Reading will hope to climb to the top of the WSL 2 table on Saturday, but will need a victory of four goals or more against promotion rivals Doncaster Rovers Belles who currently occupy the number one spot.
The Belles remain unbeaten, and should possess a slight advantage being the home side. However, just the one defeat for Reading means they are still a major threat for the league title, but will have to cope without star striker Fran Kirby, as she leaves to join the England camp after a World Cup call-up.
Nonetheless, Royal’s boss Helen Ward has faith in her side, and believes they have enough firepower in their ranks to see off their opponents.
“We work quite a lot on our attacking play, we have got a lot of good players that are able to find the net,” said Ward. “Fran has obviously been amazing but in the last couple of games we have shown we do not rely on her alone.
“We go out there and are free to try and attack. We are not restricted, we have licence to go out and create. Doncaster have started the season very strongly and are unbeaten at the moment.
“Teams at the top of the table know how important these games are against each other. They could prove to be pivotal at the end of the season. It’s no secret that we want to go up. With there being two places for promotion this year we know it is a good opportunity.”
Reading will also be without Kirby for the remaining two games until the summer break, with the final game seeing Reading host Millwall Lionesses at the Madejski Stadium, rather than their usual Paddy Power Park venue.
After failing to secure relegation last term by just two points, the Belles will not want to concede any points to their rivals this weekend and Courtney Sweetman-Kirk, who has found the net five times in seven matches, believes her side have no fear in this league.
“We do talk about other teams but the main focus is always about us. When we play well there is not any team that can compete with us,” said the former Notts County player.
“We play quick football on the floor, add that to our shape, fitness levels, strength in depth in the squad and the commitment and we always feel confident.
“Reading are a great team. If we play to our full potential we can beat anyone, but it is definitely going to be a tough challenge against them. It’s nice to be at home, and looking at the table with them near the top as well, three points would be absolutely huge for us so we can go into the break on top.”
Doncaster Rovers Belles possess the best defensive record in the league, conceding just four, although their opponents possess the best attacking record, making for an interesting encounter.
