Women's Report: Reading 1-4 Saints

Southampton FC Women travelled to Reading FC’s Select Car Leasing Stadium for Barclays Women’s Championship action.

Saints, coming off the back of a 1-0 loss to Sunderland faced a tough test in Liam Gilbert’s side, who had secured three draws in their opening three games.

An early goal from Molly Pike, followed by an impressively taken penalty from Katie Wilkinson put Marieanne Spacey-Cale’s side firmly in the driving seat in the first half, while the hosts struggled to get into the game.

Saints doubled their lead through debutant Atlanta Primus, before Jemma Purfield rounded things off with a headed finish to ensure a dominant performance. 

Reading grabbed a consolation goal late on, but it’s Spacey-Cale’s side who headed into the international break with all three points.

Molly Pike looked like she’d have the first chance of the game within five minutes, as smart pressure from Katie Wilkinson and Ella Morris saw the number 14 round the onrushing keeper on the edge of the box, but the Reading defence were able to mop up.

Pike went closer just minutes later, as she outpaced her defender and spotting the keeper off her line, shot from range. The recovering Emily Orman was relieved to see the driven ball slide just past the post.

Getting into the right spaces, it didn’t take Pike much longer to get her name on the scoresheet.

A ball from Megan Collett on the right hand side was perfectly weighted, and Pike rushed through, gathering the ball, and slid her shot into the bottom corner under pressure to give the Saints the lead in the 10th minute.

Reading went close less than ten minutes later, as Saints failed to properly clear their lines. Kate Longhurst saw the loose ball and slammed goalward, but Kayla Rendell did excellently to make herself big and deny the equaliser.

Reading’s back line were having difficulty dealing with Pike, and the number 14 was just too much to handle in the 26th minute as she was hacked down in the box; the referee not needing any encouragement to point to the spot.

Wilkinson stepped up to take, and without any hesitation, slammed her shot straight into the top corner to double the lead.

Saints continued to turn the screw as the half went on, Pike continuing to look exceptionally sharp. The Pike-Wilkinson duo looked like they would put another on the board in the 36th minute, as Pike once again raced past her defender to latch onto a through ball, passing square to Wilkinson, the number nine’s shot flew just wide.

Confidence was oozing from Marieanne Spacey-Cale’s side, who were playing some very slick football.

Lucia Kendall rounded off the half with an opportunity, the captain took a touch on the edge of the box and sent a speculative shot high towards goal, but Orman did well to deny in what was the closing action of the half.

Katie Wilkinson snatched Saints' second with an unstoppable penalty.

Saints continued to use their pace in attack to Reading’s detriment. Ella Morris turned on the burners in the 50th minute to dash into the box, releasing a low, hard shot that Orman was able to block.

Pike was there for the follow up, taking the ball around one player and taking aim, but she was denied her brace by a smart defensive block.

Wilkinson continued to make her presence well felt to the home defence. Moving the ball well, Kendall was able to deliver to an onrushing Wilkinson, but her header flashed just past the post.

The Royals, who had struggled to get into the second half, tried their luck from range as the clock hit the 64th minute. Rendell did well to get down and palm away the shot that looked destined for the bottom corner.

Paige Peake did exceptionally well to deny another clear goalscoring opportunity just minutes later, as a long, searching ball from deep saw Charlie Wellings race through on goal. Peake provided the perfectly timed slide tackle in the box, as the Reading number 7 was releasing her shot.

Holding strong defensively, Saints were hungry to attack, and it wasn’t long before they were back in their stride. Pike was once again threaded through the back line, and unselfishly slid the back to her left, where a waiting Primus hit home. Not the cleanest of connections, but it was enough to see the ball spin into the back of the net for Saints’ third.

Atlanta Primus secured a debut Saints goal

Despite scoring, it was Primus who made way as the first substitute of the game, with Sophia Pharoah mixing up the attacking options.

Pharoah was straight into the action, looking lively alongside the never-tiring Pike. It was their combination play that saw Pharoah able to unleash a shot which rattled the crossbar. 

Jemma Purfield, who had raced up the pitch to be involved in the attack was quickest to react to the loose ball, heading home in the 82nd minute.

Megan Wynne and Emily Kraft were additions before the re-start, replacing Ella Morris and Katie Wilkinson, before Emma Thompson replaced the impressive Molly Pike in the 88th minute.

Saints were however denied their clean sheet, as Reading converted from a set-piece, Charlie Estcourt vollying in from the corner.

Despite the late blow, it was a performance to please both the dugout and the fans, with four different goalscorers hitting the back of the net in a dominant display.

The side head into the international break in the higher echelons of the table, and face a strong Birmingham City side at St Mary’s on their return, with tickets already on sale and children going free to the fixture!

Saints XI: Rendell, Collett, Mott, Peake, Rafferty, Purfield, Morris (Wynne, 83’), Kendall, Primus, Pike (Thompson, 88’), Wilkinson (Kraft, 83’.

Substitutes unused: Howard, Lloyd-Smith, Milne.

Goals: Pike (10'), Wilkinson (28', P), Primus (73'), Purfield (82').

Reading XI: Orman, Dugdale (Gregory, 60’), Houssein (Elwood, 79’), Cooper (Jarvis, 45’), Wade, Hendrix, Mayi Kith (Smith, 45’), Estcourt, Longhurst (Wellings, 60’), Woodham ©, Roberts.

Substitutes unused: Kite, Meadows-Tuson, Cox.