Hat-tricks from Tia Johnson and Nat Cowell helped Reading Women romp home 8-0 winners over Fleet Town at Arbour Park, Slough on Sunday. Goals from Keren Banduka and captain Mia Parker sealed another high-scoring league victory.
After the shock 1-0 defeat to Sholing at the beginning of March, Reading have bounced back in some style, scoring 21 goals, with just the one conceded (in the 1-1 draw against title-chasers, and League Cup winners, AFC Portchester).
Sunday’s result was the sixth time Reading
had scored more than five goals in a match, with resounding victories now recorded in just over a quarter of 25 games (in all competitions) played this season. If you lower the bar slightly to include the four 4-1 victories, that winning margin of success increases to 40% of fixtures.
To put that into context, last season the Royals only scored more than three goals on one occasion, with a 6-2 victory over Badshot Lea in the penultimate match of 2024/25.
It illustrates just how far the team have progressed since Ed Jackson-Norris took charge as Reading manager in July 2025. There’s a clear upward trajectory and a chance to dream of what the future could look like with a bit more funding and support.
Reading’s visitors Fleet Town arrived in Slough as the proud 2024/25 champions of Division One South last season and have had a mixed start to life in tier five of the pyramid.
Similar to Sunday’s result, the Hampshire side have struggled against the teams at the top of the table (with some other heavy defeats along the way), but have rallied round each time to bounce back, ensuring league safety with six league victories recorded – including their impressive 3-2 win over Beaconsfield Town last weekend.
It was the first time the two teams had met this season, after the away fixture earlier in the season was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, during that rather soggy February period.
The Fleet Town management will probably have felt they couldn’t have timed their first visit to Arbour Park worse. Not only were they up against a rampant Reading (second in form only to Winchester City Flyers), but they also struggled with player availability (due to exam studies), fielding a young team – missing their 14-goal top-striker Lily Martin.
In contrast, Jackson-Norris was able to name an unchanged starting XI for what I believe was the first time this season.
The Royals were one player short on the substitutes bench, after the dual-registered Belle Rowden was recalled at late notice by Oxford United (the defender at least made an appearance as a late substitute in United’s 2-0 win over Lewes).
There was, however, still plenty of strength and depth for the Reading manager to to call upon, as Fleet Town found out in the second half. The ‘finishers’ – Lucy Bolitho, Georgia Hayes, Ellie Manners and top goal-scorer Nat Cowell – all contributed to the second half rout.
Team: Sophie Butler (GK), Bethan Poole, Sarah Thompson, Keziah Banduka, Jazz King (Lucy Bolitho, 57’), Mia Parker (captain), Ellie Szekeres, Poppy Whitburn, Keren Banduka (Ellie Manners, 62’), Ava Broke-Smith (Nat Cowell, 62’), Tia Johnson (Georgia Hayes, 62’)
Subs: Nat Cowell, Georgia Hayes, Lucy Bolitho, Ellie Manners
Reading goalscorers: Keren Banduka, 7’; Tia Johnson, 36’, 45+1, 47’; Mia Parker, 51’; Nat Cowell, 71’, 78’, 82
Fleet Town goalscorer(s): None
Reading yellow cards: None
Fleet Town yellow cards: Alice French, 64’
Reading red cards: None
Fleet Town red cards: None
First half
The unchanged team started in the same 3-5-2 formation, and high-press system, which proved so successful against Woodley United during the 5-0 Community Day win last weekend.
Poole, Thompson and Keziah Banduka lined up as the defensive trio, with King providing the central-defensive-midfield protection. Parker and Szekeres were the midfield dynamos, supported on the flanks by Whitburn and Keren Banduka, with Broke-Smith and Johnson ruthless in attack.
And it didn’t take long for the boldness and pressure to pay off again. Six minutes in, Keren Banduka charged down the goalkeeper’s clearance, her reward seeing the ball ricochet off her and into the net for the opening goal. 1-0.
