Kelly’s heroes bag five

Bristol City Women 0 Reading Women 5

KELLY CHAMBERS hailed Reading’s “fantastic performance” as her side climbed up to third in the Super League table with a thumping win in Bristol.

The Royals, who are unbeaten since the opening day of the season, raced into a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes with Fara Williams and Remi Allen adding to a Sophie Baggaley own goal.

Jade Moore and Rachel Rowe added some gloss to the score after the restart to clinch a 5-0 win, which pushes Reading onto seven points from their four games.

“It was a fantastic performance,” said Chambers.

“We asked the girls to put a game-plan into practice and they’ve delivered that perfectly. I’m over the moon with the performance and the result.

“The girls are really buying into stuff. It’s coming into full flow now in games and it’s good that we’re able to do that.

“The more we’re able to do that, the confidence is growing. They implemented the game-plan perfectly.”

Chambers made one change from the side which drew 2-2 with Birmingham three weeks ago before the international break, bringing in Lauren Bruton for striker Kirsty Linnett.

Reading took just three minutes to break the deadlock against a side level on points with them in the table.

Williams did the honours, notching her second goal in Royals colours with a fierce shot in off the underside of the crossbar.

And that lead was doubled just past the quarter of an hour mark as Rowe’s strike hit the post and rebounded in off goalkeeper Baggaley.

Chambers’ charges threw away a 2-0 lead against Birmingham in their last game, but they quickly ensured that would not be the case this time by notching a quick third when Allen tucked in from Williams’ cut back.

It should have been 4-0 by the break when Allen was bundled over in the box, but Brooke Chaplen’s penalty cannoned back off the crossbar.

However, the game was put out of reach midway through the second half when Moore volleyed in from the edge of the box before Rowe fired a fifth goal late on.

“You can see how far the club is developing and this was another step forward,” said Reading stalwart Harriet Scott.

“We need to be beating teams like Bristol but we also want to be competing well against the top sides as well.”

Royals, who are five points adrift of top two Manchester City and Chelsea, were due back out last night against Watford in the Continental Tyres Cup and travel to Arsenal in the same competition on Sunday.

READING: Earps, Rowe, Pearce, Potter, Scott, Bartrip (Linnett 70), Moore (Furness 77), R. Allen, Williams, Chaplen, Bruton (Green 79).

Subs not used: Moloney, Jane, van den Berg, Clifford.

Goals: Williams (3), Baggaley (OG) (17), R. Allen (20), Moore (69), Rowe (78)

Yellow card: Moore (36)

BRISTOL CITY: Baggaley, Brown, Kerkdijk, Matthews (Daniels 65), Humphrey, Turner, Palmer (Fergusson 65), Dykes, F. Allen, Hemp, Arthur.

Subs not used: Leach, Wilson.

Yellow cards: Matthews (37), Brown (42) Referee: Scott Jackson

Attendance: 573