Reading Women exited the Berks & Bucks Cup after a close match saw them finish on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline against Ascot United at the Racecourse Ground on Tuesday night.
A clinical finish from
Ascot’s Kate Fox in the 14th minute, a stunning top-corner save from Reading goalkeeper Lilly Hadrava in the first half and a second-half strike by Royals striker Nat Cowell (disallowed for offside) were the deciding moments in a hard-fought and tight match, with fine margins between the two teams.
With Reading’s last scheduled league match against Woodley United postponed (due to a lack of opposition players) and the Berks & Bucks Cup game moved to the Tuesday night, it had been just over two weeks since the Royals played a competitive game.
Reading manager Ed Jackson-Norris did however take the opportunity to arrange a friendly on Sunday at Arbour Park, Slough against a Queens Park Rangers development team, to try and give the squad a bit of a run-out, with a different XI for each half.
The Royals ended up 4-3 winners with Cowell netting a hat-rick. It was also a great pathway moment with two of the under-16s not only making their debuts but also combining to score a goal, Chloe Prangley finishing from an Ellie Szekeres corner.
Tuesday’s match was the first round of the Berks & Bucks Cup and Reading were up against the newly promoted tier-four National League outfit Ascot United, who ran away with the league last season as undefeated champions of the Southern Region Premier League Champions (the division Reading are currently competing in).
Ascot have had a mixed start to their league campaign with two wins, three defeats and a draw. However, they came into this match confident, on the back of a 4-1 victory over Chesham United in the FA Women’s National League Cup Plate.
Although it wasn’t to be this time, the Royals have enjoyed some good recent history in this competition. The under-21s beat MK Dons in a penalty shoot-out to win the tournament in 2023/24 and, only last season, they reached the semi-finals, eventually knocked out by a Jackson-Norris-managed Maidenhead United, beating tier-four side Abingdon United (again on penalties) en route.
With Reading normally training on Tuesday night, and with a big squad of players used in the friendly over the weekend, I’m sure Jackson-Norris would have had a few difficult selection choices to make.
It was great to see the midfield dynamo Mia Parker back in the starting line-up following her recent injury – and wearing the captain’s armband. Alongside her were Jazz King and Lucy Bolitho, the latter being the only player from last season’s campaign in Tuesday’s squad. Emily Norfolk made her first start, at left-back, and a nice reward, after last weekend’s friendly, with under-16s player Szekeres named as a substitute.
It was also good to see many of the players not named a part of the squad supporting the team from the touchline.
Team: Lilly Hadrava, Poppy Whitburn (Ellie Manners, 70), Keziah Banduka, Sarah Thompson, Emily Norfolk (Millie Lamden, 75), Keren Banduka, Jazz King, Lucy Bolitho (Tyra Wilson, 60. Tia Johnson, 70), Mia Parker (Captain), Tia Johnson (Ellie Szekeres, 60), Nat Cowell (Georgia Hayes, 70)
Unused substitutes: None
Reading goalscorers: None
Reading yellow cards: None
Ascot United goalscorers: Kate Fox, 14
Ascot United yellow cards: Isabella Violet Cox, Mia Delaney, Hattie Kettle
First half
It was a first half in which Reading will have felt really hard done by, going into the break 1-0 down. An error playing out from the back gave Ascot’s Fox the opportunity, just inside the penalty area, to strike the ball into the side netting. Her clinical finish gave Reading goalkeeper Hadrava no chance. 1-0.
Before then it had been Reading on the ascendancy, creating shooting opportunities, playing on the front foot and showing aggression in midfield. In the seventh minute the early pressure paid off when Reading defender Keren Banduka won the ball high upfield and squared to Bolitho – her shot held well by ex-Royals goalkeeper Cherry Preisner.
Minutes later, chasing from Parker earned the first corner of the match. Tia Johnson’s testing delivery into the box was headed just over by central defender Sarah Thompson.
If the Reading fans were intrigued to see how well Preisner might be doing after her move to Ascot in the summer, it was current Royals ‘keeper Hadrava who stole the show.
A top-draw, stunning save denied Ascot’s Poppy Dearlove when the ball looked like it was on its way into the top corner: Hadrava flipping the ball over the crossbar and onto the netting. This was one of those saves that, if it were in the WSL, you’d have seen all over social media by now.
Player/coach Cowell had another chance from the edge of the penalty but her shot lacked power.
Although Ascot applied a lot of pressure and won four first-half corners, there was very little for Reading’s goalkeeper to do in the defence (the wonder save excepted), nullifying the majority of the Yellawomen’s attempts.
In contrast, and to underline the Royals’ pressing and work rate too, it was Ascot who collected two first-half yellow cards in an attempt to thwart Reading’s attacking play.
Half-time: 1-0
The second half was more of the same: a hard-fought battle between two closely matched teams but very little action for both goalkeepers to deal with.
In fairness, although Reading battled hard, with Ascot picking up another yellow card, it was the home side that edged the second 45 minutes and created some good chances – but failed to hit the target.
It could, however, have been completely different. Cowell – in her trademark targetwoman style – controlled the ball, battled her way around goalkeeper Preisner and slotted the ball into the back of an empty net, only to see her effort ruled out for what must have been, at best, a very close offside call by the assistant referee.
Jackson-Norris, similarly to Ascot’s manager, used all of his substitutes available, but the match remained deadlocked.
The home side should have put the game beyond reach with 10 minutes remaining when the ball was squared to Ascot striker Jacey Lane, who skied her shot over the crossbar from close range.
Full-time: 1-0
It’s Ascot who progress through to the next round and, with the draw already made, they now await a date to meet New Bradwell St Peter FC (a Buckinghamshire-based, tier-six side) in the quarter-finals.
For Reading it will have been a month since their last league match (the win away at Southampton), but they are back in action, at Arbour Park, next weekend (Sunday October 26, 2pm kick-off) against Sholing. See you there!
