PRIMMER SEES ROYALS THROUGH WITH LATE WINNER

TIA PRIMMER scored the decisive goal to see Reading Women through to the next round in the FA Women’s Cup against Brighton & Hove Albion.

In an enthralling five-goal contest, Reading raced into a twogoal lead before the Seagulls fought back to level the match.

But with less than 10 minutes left, the Royals restored their lead when academy graduate Primmer netted her first goal for the club.

Reading created the first opening of the game when Faye Bryson dug out a cross to find Natasha Dowie in the middle, but her powerful header at the near post was well held by Brighton keeper Megan Walsh.

Dowie linked up effectively with her strike partner Deanne Rose, and the Canadian international forced another stop from Walsh from a tricky angle out wide on the left.

The Royals broke the deadlock in the 34th minute when the Seagulls failed to clear from a free-kick and Vanhaevermaet was first to meet the loose ball and arrow a shot into the bottom corner.

Reading started quickly in the second-half and extended their lead early when Sanne Troelsgaard played an inch perfect through ball to find the run of Rose in behind the Brighton defence and she lifted the ball over the keeper to make it two.

But Brighton fought their way back into the tie.

Emma Koivisto beat Rhiannon Stewart with a thumping finish that found the top corner.

The South Coast side were then level in the 76th minute after Kayleigh Green pounced on a mistake from Stewart and tapped the ball into the empty net.

But with just seven minutes of time remaining, Primmer ensured that Reading would book their place in the next round.

A thunderous effort from Rose crashed off the crossbar and Primmer was first to react to the rebound and headed in from close range.

Brighton came agonisingly close to forcing another equaliser when Emma Kullberg struck the crossbar from close range in the dying moments of the game, but the Royals survived to progress.