Reading Women 1-4 AFC Porchester Ladies: Match Report

Pete’s report on a game which started off well for the Royals, but unravelled at the end of the first half and only got worse in the second.

An early goal from Reading striker Sumayah Zayadi wasn’t enough today for the Royals, who came undone after conceding two late first-half goals - both in time added on. They were followed by two more after the break, with visitors AFC Porchester finishing 4-1 winners at Arbour Park.

Although the Royals have a squad of 23 registered players, with injuries and unavailability, Reading manager Pedro Bruno was still only able to include four (out of an allowed five) substitutes.

There were changes to the starting line-up from last week too, with Jordanne Hoesli-Atkins surprisingly on the bench, after what looked like a horrible ankle injury last week. Lauren Drewett took the captain’s armband and Zayadi started her first match as centre-forward.

Team: Cherry Preisner (GK), Megan Giles, Tia Lee, Lauren Drewett (Captain), Lily Brooke-Cousins, Zuzanna Gajzler (Lily Simmons, 31), Keira Morl, Freya Morgan, Mia Bradley, Lucy Bolitho, Sumayah Zayadi (Ellie Herbert, 67)

Unused substitutes: Jordanne Hosesli-Atkins, Leylah Ali

The Royals started the first half confidently and looked a real threat going forward with early efforts from Mia Bradley, Lucy Bolitho and an ambitious lob from Zayadi - before eventually taking the lead when Zayadi used her strength to capitalise on some confusion on the edge of the Porchester penalty area. She prodded the ball home past a surprised and stranded Roxy Roberts in the visitors goal for her first goal of the season. 1-0.

AFC Porchester, like Reading, are new to this league, although their journey to get there couldn’t be more different. The visitors won promotion, as champions, for the last two consecutive seasons.

Porchester reacted quickly with Lucy Nightingale coming close to scoring several times: two shots just wide and a header from a corner just past the Reading goal.

Bruno looked like he was forced into an early substitution when Zuzanna Gajzler, the Royals’ right-winger, had to come off. New signing Lily Simmons made her debut from the bench and, within minutes, was an integral part of Reading’s best move of the match. She cut the ball back to Lily Brooke-Cousins, who whipped in a terrific delivery, with Zayadi inches from getting her head to the cross for a great chance to double the lead.

Every week there seems to be another harsh lesson for this new group of players and today’s learning came in not being able to see out the first half - conceding two goals in time added on.

Porchester equalised when they broke down the Royals’ left-hand side, Sophie Bell’s cross giving Nat Bavister the opportunity to side-foot the ball into the Reading goal at the back post. 1-1.

With seconds remaining before the half-time whistle, Porchester delivered a free-kick into the Reading penalty area, with Bell managing to control and slot the ball home for an unexpected lead at the break. 1-2.

Half time: 1-2

It looked like the Reading team as whole just couldn’t forget about those late sucker punches just before the break, and never really got back into the match during the second half.

With the hangover continuing, so came the drizzle, reflecting the mood of the Reading fans (on top of the M4 traffic delays they battled just to get here). That made for a very long second half in which the visitors were not tested, but controlled the contest and grabbed a couple more goals along the way too.

The first came around 70 minutes when Brooke Marshall, from a corner, was given time to control, turn and place her shot into the bottom corner of the Reading goal. 1-3.

The final blow came with just one minute of normal time to go. Substitute Keenan half-volleyed a shot into the top corner, giving Reading goalkeeper Cherry Preisner no chance. 1-4.

Final score: 1-4

It was a disappointing afternoon and a particularly difficult second half to watch, after what was a terrific start to the match. Recently, Reading’s main threat has come down the flanks - via Bradley and Gajzler (who went off injured) - and today this never materialised.

Freya Morgan also picked up the Royals’ first yellow card of the season (rather harshly) and regular captain Hosesli-Atkins clearly wasn’t fit enough to feature - although she did some great coaching while ‘warming up’ on the sidelines.

I’m sure it will also be a new coaching experience for Bruno, having to pick some of the these players up, mentally and emotionally, to be ready for the next match.

Talking of which, the Royals now have a break from the league for a couple of weeks. They’re away to Richmond & Kew in the third qualifying round of the FA Cup, 2pm next Sunday, and the following weekend they start their ‘defence’ (as holders) of the Berks & Bucks County Cup away to local (if that’s still the right word) rivals Caversham United at 2pm on Sunday October 20. See you there!