Manchester City Women 1, Reading Women 0
Manchester City were well below their fluent best but a late goal by Chloe Kelly ensured they stayed in the WSL title hunt.
They had spent 87 minutes being thwarted by Grace Moloney in Reading goal as well as the kind of wastefulness and misplaced passes that ultimately cost them against Barcelona in midweek.
But, as against Everton, City came up with the late goal to win a one-sided encounter in the form of a mesmerising run by Lauren Hemp past three defenders before she slipped the ball to Kelly – who missed a spot kick against Barca – who did the rest.
City had a total of 20 shots on goal, 9 on target compared to Reading’s 3 (2 on target), with a total of 69% possession – and the win took City to the top of the WSL ahead of Chelsea’s game against Aston Villa tomorrow.
City boss Gareth Taylor admitted it was a massive relief to get another late winner and praised Hemp’s contribution to Chloe Kelly’s winning goal.
He said: “We spoke at half time, I said if we hadn’t scored in the first 20 minutes of the second half we had to keep playing.
“We’ve done it previously and it’s important to remain calm but what a moment of magic
“The way the team handled the game with time wasting from the opposition was good.
“It’s all about the wins now, but I thought our build up play was impeccable. They changed a couple of things at half time and their plan nearly worked.
“I’m really proud of the girls today.”
On Hemp, Taylor was glowing: “I think she’s a top talent. She doesn’t hide, I thought she was exceptional against Barcelona the other day and I thought she was the one most like to make the breakthrough today.
“I thought she might score or get a penalty when she danced her way through but her decision to pass it to Chloe Kelly was top class.”
Victory might have taken City to the top of the WSL if only temporarily, but Taylor was rightly proud of City’s never say die attitude and he praised injured club captain Steph Houghton’s contribution to the team talk that helped the City players stay calm and pick their moment to win the game at the end.
He explained: “It might only be for 24 hours but the girls deserved it. I was proud of their performance.
“We probably needed to be more clinical like we have been all season but we dealt well with the time wasting.
“She is out for another two or three weeks but Steph really earned her money today. She was in and around the players pushing them.
“The players managed it well and deserved the win today.”
Taylor said that they were managing the Demi Stokes’ minutes after her return from injury but thought she may have suffered a setback which could put her involvement against Barcelona on Wednesday in doubt.
He said: “It seems like a groin issue, but she looked alright when I saw her. We’ll have a look at it.
Taylor made 3 changes to the side that were well beaten by the La Liga Champions in Monza in midweek.
City captain Steph Houghton was ruled out for two or three weeks with a continuing Achilles injury but she was presented with an award for reaching 200 appearances for the club.
Demi Stokes, Georgia Stanway, and Rose Lavelle stayed in the side after coming on as second half substitutes in Italy, while Esme Morgan, Sam Mewis, and Ellen White stepped down to the bench.
City had the Barcelona Women’s Champions League second leg to come at the City Football Academy but couldn’t afford to drop any points in the WSL ahead of April’s expected title showdown against Chelsea.
But they struggled to break down the Royals with an early performance which suggested a hangover from the Barcelona game as City hit the woodwork and were thwarted by a good performance by Grace Moloney in the Reading goal and a poor final ball much of the time.
City enjoyed plenty of the ball but there were also some sloppy moments in losing possession throughout the game even though they should have taken the lead within the first six minutes.
City had a succession of chances before Demi Stokes pulled the ball back into the danger zone – the ball eventually reached Rose Lavelle whose rising shot was tipped over the bar by Grace Moloney.
Caroline Weir sprayed the ball wide of the back post with her weaker right foot after Moloney was drawn out of her goal by a later ball across the box.
Weir, Lucy Bronze, and Lavelle created half chances before Weir touched the ball wide in one of many close chances.
Grace Moloney produces several saves to thwart Man City Women for 87 minutes
Moloney went down after 18 minutes and seemed to be ok to continue despite backup keeper Erin Naylor beginning a warm-up.
Lavelle’s low show from wide on the right gave Moloney something to think about.
After 26 minutes, Ellie Roebuck was called into action after a ball forward sent Amalie Eikeland clean through but the England keeper made a confident save to push the Norwegian’s shot away.
City were wasteful again when Chloe Kelly’s cross from the right was begging to be converted by Georgia Stanway but the livewire striker didn’t get enough contact on it to divert it goalwards and the ball flashed harmlessly wide of the back post after 34 minutes.
Lauren Hemp was next to miss an open goal in the 40th minute, striking the upright after a she was picked out by a crossfield pass as the goal continued to evade City.
Even Demi Stokes had a go, with her deflected shot in injury time gratefully collected by Moloney who also saved a long range shot by Lavelle.
Reading were on the front foot after the break and saw a corner cleared by Bronze and they also used the long ball well with Jess Fishlock released for a run on goal which Keira Walsh cleared.
Stanway had a shot which was too close to Moloney as City continued to rack up chances.
Jess Fishlock stumbled in the City area after tripping Lucy Bronze before Esme Morgan replaced Stokes after 59 minutes – City’s first change of the day.
City’s second changed followed shortly afterwards when Mewis replaced her fellow American Lavelle in the 62nd minute.
A corner by Greenwood went over the head of Abby Dahlkemper at the back post as the frustration rose for City.
Rachel Rowe’s rising snap shot was caught by Roebuck as Fishlock found some space to put her tea mate through with spaces appearing everywhere in the game.
Mewis’ ball across the area was begging to be converted by a striker, and it was only then that Ellen White was brought on to replace Stanway while Fara Williams was replaced by Danielle Carter with 22 minutes to go.
City won a succession of corners with White and Mewis the target but Bronze’s header went wide of the back post.
White mishit the ball wide of the post after she got to Bronze’s cutback as time started to run out for City and Bristol started to look for spaces to punish City on the break.
Mewis sent a header wide after reacting to a ball into the box while Weir was also wayward with a free shot after a Kelly cut back into the box.
Rachel Rowe was replaced by Emma Harries as Reading sensed a chance to hold on for a point with 8 minutes to go.
A backtracking Moloney tipped a dipping wind-assisted Weir cross away for a corner as City edged ever closer.
City finally got their goal after 87 minutes when Lauren Hemp got the ball, skipped past three defenders on the way into the area and squared it for Chloe Kelly to finally breach Moloney’s goal from close range.
The relief was palpable and City saw out the remaining time to secure the vital WSL points to stay in the title hunt.
GOALS – Manchester City Women 1, Reading Women 0
Man City Women 1, Reading Women 0: 87. Lauren Hemp got the ball, skipped past three defenders on the way into the area and squared it for Chloe Kelly to finally breach Moloney’s goal from close range.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City Women 1, Reading Women 0
Man City Women: Roebuck, Bronze, Dahlkemper, Greenwood, Stokes (C) (Morgan 59), Lavelle, Walsh, Weir, Kelly, Hemp, Stanway (White)
Man City Women subs not used: Taieb, Mannion, Coombs, Beckie, Park, White, Mewis, Davies
Booking: Bronze 45+1
Reading Women: Moloney, Harding (C), Leine, Bartrip, Cooper, Rowe (Harries 82), Fishlock, Williams (Carter 68), James, Woodham, Elkeland
Reading Women Subs not used: Naylor, Gae-ul, Flores, Roberts, Childerhouse
Booking: Harding 41 (foul on Demi Stokes), Woodham 47 (foul on Chloe Kelly); Eikeland 78 (foul on Lucy Bronze); Cooper 87 (timewasting); Bartrip 90+1 (foul on Chloe Kelly)
Referee: Stacey Pearson