Manchester City Women Ease Past Reading

Despite the trials and tribulations arising from a Champions League away game on Thursday night, followed by a lunchtime Sunday kick off away at Reading, City claimed the points.

Each week I seem to start the Manchester City Women blog with a tirade against the FA and their poor scheduling which impacts upon the development of the Women’s game. The sooner the Premier League take control of the WSL the better as it cannot be that City travelled back from Switzerland on Friday to take part in a Sunday lunchtime kick off.

Putting that to one side, the game began with the news that Georgia Stanway was going to be sidelined by a hamstring injury for around 6 weeks. After the exploits of Pauline Bremer in mid week and given the injury to Ellen White, delaying her debut, much rests on her shoulders.

Despite the combination of a general lack of training time and the travel, it was City who looked the brightest team from the kick off. In the Reading sunshine they stroked the ball around, probing for a scoring opportunity. Reading by contrast looked content to make up the numbers and see out the last throes of the Summer sun.

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It took some 26 minutes for City to carve the first real opportunity to open the scoring, as Tessa Wulleart ran through on goal, bearing down upon the Reading keeper. whether her shot was not quite cleanly enough struck or their keeper made a great save was open for debate.

Luckily just minutes later Bremer had the ball at her feet on the edge of the area and curled in a lovely shot past the keeper. A delightful well taken goal seemed to bolster her confidence and Bremer held the lone striker role really well throughout the game.

City did not get a second goal until the 59th minute. This time it was brute strength from Bremer, forcing the ball over the goal line after her initial effort was saved. Quite how a third did not go in was a mystery.

Janine Beckie saw a shot go narrowly wide after a lung bursting run. Caroline Weir launched a long ball which was met by the head of Bremer whose header came back off the post and was cleared. Then Beckie missed another opportunity when she grabbed at a shot rather than releasing Weir who was probably better placed.

As the match trundled on there were some tired legs on show, but City did well to use the ball to limit their running and saw out a comfortable result. They looked head and shoulders better than the Reading side and were rarely threatened.

At least there is a week to prepare before the next match which is at home to Leicester. Hopefully a rested and rejuvenated City side will secure passage in the Cup. This week though the whole side can be proud of a solid week of action with two wins and 9 goals scored.