Reading beaten by clinical Sunderland
The Royals will feel hard done by as they failed to follow up a dominant first half performance, where they struck the woodwork twice, as Sunderland showed their ruthlessness in the second half to take all three points.
The first half of the match between Sunderland Women and Reading Women saw a flurry of chances and moments of excitement.
The game kicked off with a couple of early opportunities for Reading to whip the ball into the Sunderland box from set-pieces. The first generated the best chance as Estcourt found herself free at the back post, but her quick effort was brilliantly tipped behind by Sunderland's Moan. Despite winning three subsequent corners, Reading couldn't find a way past the keeper.
Sunderland tested Reading's defense early on when Goddard's long ball forward went over Woodham, allowing Ejupi to latch onto it. Orman had to make a crucial save, diving low to deny Sunderland the opening goal.
Reading had their next best chance around the 15-minute mark. A swift, flowing move from back to front ended with Troelsgaard setting up Wade on the left side of the box. However, her low shot towards goal was blocked by Sunderland's Goddard, resulting in a corner that was successfully dealt with by the home side.
There was a nervy moment for Reading as a long ball played in from just inside their half wasn't properly cleared. It bounced dangerously in the box but was expertly claimed by Reading's alert keeper, Orman, who rushed off her line to prevent Sunderland from capitalizing.
Troelsgaard, a standout player for Reading in this first half, was brought down as she charged down the right wing. This presented a chance for Gregory to whip a long-range cross, but unfortunately for Reading, it lacked a clean contact and rolled through to the keeper.
Troelsgaard almost found the net but was denied by the woodwork. A well-recycled ball from a corner found Troelsgaard, who cut inside skillfully and launched a powerful effort that rattled the crossbar. The rebound landed at the feet of Hendrix, but she couldn't keep her shot on target.
Sunderland retaliated swiftly, taking advantage of Reading's struggles to clear their lines. Kitching skillfully navigated her way through Reading's defense, slipped past Mayi Kith in the box, and went to ground, but the referee waved away Sunderland's penalty claims.
If Reading was to find the net in the first half, it seemed it would be through Troelsgaard, who displayed moments of brilliance. However, her delicate chip over the keeper was agonizingly denied by the woodwork.
Sunderland responded promptly, earning themselves a corner. Orman came out to claim it but couldn't grasp the ball. It fell to Jones on the edge of the box, and she slotted it into the bottom corner, delivering a bitter blow to Reading just before the halftime whistle.
Halftime Score: Sunderland 1 – 0 Reading
Early into the second half, there was a chance for Reading, as Dugdale's long ball found Wade's well-timed run into the box. With a defender closely marking her, Wade could only prod the ball toward the goal but couldn't find the target.
Reading's inability to capitalize on chances came back to haunt them as Sunderland extended their lead just five minutes into the half. Chaos began inside Reading's six-yard box from a corner, with the ball eventually falling to Ejupi, who poked it home.
Fifteen minutes into the half, Reading struggled to regain the fluidity they had in the first half, which had caused problems for the hosts.
Reading made things more challenging for themselves in the second half as they repeatedly gave away possession around the halfway line. This allowed Kitching to break free and, as she approached the box, she opened up her body and placed a low shot across the goal, beyond Orman's reach, giving Sunderland their third goal.
However, with just over 15 minutes to go, Reading managed to grab a lifeline. Estcourt navigated through the Sunderland midfield and played a delicate ball between the center-back and the right-back for Gregory to run onto and find the near corner.
Sunderland's goal didn't significantly alter their style of play, as they continued to knock the ball around and press for a fourth goal. This created a fast-paced final 10 minutes, turning the game into something resembling a basketball match.
Reading had a half-chance from a direct free-kick, which Troelsgaard lined up from 30 yards out. However, her effort lacked the necessary dip.
At the end of the game, Reading had a big chance as Woodham delivered a perfect ball for Elwood to tuck home. Unfortunately, it hit her midriff and fell kindly for the Sunderland keeper.
Full-time Score: Sunderland 3 – 1 Reading
Sunderland: Moan, Brown, Goddard, Westrup ©, Griffiths, Kitching (Scarr 88’), Fenton, Dear (Rouse 78’), McAteer (Watson 68’), Jones (Ede 69’), Ejupi (McInnes 88’)
Unused subs: Borthwick, Beer, McCatty
Goals: Jones (43’), Ejupi (50’), Kitching (61’)
Reading: Orman, Dugdale, Houssein (Elwood 68’), Primmer, Wade, Hendrix (Longhurst 86’), Mayi Kith, Estcourt, Gregory (Jarvis 86’), Woodham ©, Troelsgaard
Unused subs: Annets, Smith, Cooper, Meadows Tuson
Goals: Gregory (73’)