Reading Women 11-1 Kidlington Youth Ladies: Match Report

The Royals racked up a massive win over Kidlington on Sunday.

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Reading Women eased through to the second round of the League Cup in some style, clocking up a double-digit scoreline, with an 11-1 victory against Kidlington Youth Ladies at Arbour Park, Slough on Sunday.

Four goals (including a first-half hat-trick) from striker Nat Cowell, two a piece from Poppy Whitburn and Keren Banduka and finishes from Jazz King, Lucy Bolitho and Ellie Manners formed part of a rampant performance from a Royals side which had threatened this sort of result after some really

good performances over the past few matches.

It was unfortunate timing for Kidlington Youth, who journeyed to Slough looking for some cup success to distract them from what had already been a difficult start to the season, finding themselves second from bottom in Division One North of the Southern Region League, after picking up only one point after six matches.

The sixth-tier team had previously enjoyed some cup success after beating Ruislip Rangers in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup (before being knocked out by Ashridge Park at the next stage), and had already booked a place in the quarter-finals of the Oxfordshire FA County Cup by beating East Oxford Ladies 4-2 in the last round.

Both teams were without a competitive fixture last weekend.

Reading, unable to play their League Cup match because Slough Town were already playing at Arbour Park (another reason why the Royals desperately need a home to call their own, in Reading), did manage to arrange a friendly match behind closed doors: a 1-1 against Farnborough Town.

Kidlington Youth were also unlucky when their league match, away to Tilehurst Panthers (who play their matches at Reading City’s Rivermoor Stadium), was also called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

With players either unavailable or carrying knocks or injuries, Reading manager Ed Jackson-Norris – in his 100th managerial match – made four changes from the side that defeated Sholing two weeks ago.

Young goalkeeper Jess Webb was between the posts for her second appearance of the season, with Bethan Poole, Lauren Knight, Ellie Manners rotated from the substitutes bench to start the match.

Team: Jess Webb (GK), Poppy Whitburn, Bethan Poole, Sarah Thompson (Chloe Prangley, 59), Keziah Banduka, Jazz King (Mille Lamden, 59), Lauren Knight (Ellie Szekeres, 59), Mia Parker (captain) (Lucy Bolitho, 59), Keren Banduka, Nat Cowell (Georgia Hayes, 59), Ellie Manners

Reading goalscorers: Nat Cowell (P) 15’, 33’, 34’ 56; Keren Banduka, 36’, 90+10; Poppy Whitburn 2’, 71’; Jazz King, 60’; Lucy Bolitho, 73’; Ellie Manners 78’

Reading yellow cards: Lauren Knight, 35’

First half

With Reading fans expecting a strong performance, the Royals didn’t disappoint, starting on the front foot and putting the Green Army under some pressure and giving an early warning of what was to come.

A super cross-ball from centre-back Thompson picked out Cowell inside the penalty area, but she was just unable to finish, with Kidlington goalkeeper Emily Murphy out quickly to smother her effort.

Keren Banduka came close, outpacing and rounding the left-back, selflessly trying to pick out a Reading player in the box when she’d arguably earned the right to go on and finish herself.

On the other flank, Manners occupied the right side of the Kidlington defence, putting in a delightful cross which somehow managed to elude Keren Banduka when it looked like a tap-in at the back post.

It therefore wasn’t a surprise when Reading opened the scoring after 15 minutes: player/coach Cowell felled inside the Kidlington area before stepping up to slot home an unstoppable penalty kick, into the top right-hand corner. 1-0.

What did come as a surprise was the immediate response from the visitors. With the home fans’ seats barely warm again, Kidlington were level, within a minute, when a ball down the middle appeared to elude several Reading attempts to clear, finding its way to striker Abi Hamyes, who half-volleyed an effort past Webb in the Reading goal. 1-1.

The Royals picked themselves up and pushed on from where they’d left off. Thompson headed over a Knight corner – the midfielder’s set-pieces and corner kicks were of high quality all afternoon – and Keren Banduka, twisting and turning, fired a shot over the crossbar.

