L1A: Reading 3 Rover Oxford 4

Reading Ladies 1a’s hosted league leaders Rover Oxford on Saturday with more new faces in the side.  The visitors took the lead when their England Under 16 striker Tachita Haines unleashed an unstoppable reverse stick shot in the 12th minute.  Reading equalised from a rare attack as the ball was fired into the circle where Chiara Clarke deflected past the keeper for her first goal for Reading.  Rover Oxford scored again before half time when the ball was loose in the circle and then Haines scored her second early in the second half to give Oxford a 3-1 lead.  Reading were facing a heavy defeat but began to attack with more purpose and scored in the 61st minute as the ball was crossed into the circle where Tessa Lewinton met the ball with a first time strike which flew high into the roof.  She is making a habit of scoring breathtaking goals such as these.

Within 3 minutes Reading had drawn level from a short corner as Sinead French’s strike was deflected in by Cyd Hartland.  With Reading in the ascendancy they pushed forward in search of the winner but left too many holes at the back and saw Rover score a 4th with a deflection of their own in the 67th minute.  There was no time for Reading to score again and this defeat leaves them in mid-table.  

Man of the match voting was won by Sinead French.  This week Reading travel to Epsom who will be keen on revenge as the Reading ladies 1st team dumped them out in the first round of the National Cup.