Reading Women 1-0 Wycombe Wanderers Women: Match Report

A goal from Reading’s Jazz King was enough to shock the league leaders and secure a 1-0 victory over Wycombe Wanderers at Arbour Park, Slough on Sunday afternoon. 

King’s winning Olimpico goal came in the 62nd minute. Her right-footed, in-swinging corner delivery was just out of the Wycombe goalkeeper’s reach, with a defender on the line also unable to prevent the ball from hitting the back of the net.

If a week’s a long time in football, after Reading’s disappointing 3-2 loss at the hands of Winchester City Flyers last weekend, just imagine what a year feels like. Wycombe came into Sunday’s match proudly (and quite rightly too), boasting an impressive record of having just passed 365 days without defeat in the Southern Region League. Until yesterday’s fixture! 

It’s the second time this season that Reading have upset the league leaders’ form, and in the process have become Wycombe’s proverbial thorn in their side, after the meeting last month finished 0-0.

The Royals not only became the first team to take points off the Chairgirls this season but also the first team not to concede a goal against them, in all competitions (a feat now doubled after yesterday’s result).

The visitors lined up in a similar formation to the sides’ last meeting in the league, with only one change: the introduction of experienced ex-Royal Jordanne Hoesli-Atkins, starting in place of Amelia Mulvaney (on the substitutes bench).

Similarly, for Reading, there were just two changes from the reverse fixture. Keziah Banduka got the nod in place of Belle Rowden, who unluckily picked up a knock during training mid-week, and Emmi Tong started her third match on the bounce, with Tia Johnson named amongst the ‘finishers’.

After missing the last couple of matches, Sophie Butler was back between the posts. And it was great to see Keren Banduka named as part of the starting XI, having recovered from her nasty collision injury just a month ago.

Team: Sophie Butler (GK), Poppy Whitburn, Sarah Thompson, Keziah Banduka, Bethan Poole (Emily Norfolk, 72), Jazz King, Mia Parker (captain), Emmi Tong (Assia Fatri, 85), Lucy Bolitho (Ellie Manners, 82), Nat Cowell (Georgia Hayes, 75), Keren Banduka (Tia Johnson, 32)

Reading goalscorers: Jazz King, 62’

Wycombe Wanderers goalscorers: None

Reading yellow cards: None 

Wycombe Wanderers yellow cards: None

Reading red cards: None

Wycombe Wanderers red cards: None

First half

The Royals were not only up against a team who had scored double Reading’s tally this season, but also a starting XI which contained the league’s three top goalscorers: Kayla Potter on 19 and Jess Watkins and Chloe Melton both on 14.

Perhaps understandably, Reading started the first half cautiously and found themselves under some early pressure from the visitors. The opening 20 minutes saw the Royals defending deeper and deeper but restricting the visitors to only a couple of long-range efforts from Watkins, her shots fired straight at Butler and comfortably held by the young Reading goalkeeper.

Reading defended resolutely. A short free-kick, played to Wanderers captain Bobby Lynch on the edge of the Royals penalty area, was blocked by a sprawling Whitburn, typifying the hosts’ effort and setting the tone for the rest of the match.

As confidence grew, Reading started to give the opposition something to think about too. Cowell’s long-range effort was overturned by a raised offside flag from the assistant referee.

At the half-hour mark, Reading manager Ed Jackson-Norris made his first change of the match, introducing Johnson in place of Keren Banduka. The Reading attacker left the field to a warm round of applause from the Arbour Park crowd, who were clearly pleased just to see her back in competitive action.

There was a stoppage of a few minutes after some brave play from Reading goalkeeper Butler saw her get off her line quickly to thwart another Wycombe attack, only to get accidentally caught in the process by the Wanderers striker (leaving the pitch at half-time with an ice pack applied to a visibly large bump above her left eye).

Although the visitors had enjoyed more of the play, it was Reading who won the first corner of the match, 41 minutes into the first half. The first attempt was an in-swinging one, but landed on the top of the net.

Reading ended the half with probably their best passage of play: a quick midfield move from Tong to Parker, who found Johnson out wide, with her whipped-in cross held by Wycombe goalkeeper Axelle Courlander. 

Half-time: 0-0

Last weekend’s performance was never going to define the season, and we knew Reading were capable of bouncing back again, but what a contrast in this second-half performance yesterday.

Although Wycombe had the opening couple of efforts – a shot fired over and an attempt blocked by some great defending from Poole – it was Reading who soon asserted their authority on the second 45 minutes.

Five corners without reply (Wycombe’s second corner not coming until nearly the 80th minute) underlined the pressure the visitors found themselves under.

King tested the goalkeeper 10 minutes after the restart. Her long-range free-kick looked to be heading into the top corner, only for Courlander to pull off a wonderful save, tipping it over for what was to be the first of a flurry of Reading corners.

The Royals’ pressure continued and, after a couple of corners had caused chaos in the opposition box, they finally got their reward. It came from the second in-swinging corner in two weeks (Wilson scoring a similar goal against Winchester last weekend), with King’s set-piece evading the Wycombe goalkeeper and the attempts of the defender on the line to keep it out. 1-0. 

The jubilation and excitement were palpable. There was a real belief, both on the pitch and within the crowd, that not only did Reading deserve the lead, but also that they could see this out and possibly grab a second.

They came close to doing just that with a couple of headed Thompson efforts from Thompson from two more corners. The defender’s first shot was glanced wide of the back post, and just minutes later she connected well again, only to see her finish this time fly past the near post.

With time running out, Wycombe had no choice but to take risks themselves. They appeared to move to a back three and whipped in some dangerous crosses which fizzed across the Reading penalty area, opposition players sliding in but just unable to get that connection. 

In the 79th minute, Reading substitute Norfolk made a goal-line clearance, in what was only Wanderers’ second corner of the match. The second phase was whipped in again and luckily headed over for a Royals goal-kick. 

Jackson-Norris brought on fresh legs and energy with three separate changes – Hayes, Manners and Fatri all being introduced to see out the match in place of Cowell, Bolitho and Tong.

If it was difficult to pick out a Reading player of the match, with three minutes of normal time remaining, goalkeeper Butler made her stake with another fine save, reaching high to tip a long-range effort from Wycombe’s Laura Hennessy onto the crossbar and out for a corner.

In the long six minutes of time added on (which turned out to be nearly eight), it was Reading who came closest on 90+5 when Johnson hit a fierce shot which was parried by the goalkeeper, rebounding to Fatri, whose rushed effort was fired over.

Full-time: 1-0

What a performance! A scoreline thoroughly deserved, an incredible turnaround from how we all felt when we left the stadium last week and something to build upon with still over half of the league season still to play. 

It was assistant manager Max Scott’s birthday too. Although he didn’t want to make a fuss about it, I can’t believe he wouldn’t have wished for a better present, and maybe he’ll have changed his mind about celebrations that evening?

With Sholing, Winchester, Southampton Women and AFC Porchester all involved in senior cup competitions, there were only two other league matches played.

Reading remain in sixth place, 16 points from nine matches, and surely three points closer than the teams above them would have expected before kick-off.

Next week we’re back at Arbour Park again (2pm kick-off, Sunday January 25), looking to exact revenge on Beaconsfield Town (after a 2-1 defeat to them in the away fixture early in the season).

See you there! 

Other league matches

Beaconsfield Town 4-1 Woodley United

Fleet Town 1-0 Badshot Lea