Reading Women 1-4 Blackburn Rovers Women: Match Report

Keira Flannery scored a Reading opener, but the hosts were seen off by Blackburn goals through Meg Hornby (x2), Hannah Coan and Lucy Shepherd.

Two goals within four minutes, at the end of the first half, were enough for Blackburn Rovers to cancel out a bright start, and early Keira Flannery opener, by the Royals today. Goals from Meg Hornby (x2), Hannah Coan and Lucy Shepherd saw the visitors leave with all three points, and run out comfortable 4-1 winners, in another difficult afternoon for Reading Women at the SCL Stadium this afternoon.

With nine substitutes named, the squad looked to be at full strength and, with options available, Liam Gilbert made three changes this afternoon. Deanna Cooper and club captain Brooke Hendrix both returned to add some experience to the back four - with Jessie Stapleton moved into the holding-midfield position and Caitlin Smith and Halle Houssein named on the bench.

After last weekend’s performance, it didn’t come as a shock to see Emily Orman replaced in goal, although it was a pleasant surprise to see Jacqueline Burns back between the posts, after a long injury, with her first start in over a year.

Team 4-1-4-1: Burns (GK), Roberts (Jarvis, 83), Cooper (Primmer, 68), Hendrix Captain (Smith, 45), Dugdale (Elwood, 83), Stapleton, Wade, Estcourt, Flannery, Perry (Longhurst, 73), Woolley

Unused subs: Orman (GK), Mayi-Kith, Housein, Wellings

Reading goalscorers: Flannery

Similar to last weekend (away to Sheffield United), it was a really confident start by Reading, who enjoyed control of the majority of the first half - but more about this later.

The Royals started the match lively and were unlucky not to take the lead when a long-range effort from Rachel Dugdale slipped through the hands of Alex Brooks, only to hit the post and rebound kindly to save the Rovers goalkeeper for her error.

With Reading on the front foot, passing the ball well and pressing Blackburn Rovers, they got their reward after a pull-back from Madison Perry, wide on the right, found Flannery to finish neatly from the edge of the Rover penalty area. It was a great strike and clinical finish to notch her first goal since joining in the January transfer window (on loan from West Ham United). 1-0.

Throughout the first half, Perry was a nuisance for Blackburn Rovers, with the skillful but diminutive Royals striker unlucky when looking to set up Charlie Estcourt to extend the lead - her cut-back this time just behind the Reading midfielder.

With 30 minutes gone, Reading were fortunate not to concede when a careless pass, from Burns, went straight to Hornby. The Rovers striker’s looping shot was luckily caught by the relieved Reading goalkeeper.

With three minutes of first-half time remaining, and the home team pretty much in control, the match turned on its head.

First, Blackburn Rovers equalised, reacting the quickest after the referee allowed play to continue following a strong challenge on Stapleton, on the halfway line. With the Reading player on the floor, clutching her ankle, Rovers Tyler Toland chipped a ball over and

behind the Reading defence to Hornby who kept her cool with a precise right foot finish to curl over Burns and into the top corner of the goal. 1-1.

The killer blow came in the second minute of added time, with Reading conceding from a corner. It was Toland again for the assist, her set-piece delivery finding its way across the Reading goal and headed in by a stooping Hannah Coan at the back post. 1-2.

A disastrous closing four minutes of the first half which changed the dynamic and tipped the half-time team talk on its head - with another set-piece catching the Royals out.

Half time: 1-2

Reading captain Hendrix didn’t appear for the second half - presumably because of injury - swapped with Smith in a straight change and Lauren Wade taking over the armband.

It was a first half from which Reading didn’t recover, looking a shadow of the team that had played so well for the opening 40 minutes. Blackburn Rovers dominated the second, calling Burns into early action, punching a corner clear and having to make a near-post save within the opening minutes of the restart - as well as seeing a header flash across her goal but wide of the post.

The front two for Blackburn Rovers - Hornby and Shepherd - were lively, causing mayhem in the Reading defence and really starting to enjoy themselves. Both missed good chances after Cooper and Flannery were forced into errors.

The pressure continued and, in the 70th minute, the strikers combined with alarming ease, Hornby passing to Shepherd to strike her shot into the bottom corner. 1-3.

It perhaps didn’t help that, moments before Rovers’ third goal, Gilbert had to make another forced change because of an injury to Cooper. Stapleton moved to centre-back, Flannery to the holding-midfield position and Tia Primmer came on.

With something needing to change, Gilbert made further substitutions, Josie Longhurst replaced Perry up top and the two full-backs - Rachel Dugdale and Bethan Roberts - were withdrawn for Lulu Jarvis and Amelia Elwood.

Rovers’ fourth goal of the afternoon was scored with four minutes of normal time remaining, Hornby grabbing her second of the afternoon after Estcourt, now in a defensive role, lost the ball in a dangerous position. The striker made no mistake with her finish. 1-4.

Final score: 1-4

Reading will be pleased to see the back of March, picking up three points from a possible 15 and, perhaps more concerning, also conceding 20 goals in those five matches!

If there’s a consolation to this afternoon’s result it’s that all five of the bottom teams lost this afternoon, so nothing has changed with Reading two points above Lewes FC (with a game in hand) and six above Watford, both in the relegation positions. In addition, matches are running out, with only two matches remaining for Lewes FC.

Both teams have had to wait a long time for this first-ever meeting after the reverse fixture, at Blackburn Rovers, was called off earlier in the season - due to a waterlogged pitch - back in November. Reading need to dig deep and, if revenge helps, they won’t have to wait long for the next match - and second-ever meeting - with this taking place in two weeks’ time, on Sunday 14th April. See you there!