L1: Barnes Hounslow Ealing 5 Reading 3

Reading were outmuscled in their crucial relegation playoff game with BHE at Chiswick on Saturday. So keen were Reading to approach this important game they started their warm up early but it was the home team who got off to a flyer with Triona Doyle sticking in the first goal after 9 minutes. Reading panicked somewhat after this and decided to change their game plan. This wasn’t an immediate success as in the confusion of the reorganisation BHE were able to score two further goals from a Harreit Preest penalty corner and Ruth Goddard in open play. This was certainly not the start Reading wanted but thsoe with long memories may recall Reading making a similar start against Wimbledon last year in a crucial game and coming back to win 5-4.

The Reading come back started almost immediately as a classic flowing Reading counter attack brought their first goal. Ali Pope brought the ball out from the back and after some neat interplay with Abu Harper continued her run and fed Ali Omell in open space. Omell charged for the goal and smacked in an emphatic finish. Five minutes later and Reading were back into the hunt after a penalty stroke made and converted by Emma Thomas. After the atorcious start Reading were pleased to have got back into the game and got themselves in touch.

However they were to make just as bad a start to the second half. Ali Pope was poorly tackled in possession just inside the Reading 25 and the team were guilty of stopping expecting a foul to be given. However the whistle was unforthcoming and Triona Doyle took advantage of Reading’s moment of hesitation to score her second and put BHE back in command of the game. Despite this Reading were still able to lift themselves again and scored their third from a short corner strike from Kirsty Reeman that was deflected into the top corner by a Barnes defender. Reading continue to pass the ball and probe looking for the equaliser and probably had more possession adn territory than their opponents but were never entirely comfortable either, their need for a goal exposing them to counter attacks from BHE’s trio of pacy forwards, limiting the players Reading could commit to attack. They did create some chances, but these were more half chances, than clear opportunities, not could they force another penalty corner and they were grateful to see the ball whistle wide of their own goal on occassions.

As this high tempo pattern progressed Reading visibly tired and it began to look more and more unlikely that they were going to level the game never mind grab an all important winner to leapfrog BHE. As it was BHE capitalised at the end scoring their fifth with a well worked penalty corner routine that bamboozled the exhausted Reading defence.

Reading’s position in the table is now more serious as BHE extend the gap between Reading and safety to four points. However with Wimbledon losing and Woking drawing beneath them Reading remain four point clear of automatic relegation. Reading have 3 games now to get the points they need to overhaul BHE and hope that some other team will be able to subdue BHE as Reading we unable to.

Run in:
Reading:18/3 Poynton (H), 25/3 Sutton Coldfield (A), 1/4 Loughborough Students (H)
Barnes Hounslow Ealing:18/3 Wimbledon (A), 25/3 Trojans (H), 1/4 University of Birmingham (A)
Woking:18/3 Loughborough Students (A), 25/3 Wimbledon (H), 1/4 Trojans (A)
Wimbledon:18/3 Barnes Hounslow Ealing (H), 25/3 Woking (A), 1/4 Poynton (H)

Squad
Fi Holmes, Kirsty Reeman, Roisin Orchard, Anna McLaughlin, Abi Harper, Ali Omell, Claire Kerr, Emma Kingstone, Becky Odlin, Emma Thomas, Alice Margerison, Ali Pope, Zelda Beverley, Rachael Marriott
Management
Manpreet Kochar, Paul Turk