THREE IN A ROW: ROYALS’ DRAB START CONTINUES
READING FC WOMEN were condemned to a third consecutive league defeat after Jessica Naz bagged a late winner for Tottenham Hotspur Women.
The Royals have had a difficult start to the season and have now lost all three of their opening games in the Women’s Super League, without scoring a goal.
The hosts carved out the first chance of the match when Ashleigh Nevile sprinted at the Reading back line and tried a shot from just inside the box from a tight angle that flashed just wide of Grace Moloney’s post.
Spurs threatened again when they had a free-kick within striking distance, but they wasted the opportunity as the effort rose over the target.
Tottenham continued to dominate and created chances, but Moloney came to the rescue with an excellent stop to keep the scores level as she rushed out at the feet of Kit Graham to prevent her from finishing a one-on-one chance.
Spurs kept the ball alive after Moloney’s save, as the Royals keeper was called into action again to punch away Chioma Obogagu’s cross that fell only as far as Ria Percival.
The Spurs defender must have thought she had opened the scoring with a goal-bound shot but Reading skipper Tash Harding was perfectly positioned on the line to make a crucial block and clear the danger.
The second-half continued in similar vein to the first with the Royals constantly on the back foot and doing all they could to protect their clean sheet.
Spurs had plenty of shots as Graham tried another effort at goal that whiskered past the far post, but Moloney looked to have had the shot covered had it been on target.
Rachel Williams had the next chance for Tottenham as she brilliantly brought down an aerial cross but blasted her shot high over the target.
Moloney was kept busy throughout the half as she pushed away a dangerous cross from Naz, before she got in the way of a powerful effort from Graham that took a deflection off a Reading body on the way through.
The Royals created a late chance in hope of snatching an equaliser as Faye Bryson strode down the right-wing and
sent in a cross that was bravely met by the head of Natasha Dowie but she couldn’t guide her header on target.
But Reading’s resilience at the back was finally broken in the 85th minute as Naz got in behind the defence and stretched out her right boot to poke the ball past Moloney.
The game ended in another disappointing defeat for the Royals who mustered just one shot on target.
Reading are now in 11th position, one palace off the bottom of the table and are yet to pick up a point.