Reading spit out Toffees
Reading Women 3 Everton Ladies 0
READING returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory over Everton at Adams Park.
Kelly Chambers’ side have been in fine form over recent months but suffered a setback with a 3-1 loss at Arsenal last week.
However, after a goalless first half against the Toffees, Reading cruised to a 3-0 victory to jump back up into the top four thanks to goals from Remi Allen, Lauren Bruton and Kirsty Pearce.
“The players are ambitious and don’t like losing,” said boss Chambers.
“It was important for us to make sure that we did bounce back.
“We showed that result in the week was just a blip for us.
“We’ve got three big games left in the season and it’s a case now of finishing as high as we can in the league and we’ll take each game as it comes.
“We want to be finishing in and around the top three with Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea.”
Chambers named an unchanged side again despite the loss to the Gunners and Reading almost fell behind early on when Rachel Furness inadvertently sent Courtney Sweetman-Kirk through, but her attempted lob was saved by Mary Earps.
The Royals soon got on the attack with Bruton and Brooke Chaplen both denied by goalkeeper Kirstie Levell.
Bruton then headed against the post before Chaplen nodded wide from a good position in the final action of the half.
But within minutes of the restart, Reading were ahead when a deep cross from Rachel Rowe was headed onto the crossbar by Pearce and Allen was on hand to turn in the rebound for her ninth goal of the season.
Fara Williams was denied as the hosts looked to double the tally and the pressure eventually told when Bruton latched onto a Jo Potter pass and rounded Levell before rolling the ball into the empty net.
And the game was put to bed five minutes from time when Rachel Furness turned the ball onto Pearce to acrobatically fire in from inside the six-yard box.
There was almost a fourth when Williams crashed an effort off the crossbar but three goals were more than enough for a fourth win in five games.
“We needed to stay dominant for the majority of the game and we knew we had to be patient, but the goals would come,” said Chambers.
“I thought the forward play in and around the box was unbelievable.
“It’s nice that the whole team connected and I thought we looked really frightening going forward.”
Reading travel to face Sunderland on Sunday before preparing to host Liverpool at Madejski Stadium on May 12.
READING: Earps, Rowe, Pearce (c), Potter, Harding, Furness, Moore, Allen (Jane 88), Bruton (Linnett 86), Williams, Chaplen. Subs not used: Moloney, Scott, Fletcher. Goals: Allen (47), Bruton (72), Pearce (86) Yellow card: Moore (26)
EVERTON: Levell, Chance (Bryson 62), George, Turner (c), Finnigan, Green, Boye-Hlorkah, James, Brett (Munsterman 70), Sweetman-Kirk, Kelly (Hughes 77).
Subs not used: Durack, Hinds.
Yellow cards: Turner (29), Munsterman (79) Referee: Rebecca Welch Attendance: 263