Swindon are well beaten
Swindon 0-4 Reading
Reading travelled to Wiltshire for the local derby and produced a stunning display from the first whistle. Straight from the Swindon kick off Jo Chubb set the tempo by making an interception and from Stacey Wiggins' cross, Rachel Fell opened the scoring with less than 25 seconds on the clock.
This set the standard for a fine all-round disciplined team performance. Reading were rampant, Josette Pearmine just failing to meet Cheryl Williams's free-kick and Williams herself drifting a shot just past the post. From another Williams cross Tash Caswell just failed to keep her header on target.
After 20 minutes Emma Jayne Pearmine crashed a 30 yard free-kick off the cross bar with the keeper rooted to the spot. Williams and Fell, who were causing the home defence plenty of problems, nearly combined to add the second when Fell's cross was headed just wide by Williams.
Another flowing move starting from our keeper Amy Carr saw the Swindon goalie make an excellent save to deny top scorer Laura Woodley. Reading's second came from a Pearmine free-kick, when Fell cut in and finished at the second attempt after rounding the keeper. There was still time before half-time for Woodley to add to her season's tally with a composed finish. Reading's central defenders were in total control at the back and made it another quiet afternoon for Amy Carr in goal.
The second half saw Swindon reduced to 10 players when the referee, who enjoyed an excellent game through out, sent the Swindon centre half off. With Reading totally in control they introduced substitutes Lauren May and Jenny Webb for Chubb and Caswell. Their fourth came when Webb thundered a header goal wards from Williams' corner, the Swindon defence somehow scrambled to keep it out, but goal poacher Woodley was on hand to tap in her second of the game from close range.
Reading were in total control, keeping the ball and moving it round the pitch with great authority, causing the Swindon side to become more and more frustrated as the game went on. Their only shot of the game coming in the eightieth minute when Amy Carr was forced into making a good save, thus ensuring Reading's seventh clean sheet in a row.
Captain Kelly Chambers, who enjoyed another fine performance, said after the game, "This was another excellent team performance, the spirit amongst the girls shows in the hard work everyone is willing to put in for each other. To keep seven clean sheets in a row has given us the platform to play our football and we look forward to next week's game with Plymouth with great confidence".
Manager Frank Rodriguez was equally pleased with the performance. "Swindon is a difficult place to come to, but to produce another excellent performance and inflict their biggest defeat of the season, shows the confidence and maturity the players are displaying. In our last ten league games we have scored 40 goals and only conceded one, so we are really looking forward to next week's home game with Plymouth."
Reserves 11-0 Newport
A four-goal haul from Tracey Beales and a Lauren Welch hat trick boosted Reading's goal difference against 10-woman Newport in a game in which the scoreline could have been double if the Royals had their shooting boots on.
The trouble started as early as the second minute for Newport when the referee awarded Reading a penalty that confused even Beales who had been tackled! Beales got up to take the penalty herself but lacked conviction and the keeper saved comfortably.
The scoring began on 13 minutes when Laura Derlacki poked home a Lian Ryan corner. Four minutes later Laura Gemmell released Rachel Panting who calmly slotted home and within 60 seconds it was 3-0 when Welch volleyed past the keeper from a Ryan throughball. Beales then scored a 15 minute hat-trick with well-worked goals set up by midfield pairing Panting and Shelley Strange. Reading were coasting but also playing some patient confident football. The final 10 minutes of the first half saw the reserves struggle to keep their discipline and begin to force play but went in at half time 6-0 up.
Fiona Trimmer and Gemmell were replaced by Leila Dickinson and Lou Smith at half time and Newport came out with only nine players. Newport's plan was simple, keep the score down!
For 10 minutes they stopped the score-line growing but on 55 Derlacki found Welch who fired home from 12 yards. Newport were now starting to frustrate Reading a little and Reading were also trying to frustrate themselves with poor decision making and some woeful finishing.
66 minutes saw a Ryan corner go straight in via a slight deflection and on 72 minutes Ryan released Strange who rounded the keeper and made it nine. Beales added her fourth with 9 minutes remaining when appearing to be offside and Welch finished her hat trick well in the 90th minute after being found by Derlacki and beating 2 defenders.
The Reserves do not have a fixture for 2 weeks now until they travel to Burnham on the 4th May and will be at Didcot Town on Sunday to give the first team all their support against Plymouth.
