Manchester United have moved to the top of the Barclays Women’s Super League table with a 1-0 victory over Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium this afternoon.
The Red Devils capitalised on the abandonment of Chelsea’s home fixture against Liverpool by eliminating the three-point deficit between themselves and the league summit.
It didn’t run as smoothly as Manchester United would’ve hoped for against a Reading side who have struggled this season. The contest was a very cagey affair in the opening exchanges as both sides looked dangerous going forward but struggled to find that clinical edge.
Manchester United were handed a tremendous chance to take the lead when former Red Devil Diane Caldwell brought down Alessia Russo in the area and the referee awarded a penalty kick. However, they were unable to make it count as captain Katie Zelem saw her low, hard spot kick saved by Jacqueline Burns who kept the game level.
Moments later, the away side had another great chance to break the deadlock as the ball rebounded out to Nikita Parris. The England international made a great connection and must have thought that she’d scored, only to be denied by the crossbar.
Reading had chances of their own and could’ve easily been ahead going in at half-time but for some strong goalkeeping from visiting keeper Mary Earps.
The visitors continued to push hard in the second 45 minutes but a stubborn Reading defence persisted to keep them at bay. Burns also built on her strong first half performance as she kept the likes of Russo and Zelem out once again.
Reading could have even snatched the lead themselves when a glancing header from Justine Vanhaevermaet looked destined to nestle in the back of the net but Earps produced a fine save to push the ball away.
As the match crept towards the 90-minute mark, it looked to be a case of déjà vu for Marc Skinner and his Manchester United side who were unable to make the most of their opportunities. However, that wasn’t to be the case as substitute Rachel Williams produced a moment of brilliance to send the visiting fans into hysterics. Williams latched onto a long ball from Ella Toone and powered her way into the area. She forced her way beyond three defenders before hammering the ball into the roof of the Reading net, leaving Burns rooted to the spot.
With only stoppage time remaining, The Red Devils were able to see out the match and leapfrog Chelsea into pole position. It was the kind of fixture where Manchester United would have dropped points in the past, but on this occasion, they were able to find the win. Skinner’s side have been re-writing the history books this season and this afternoon was another prime example of the team’s development.