Charlton Athletic 0-1 Reading Women: Match Report

A Charlie Wellings goal gave the Royals a massive win on the road.

Reading Women battled hard to secure a 1-0 victory on Sunday afternoon, away to high-flying Charlton Athletic. A stunning, long-range first-half strike from Charlie Wellings earned Reading all three points and a huge boost to their league position, with only seven matches remaining.

It was a tough, resilient and hard-fought team effort at The Oakwood Stadium, in horrible wet and misty conditions, against a team that, prior to this afternoon, had only lost one league match.

The battling performance was also the perfect response to bounce back from last weekend’s disappointing performance in defeat to the London City Lionesses, coming against a Charlton Athletic team who started the match with thoughts of closing the points gap on league leaders Sunderland.

Liam Gilbert made one - presumably forced - change to the team, with Rachel Dugdale lining up as part of the central three defenders, replacing team captain Brooke Hendrix, who left the field of play injured towards the end of last weekend’s match.

There was also a full-strength substitutes bench as Deanna Cooper returned from injury. With no Tia Primmer available, Gilbert chose to include two goalkeepers with the welcome return of Jacqueline Burns, alongside Eve Annets.

Team 3-4-1-2: Orman (GK), Mayi Kith, Stapleton, Dugdale, Roberts (Cooper, 64), Wade (Captain), Houssein, Estcourt, Flannery, Wellings (Perry, 68), Woolley (Longhurst, 82)

Unused subs: Annets (GK), Burns (GK), Smith, Jarvis, Wilson, Elwood

Goals: Wellings, 42

Yellow cards: None

It was a match where the home team dominated possession and pressure throughout the 90 minutes, and it took just six minutes for Charlton’s Beth Roe to flash a shot narrowly wide of the post, much to the relief of goalkeeper Emily Orman.

In a rare Reading attack, in the opening 10 minutes, Wellings found Jesse Woolley but she rushed her cross, hitting it too hard and out for a throw-in. A wasted opportunity with teammates waiting in the penalty area.

Charlton pressed high and Dugdale came to the rescue when Easther Mayi Kith got caught on the ball by Kate Longhurst, her cross whipped in but the Reading defender was equal to thwart the opportunity.

Just before the half-hour mark, the home side earned themselves a penalty when Kayleigh Barton - who caused Reading problems throughout the match - was felled by Jessie Stapleton as she tried to skip past her in the Reading penalty area. It was top goalscorer Barton who took the penalty, only to see her effort hit the post and off for a goal kick.

The unlucky striker was involved again when, on 42 minutes, her miscontrolled pass was picked up by Wellings, who, from at least 35 yards, unleashed a powerful strike which flew past the upright arm of Sian Rogers and into the top of the Charlton goal. Another worthy contender for goal of the month and season! 0-1.

Second half

The second half was more of the same, with Charlton dominating possession, working hard and creating chances. Within two minutes of the restart Tegan McGowan fired a shot but Orman was able to collect comfortably.

Minutes later Charlton fans were left aghast when they didn’t score, after some last-ditch defending and heroics from Dugdale to block three pinball attempts on the Reading goalline in quick succession.

The post came to the defence of Reading again when Angela Addison’s header hit the upright, after Orman could only get a glove to a cross from the Charlton left.

As the game drew to an end, the pressure continued from the home side, with the Reading defence dealing with 10 corners in just the last 10 minutes and time added on.

However, Reading as a whole held resolute and dogged throughout, even with what appeared to be three substitutions forced upon them in the second half. A strapped-up Cooper had to replace an injured Bethan Roberts, Maddie Perry similarly coming on for Wellings and Woolley swapped for Josie Longhurst. The Royals even finished the last few minutes with only 10 players after a nasty injury to Mayi Kith.

Similar to last week the stats were stacked against Reading, who enjoyed 100% shot accuracy, with Wellings scoring from the only Reading effort on target (in fact the only shot throughout) during the match. This time, however, I’m sure Gilbert will be delighted with the work rate, effort and never-say-die team attitude which saw them hang onto the win.

The league position also looks much improved with the Royals now sitting eighth in the Championship, ahead of Sheffield United and London City Lionesses. Also, importantly, Reading are five points clear of Lewes and six from Watford, who currently occupy the relegation positions.

This result will also mean that the Royals can take this confidence into next weekend’s tough fixture, away to third-place side Southampton, at St Mary’s, 2pm kick-off. See you there!