Reading nearly made it two from their first corner, Thompson’s header rebounding off the crossbar, with Parker’s follow-up header saved by goalkeeper Kim Marshall.
It was another half hour before the Royals doubled their lead. In between, Reading peppered the Fleet Town goal and, although there were some sublime and deft long-range efforts, these were largely high and wide.
Whitburn was a constant outlet and threat down the Reading right, with Johnson unlucky when she connected with another great delivery from the winger, her side-foot finish going just wide of the goal.
The pressure continued and Johnson was alert to react and finish from close range to double Reading’s lead after Szekeres’ shot was only parried by the goalkeeper. 2-0.
With the interval rapidly approaching, there was still time for Johnson to grab her second of the match and make any plans of a half-time team talk about chances missed that little bit easier. Keziah Banduka threaded the ball through to Johnson on the edge of the penalty area, to turn and fire a fierce shot past the surprised goalkeeper. 3-0.
Half-time: 3-0
The second half resumed where it had left off, with Johnson getting her third of the afternoon just two minutes after the restart. With a Fleet Town player receiving treatment on the touchline, Reading showed no mercy, Broke-Smith’s pass slicing through the Town defence for Johnson to run onto and comfortably finish for her second hat-trick in as many weeks. 4-0.
Minutes later, Parker made it five, the Reading captain quick to read the cross from Whitburn to stab home from close range. 5-0.
Reading’s first substitution came when King went down injured and was forced to leave the play, with Bolitho the first of the four changes. Hayes, Manners and Cowell were all not far behind and the renewed strike force quickly went to town, wrapping up the match in convincing style.
Cowell’s first attempt at goal acted as a ‘sighter’, rebounding off the angle of the post and crossbar. From Bolitho’s pass, Cowell made no mistake with her second attempt, her shot from outside of the penalty area neatly tucked into the corner of the goal. 6-0.
After three quick corners in succession without success, Cowell made it fourth time lucky to stab home a near-post shot after Hayes’ set-piece had caused chaos and a goalmouth scramble. 7-0.
Cowell rounded off a substitution masterclass with a hat-trick, and 14th goal of the season, after Manners had set up an easy tap-in for Reading’s top goalscorer (with Johnson not far behind on 12 goals). 8-0.
Full-time: 8-0
It’s a result which has for now pushed Reading into fourth place – with AFC Portchester (who won the League Cup 3-1 on penalties against Wycombe Wanderers) just two points behind. However, they have two games in hand and are still to face Reading for a second time in the league.
Reading are now realistically guaranteed a place in the top five and, mathematically, able to finish anywhere from second to fifth.
It perfectly sets up an exciting finish to the season and a 2026/27 to really look forward to. If you’ve been unable to get along to the Sunday matches, but would still like to be a part of the Women’s team revival, there’s a couple of midweek fixtures over the next two weeks (details below), and it would be great if you could make it.
See you there!
Remaining fixtures
- Reading vs Oxford City: Arbour Park, Thursday April 30, 19:45 kick-off
- Reading vs AFC Portchester: Arbour Park, Wednesday May 6, 19:45 kick-off
- Fleet Town vs Reading: the Royals’ training centre on the outdoor 3G pitch (behind the Dome), Sunday May 10, 14:00 kick-off
Other league match
- Southampton Women 5-0 Badshot Lea
League standings
- Wycombe Wanderers: 45 points from 20 matches
- Winchester City Flyers: 40 points from 18 matches
- Southampton Women: 36 points from 19 matches
- Reading: 33 points from 17 matches
- AFC Porchester: 31 points from 15 matches
- Beaconsfield Town: 29 points from 19 matches
- Oxford City: 22 points from 16 matches
- Fleet Town: 19 points from 17 matches
- Sholing: 12 points from 17 matches
- Woodley United: 7 points from 17 matches
- Badshot Lea: 4 points from 19 matches
