After last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final loss to Notts County, Everton looked to maintain their unbeaten run in the league against a Reading side with their own agenda. The Royals needed a win to keep pace with league leaders Doncaster Rovers Belles after dropping points in their last two outings, and a 2-1 win allowed them to do just that.
Despite being without top-scorer Fran Kirby through injury, Kelly Chambers’ side held off a late Everton surge to remain in second position hot on the heels of the Belles.
The Merseyside outfit squandered two chances within the first five minutes as both Lucy Whipp and Dan Turner fired their shots wide.
Then on 37 minutes the hosts broke the deadlock when a Vicky Jones backpass was intercepted by Readings Helen Ward, who laid it off to captain Lauren Bruton to curl past the retreating Toffees keeper Megan Walsh.
The Royals doubled their lead after six minutes after the re-start as scorer Bruton turned provider, finding Emma Follis in the box who was able to smash her shot across goal and in to the bottom corner.
However, the lead was short-lived as just a minute later Andy Spence’s side pulled one back from the penalty spot with Paige Williams converting the spotkick awarded against Rebecca Jane after she brought down Turner in the area.
Everton continued to push and almost equalised late on but Simone Magill was denied by a fantastic save from Reading keeper Grace Moloney.
Despite the result Everton remain fourth as Durham failed to beat Oxford but Toffees captain Michelle Hinnigan was left dissatisfied after the game.
“We are really disappointed,” she said. “I think overall it was a positive second half and we know that after the first 15 minutes it wasn’t good enough and second half we did come out and we wanted to fight and obviously got the goal back and gave it a good go.”
“But credit to Reading they kept going until the end and got the three points.”
Hinnigan added: “It’s about lifting everyone up and we know how tight this league is going to be.
“It’s a loss but hopefully we’ve got more games so that we can get ourselves back up there.”
