Southampton Women 5-0 Reading Women: Match Report

A Katie Wilkinson brace, Ella Morris single and Sophia Pharoah brace handed Reading a battering on the road.

Southampton put on a masterclass 5-0 emphatic display to top off what has been a tumultuous, tortuous and horrible week for the fans of Reading Women’s team.

This result means Southampton keep up the pressure on Sunderland for the Championship race and, at the other end, piles on the pressure for the Royals, dragging them back into a relegation battle - after Lewes FC beat Watford FC at The Dripping Pan.

It’s been a crazy and emotional rollercoaster of a week for Reading Football Club (following the unforgivable Bearwood Training Ground announcement) and, as a less vocal part of the club, it’s perhaps easy (for some) to forget that the Women’s team, management and fans are also fully embroiled within this daily madness and worried about their future too.

Charlie Estcourt was part of yesterday’s BBC Radio Berkshire commentary team for the Cambridge United match. Although I only listened to the early part of the broadcast (while stuck in traffic), I wondered how she must have felt while Mick Gooding, Ady Williams and Tim Dellor firstly talked about how the sale of the training ground was the least important aspect of the current fears - with Mick and Ady regaling tales of their footballing success while training at Bisham Abbey and Cantley Park - and secondly, clumsily sharing their thoughts that they’re pretty sure the men’s team will be okay but (after perhaps remembering that Charlie was present) they’re not sure what will happen for the women’s team!

Estcourt appeared very restrained as it must feel like the Women’s team are caught in a live version of snakes and ladders. The Women’s team got their well-earned move from Adams Park (oh, the irony of this) to the SCL Stadium, only to slowly lose their competitiveness over the next couple of seasons, with the inevitable relegation to the Championship.

The framework of the club changed, first with the departure of long-serving Kelly Chambers (and her management team), the decision to change from a professional to part-time structure and the inevitable (again) exodus of senior players.

Although the BBC Radio Berkshire team don’t rate it highly, I’m sure that Estcourt and her teammates will think it’s two (or more!) steps backwards, fearing the worst, if the Bearwood sale goes through.

With today’s match to prepare for, Liam Gilbert made two (forced) changes to the starting line-up with Madison Perry and Deanna Cooper coming into the team, in place of Charlie Wellings and Easther Mayi Kith - who both left the field injured during last weekend’s huge win away to Charlton Athletic.

There were only six substitutes named on the bench with Stevie Kennedy, Mae Hunt, Amelia Elwood and Eve Annets (GK) all on under-21 cup final duty* against MK Dons, oddly enough played at exactly the same time as this afternoon’s league match at The Saint Mary’s Stadium.

Reading (3-4-1-2): Orman (GK), Cooper (Smith, 62), Stapleton, Dugdale, Roberts (Jarvis, 72), Wade (Captain), Houssein, Estcourt, Flannery, Perry (Longhurst, 62), Woolley (Wilson, 88)

Unused subs: Burns (GK), Marashi

Reading were immediately put under early pressure from Southampton and, with the Royals struggling to clear their lines, the home team enjoyed a couple of early attempts that were close and a sign of things to come.

In the 17th minute Megan Collett whipped in a delightful cross and, with two Saints players on the penalty spot, it was Katie Wilkinson who reacted with a diving header to open the scoring. 1-0.

10 minutes later, Southampton doubled the score, when Wilkinson turned from goalscorer to goal-provider with a nonchalant back heel to find Ella Morris, with space to easily slot in from close range. 2-0.

With only half an hour gone, Reading knew they were left with a mountain to climb, with two goals being the highest total they have scored all season. That came twice in the league: a victory against Durham FC and a 2-2 draw with Lewes FC.

Southampton put the game beyond reach when, on 33 minutes, Atlanta Primus (daughter of ex-Royal Linvoy Primus) put in a similar (to earlier) delightful cross for Wilkinson to, again similarly, head into the Reading net for her second of the afternoon.

Reading and Gilbert must have breathed a big sigh of relief to make it to half-time just 3-0 down, with Molly Pike, Katie Wilkinson and Ella Morris all guilty of dragging their shots wide when they really should have done better. A big let-off to save what would have been an embarrassing but deserved scoreline.

Half-time: 3-0

With Southampton in complete control it was more of the same in the second half. It only took them five minutes to score their fourth goal of the match, the Reading defence failing to deal with a cross and Sophia Pharoah smashing the ball in from the edge of the six-yard box. 4-0.

Gilbert made two changes with Caitlin Smith replacing the heavily strapped Cooper and Josie Longhurst taking up the soulless task of leading the Royals attack, in place of Perry.

With 20 minutes of the match remaining, Southampton completed their afternoon’s work when Keira Flannery gave the ball away in midfield to Wilkinson, whose pass found Pharoah with a clinical finish to enjoy the second brace of the match.

There were two further Reading substitutions with Lulu Jarvis on for the injured Bethan Roberts and a last late change with Georgia Wilson getting a few minutes in place of Jesse Woolley.

Reading now find themselves back in 10th place and worryingly only two points ahead of Lewes FC, who are currently occupying one of the two relegation places. Although Reading still have two games in hand, this was a timely reminder of how difficult a task still lies ahead, and a real down-to-earth feeling, especially after last weekend’s heroics at Charlton.

We don’t have long to wait to see how this will play out, with Birmingham visiting the SCL Stadium this Wednesday, March 20, with a 7pm kick-off. Let’s use this as an ideal opportunity to rally behind the team - and the ongoing adversity they face - and cheer them to midweek victory. See you there!

*And, to end on a high, the under-21s became the Berks & Bucks County Cup winners, beating MK Dons 3-1 on penalties - with Annets the hero. Her penalty saves were crucial, with the match finishing 1-1 in normal time. Congratulations girls! And let’s hope this is just the start of many a glittering career.