L1: Reading 1 Trojans 1

Reading took on league leaders Trojans in a crunch game at Sonning Lane on Saturday. With a lot at stake for two evenly matched sides it is not surprising the game was not an open classic, but it was an absorbing and cagey game of cat and mouse with a high standard of hockey on display from both sides.

As in the first game between these sides the Reading defence, which ended 0-0, chances were hard to come by. The Reading defence was superbly marshalled by Alison Pope and Marianne Hood and the whole team was committed and disciplined in their structure - an impressive display of team organisation and concentration. With Trojans having conceded only 15 goals, they are the tightest defence in the division, and they contained Reading’s talented forwards well never quite allowing the likes of Erin Ruxton, Jenna Woolven and Claire Kerr to cut loose as they had the previous week.

With the scores level at half time, Reading attempted to up the tempo in the second period and Sonning Lane erupted when the break through finally came in the 44th minute. Marianne Hood smacked the ball towards the D, and it was missed by the Trojan defence for once and fell nicely for Jenna Woolven who smashed the ball home for her 10th league goal of the season.

Trojans came back at Reading furiously and the Blues did well to hold on to their lead as Trojans spent the next ten minutes throwing everything they had at Reading. 26 minutes is a long time to protect a single goal lead against a top side, but Reading might have thought they had weathered the storm after this passage of play. They really needed a second goal to give them a more comfortable position, but although they forced a series of short corners they couldn’t convert and were to regret this when Trojans forced an equaliser with only 7 minutes to go, from practically the only mistake the Reading defence made all game.

A smashed cross into the Reading D was missed by Marianne Hood, and although Emma Kavanagh got her stick to it, she unluckily diverted it onto the stick of Amy Sheehan who left Lucy Stevenson with no chance from such close range.

Although disappointed Reading attempted to find an elusive winner, but it was not to be. With Sunderland winning Reading now slip back to 5 points from the promotion playoff position, and sunderland narrowed their gap on the leaders to only 2 points with only 3 games to go. With the top two sides meeting next week Reading can only hope they take points from each other and keep winning their own games if they are to gain promotion this season. Their final game before Easter is away to Doncaster on Saturday, and their final home game of the season is against Barnes Hounslow and Ealing on Saturday 29 March (12:00 Sonning Lane)