Badshot Lea Ladies 0-1 Reading Women: Match Report

Zuzanna Gajzler’s first-half winner earned the Royals a vital second away win of the season.

Reading Women continued where they left off last weekend with a second away victory, winning 1-0 away at Badshot Lea. Zuzanna Gajzler was the scorer of the only goal of the match, 18 minutes into the first half.

It was the Royals’ 13th league match, their third league victory and the third time this season they have put together back-to-back wins (in all competitions).

Although the scoreline was close, it was a deserved result, with the Royals creating the better chances throughout the match but unable to grab that vital second goal. They were also up against a confident Badshot Lea team buoyed from their last league match result - after a 3-3 draw against title chasers Oxford City.

Importantly, for the Royals, it’s also a result which has lifted them six points clear of Badshot Lea and seven points ahead of bottom-placed Selsey - with two games in hand over those bottom two teams.

There were only two changes to the starting line-up from the match last weekend at Selsey. Fit again, Mollie Dench came back in for Lily Brooke-Cousins, who dropped to the bench, and there was a debut for Jamaican under-20s international Maya Raghunandanan in place of Sajunae Turner, who was missing from the squad.

Team: Amy Whale (GK), Poppy Airey, Mollie Dench (Ellie Herbert, 87), Amber Lloyd (Lily Brooke-Cousins, 87), Rachael Poole, Caitlin Levy (Shardonna’e Kekere-Ekun, 58), Lucy Bolitho (Captain), Keira Morl, Mia Bradley, Zuzanna Gajzler (Assia Fatri, 34), Maya Raghunandanan.

Unused sub: Megan Giles

Reading goalscorer: Zuzanna Gajzler, 18

Badshot Lea yellow card: Holly Montgomery, 29

The match burst into life immediately, straight from the Royals’ kick-off, when Airey found Bradley wide on the right. Her cross was whipped over to the back post with Gajzler unlucky not to direct it goalbound.

Two minutes later it was the turn of the Royals to have a lucky escape when the Baggies’ number nine, Gemma Luke, found herself through on goal. Her shot was lifted over the Reading ‘keeper, Whale, but fortunately lifted over the crossbar too.

Any thoughts of the hosts gaining any momentum from this attempt were quickly quashed, with Reading dominant in midfield and quick on the break, causing the home side to give away a couple of free-kicks in dangerous positions.

Left-back Morl delivered a couple of delightful set-pieces. One free-kick was just out of Raghunandanan’s reach and another caused pinball-machine chaos in the penalty area, which the Shots’ defence eventually scrambled clear.

The Royals’ right-hand side was a real concern for the home team. Winger Bradley was a constant danger, which, in turn, allowed right-back Dench to rampage up the pitch and deliver some great crosses and shots throughout the match.

The winning goal came on 18 minutes. Dench had the assist - her perfect cross was delivered to the back post and Gajzler was there to head home from close range. 0-1.

Reading nearly doubled their lead from the restart, winning the ball and setting up Gajzler, whose strike from the edge of the box was just wide of the post. Just seconds later, Raghunandanan came close to grabbing a debut goal, but her shot was blocked from close range for a corner.

The Royals’ central-midfield trio needed to be strong and they battled throughout. Raghunandanan looked a real talent - an athlete and powerhouse alongside the hard-working Poole and Levy in the defensive-midfield role.

With Reading manager Pedro Bruno once again enjoying a full-strength substitutes bench, he made a change 10 minutes before the break, resting goalscorer Gajzler and bringing on Fatri.

Half-time: 0-1

If Reading required an early warning of how hard they would need to continue to work, it came within three minutes of the restart. Badshot Lea’s centre-forward, Luke, fired a shot over from just inside the Royals’ penalty area.

Reading responded immediately, winning two quick corners with captain Bolitho unlucky when her headed attempt struck the hard ground and bounced just over the crossbar.

It was the visiting team in blue and white in ascendancy at this stage. A long-range shot from Raghunandanan was just wide of the post, sandwiched between two Reading attempts which both hit the crossbar. The first came from Dench, her long-range effort hitting the underside of the woodwork, and a great save from Baggies ‘keeper Ellie James tipped a Bradley free-kick onto the frame of the goal.

The home side were restricted to only two substitutes, one of those a second goalkeeper. With 10 minutes of the match remaining, they made the bold decision to bring on their substitute ‘keeper, with original shot-stopper James changing her kit to play up front for the remainder of the game.

At the other end, with Reading’s regular goalkeeper Cherry Preisner still unavailable (under the protocol of a concussion injury), Whale was once again between the posts - for only her second appearance.

The new Royals ‘keeper was quick off her line and made some vital interceptions (particularly during the second half) to protect her second clean sheet - none more than when she made a really brave block at the feet of the Badshot Lea striker, just outside of her penalty area, with only five minutes of normal time remaining.

Bruno made two late changes to add fresh legs to the Reading defence, bringing on Brooke-Cousins and Herbert in place of Dench and Lloyd.

He must have been delighted with his decision - and that of his player - when Herbert still had time to make a couple of outstanding bits of last-ditch defending: focused, calm and in control while under some considerable pressure from the home side’s strikers - trying to get something out of the match with the clock ticking down.

Full-time: 0-1

The season remains a huge learning curve for all involved from the outset - with the beginning of the journey just a few weeks before the start of the campaign.

With only five matches remaining (just three for Badshot Lea and Selsey), the three league victories since the middle of January are just rewards for how hard all within the club - players and the coaching team - have worked throughout.

With talk of a prospective buyer (once again) in the wings for the takeover of Reading Football Club, it’s also a timely reminder to say that none of this progress would have happened without the unwavered commitment, effort and support of the Community Trust.

They’ve also supported the framework for the younger girls’ football pathway, with the under-13s and under-15s both winning the Berks & Bucks County Cup competitions this weekend. All of this success was perfectly timed to celebrate International Women’s Day.

With no match next Sunday, there’s a bit of a break now. The next fixture is away to Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday March 18 (kick-off 19:30) at Adams Park - ironically, the home of Reading Women for a couple of seasons, back in the old (pre-Community Trust) WSL days. See you there!