Staniforth's injury – to guarantee glory with a late tap-in.

Arsenal took the lead with the first attack of the game, Rachel Yankey roaming down the left before picking out Houghton, who headed beyond Chamberlain at the far post. Five minutes later, Nikki Watts sent a venomous shot just over the crossbar before Chamberlain kept White out with a fine save.

The Bristol goalkeeper repeated her heroics in the 17th minute. An early cross bounced into the path of the unmarked White, who connected only for Chamberlain to instinctively fling up a glove to deny her.

Nobbs struck the far post after marauding down the right wing, but Chamberlain managed to gather the rebound. The England keeper then produced a flying stop to thwart Alex Scott and leave the Gunners feeling somewhat frustrated at half-time.

The crowd briefly fell into a subdued mood but soon leapt to their feet as Arsenal scored their second. Mirroring Houghton's opener, Nobbs rose on the left of the six-yard box to head home Gemma Davison's cross from deep on the right.

Spanish playmaker Laura del Rio teed up compatriot Natalia de Pablos for an overhead kick that sailed just over the bar but Bristol had left themselves wide open at the back by going all out for a consolation goal. It was no surprise, then, when White rubber-stamped Arsenal's triumph by tapping in the rebound after Nobbs' shot was spilled in time added on.