‘We weren’t at the races ... deafeat is a hard pill for us to swallow’

READING FC Women’s manager Kelly Chambers sent a rallying cry to her team after they fell to a third consecutive league defeat.

“It’s a hard pill to swallow,” said Chambers after her side lost to a late Tottenham goal on Sunday.

“I don’t feel like we were at the races.

“We had a golden opportunity in the first-half that we had to score, but on the whole it’s disappointing to not come away with anything.

“I said to the team in the changing room straight after the match we’ve got to find some character.

“The result has hurt a lot, it’s hurt me very much, and I know it’s the same for the players.”

The Royals boss is determined that her side will be able to bounce back and pick themselves up when they host Everton on Sunday.

Reading are on a run of three straight league defeats and have yet to find the back of the net this season, coming closest when Brooke Chaplen’s strike on the opening day was controversially ruled out against Man United.

“But we now go again, prepare for Everton, and people have got to stand up, pump their chests out and be ready for the challenge ahead,” she continued.

“One thing we can take is we all need to show character to bounce back and put in a good performance in front of our fans.”

Despite the result, fans got to see new summer signings Natasha

Dowie, Deanne Rose and Justine Vanhaevermaet start for the first time, as well as a welcomed return to Grace Moloney after missing the previous game to Arsenal who put in a player of the match performance.

“I think the introduction of Tash Dowie was massive, and you could see what she can bring to us and the level of competitiveness she gives us upfront.

“There were a few good signs, so we just need more time on the training pitch to mould that a little bit more. “On the other side, it was fantastic to have Grace (Moloney) back in goal.

“Not just with her countless amount of saves, but her leadership and organisation at the back. “You could constantly hear her, and the value you get as a team to have someone with the amount of experience she has to help the back line through the game.

“Yes, you can say that’s her job, but it’s the way she goes about executing it, and it would have been tough for her to swallow that goal we conceded today.”