Match report: Reading 3-3 Bristol City Women

Bristol City Women twice came from two goals behind to draw 3-3 and earn a point against Reading at the Madejski Stadium.

Reading raced into a two goal lead thanks to strikes from Remi Allen and Brooke Chaplen, before Charlie Wellings pulled a goal back before half-time.

The hosts restored their two goal cushion when Angharad James headed home from Fara Williams’ cross, before Yana Daniels quickly halved the deficit. Ebony Salmon then struck in the eighty-first minute to complete the comeback.

Reading started fast at the Madejski and the hosts’ first clear cut opportunity came when Brooke Chaplen broke into the box and played a ball across the face, but it was expertly dealt with by Dykes who cleared the danger.

With the game less than twenty minutes in the hosts scored a quick fire double through Remi Allen and Brooke Chaplen to stun City Women.

Both Reading players kept their composure to cooly slot the ball home once played through on goal.

After falling behind the Robins looked to respond and went close to finding the back of the net through a long range effort from Carla Humphrey, but her effort flew inches over the bar and brushed the roof of the net.

Bristol City’s breakthrough came on the thirty-seventh minute as Wellings controlled Humphrey’s pinpoint ball into the box, before turning the defender and firing the ball across the face of the goal and into the bottom corner.

The score remained 2-1 to the hosts as they teams went into the changing rooms for half-time, but it took less than two minutes for Reading to restore their two goal lead as Angharad James headed in Fara Williams’ corner from six yards out.

With their backs up against the wall and a mountain to climb at the Madejeki, City Women dug deep and went on the offensive immediately and were rewarded through a goal for Yana Daniels.

Speedster Ebony Salmon raced onto a through ball and drove towards the byline before looking up and picking out Daniels, who managed to get the ball into the back of the net under immense pressure.

As the game grew into the latter stages the pace and tempo somehow managed to go up a notch.

Reading had a golden chance to kill off the game when Allen latched on to a lofted ball, one on one with Baggaley she attempted to chip the ‘keeper but the City shot-stopper had other ideas, making a fine one-handed save to deny Allen of her second.

The back and forth nature of the game continued and City Women conjured up an equaliser as Humphrey’s ball over the top set Salmon on her way, she showed great strength and poise to shrug off the attempted tackle of Howard, and then round Moloney to bring City Women level and secure a memorable comeback at the Madejski Stadium.

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