The game turned on its head when, on the half-hour mark, the Royals scored three goals in three minutes.

Reading’s right-back, Whitburn, raced down the wing to deliver an inch-perfect cross for Cowell to tap in for her second of the afternoon. 2-1.

This time, the immediate restart response came from the team in the biscuit blue and white hoops. Cowell grabbed her third of the afternoon after some great work on the Reading left by Poole, who squared to Keren Banduka, to set up Reading striker Cowell for a close range finish. 3-1.

With a ruthlessness Royals fans had been waiting to see, Keren Banduka scored Reading’s fourth goal before the half-time whistle had even been blown. The tricky winger cut in from a tight angle to finish a great individual effort. 4-1.

Half-time: 4-1

As the scoreline clearly showed, the second half was dominated by Reading, who showed not only the gap in quality between the teams but also the fitness levels that Jackson-Norris had spoken about (and demanded) in pre-season training.

Kidlington Youth didn’t know where the next Reading threat was to come from.

King was calm and collected in her central defensive-midfield role, captain Parker worked tirelessly in midfield, and Thompson’s range of passing from the back enabling Whitburn and Keren Banduka to cause chaos on Reading’s right side and Manners and Poole from the left.

Whitburn scored her first Royals goal just one minute into the restart. Picking up a pass from Thompson, her cross/shot evaded the Kidlington goalkeeper to find the top corner of the goal, from a tight angle. 5-1.

Just 10 minutes later, it was another two goals in two minutes.

Cowell picked up her fourth of the season after the Kidlington goalkeeper was unable to hold a long-range shot from Knight, the Reading striker quick to react, firing the ball into the net. 6-1.

Reading made it seven when the Kidlington defence failed to clear, with King, in an unusually high attacking position, rifled home an effort into the top corner from within the penalty area. 7-1.

With 30 minutes of normal time remaining, Jackson-Norris chose to make wholesale changes, bringing on all five substitutes in one go. Lucy Bolitho took the captain’s armband from the departing Parker, Hayes came on for quadruple-goalscorer Cowell, Lamden replaced King, and in a great moment for the success of the Royals pathway, recently promoted under-16s players Ellie Szekeres and Chloe Prangley got another opportunity (coming on for Knight and Thompson).

It only took another 10 minutes for the Royals’ goal-scoring machine to kick back into life when Whitburn grabbed her second of the match. Great work from Keren Banduka chased down, and kept on, what looked like a dead ball, only to pass to the Reading right-back, who curled her shot over the goalkeeper and into the top corner. 8-1.

With nearly 15 minutes of normal time remaining, Bolitho opened her account for the season with a delightful turn and shot to finish into the bottom corner. 9-1.

Reading made it double digits when Manners got her just reward, and another opening goal of the season, after a great bit of play from Szekeres to Whitburn, who squared for a simple finish at the back post. 10-1.

Hayes was unlucky when her bundled effort, from close range, was disallowed by the referee for an adjudged handball.

The demoralising scoreline, together with the constant pressure from a persistent Reading team, weighed heavy on the visitors, and the second half stopped several times due to fatigue and time out for treatment required often for Kidlington Youth.

In the time added on, and with literally the last kick of the match, Keren Banduka popped up to score her second of the game with a neat finish at the near post. 11-1.

Full-time: 11-1

Although Kidlington Youth are a tier below, this performance was another reminder of how far Reading have progressed.

With the draw already made, Reading know they now face Penn & Tylers Green in the second round, on Sunday November 30, ready to avenge their pre-season friendly defeat.

With Reading in delayed League Cup action, it meant Sunday was another full league fixture schedule, with the Royals falling further behind. After the latest results, Reading are down to seventh position, but have of course only played four matches, with teams around them having played up to three games more.

With this in mind, it’s even more frustrating when you realise there’s no match again next week. The Royals once again have to arrange a friendly, this time against Watford, and unfortunately behind closed doors.

So it’s a two-week wait before Reading are back in competitive action, for a tough league match away to sixth-place Winchester City Flyers (with the two sides equal on points), on Sunday November 23, 2pm kick-off.

See you there!