REWIND: Chelsea end season with victory in five-goal thriller at Reading

Chelsea ended their 2018/2019 FA Women’s Super League campaign with a thrilling 3-2 victory over a plucky Reading side at Adams Park.

FA Women’s Super League Full-Time go back in time to that fixture, a game in which Chelsea needed to avoid defeat to make sure of a third place finish.

Chelsea made a fine start in Buckinghamshire, opening the scoring with the game’s first shot on target. Ji So-Yun found space in the box and she picked out the top corner of the net.

That goal was to be the only goal of the first half as both sides where largely restricted to ambitious efforts from distance.

The second half saw Reading goalkeeper Grace Moloney twice called into action from Sophie Ingle and Fran Kirby before the home side levelled matters when Fara Williams played in Natasha Harding to score.

The Royals were back in the game for just a minute. Karen Carney quickly restored Chelsea’s lead with a shot from a tight angle.

A crazy couple of minutes produce a third second half goal which came from Reading. After Harding had seen an effort strike the bar, Williams headed home to make it 2-2 with 38 minutes left to play.

Chelsea again searched for a goal which would see them regain the lead with Kirby testing Moloney before Beth England’s shot cannoned off the post. The Blues’ third goal was soon to come with England finding the back of the net from close range.

Kirby twice went close to doubling Chelsea’s lead. Her first effort struck the bar before Moloney gathered her second strike on goal.

There was a nervous moment at the death for the visitors as Rachel Furness found space in the box for Reading but she couldn’t direct the ball into the net as Chelsea ended the season with a 3-2 win.

About The Author

Daniel Pentland

I am the editor and owner of the WSL Full-Time brand which I launched in 2018.

I am an accredited journalist with the FWA, SJA and AIPS. I have reported from various levels of men’s and women’s elite football since 2016.

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