Reading FC Women ensured their place in the Women’s Championship with a home victory over relegation battling Durham.
Jessie Stapleton scored the only goal of the game as the Royals overcame 10-player Durham to take their fifth league win of the season.
Reading are now on 22 points which puts them six points above the drop zone with just one game left.
Knowing a win would put them in prime position to keep their spot in the league, the Royals set out in search of the first goal when Lauren Wade got down the left byline and delivered an inviting ball which was met by Jesse Woolley, who didn’t mange to get a sweet enough connection to trouble the keeper.
The Royals then looked to have unlocked the Durham defence with some patient build up play which was fed through to Madison Perry who was first denied by the keeper before she poked the rebound wide.
The game took a turn late in the first-half when Deirdre Bradley flew in dangerously on Tia Primmer and was shown a red card.
Despite being down to 10 players, Durham created a massive chance to open the scoring when Mollie Lambert got through and looked to have an empty net, went down under the challenge of goalkeeper Jackie Burns, but was not awarded a penalty as Reading scrambled the ball clear.
Reading finally broke the deadlock in the 66th minute from the aftermath of a corner when a looped ball into the box was missed by Durham goalkeeper Tatiana Saunders which left Stapleton with a tap in from a few yards out as she netted her first Royals goal.
Wade had a golden opportunity to put the game to bed Perry flicked the ball on for her in the box and she connected on the volley but couldn’t keep her shot down which flew over the top.
Perry then squandered a massive chance late on when she opted to shoot instead of squaring the ball for a teammate and missed the target.
However, Stapleton’s goal was enough to see Reading take all three points and after Lewes lost to Crystal Palace later in the day, the Royals’ Championship status was confirmed.
Reading: Burns, Dugdale, Stapelton, Primmer, Perry, Wade, Flannery, Hendrix, Estcourt, Woolley, Roberts
Subs: Orman, Houssein, cooper, Smith, Mayi Kith, Elwood, Hunt, Jarvis, Longhurst
Durham: Saunders, Briggs, S Wilson, Hepple, Lambert, Andrews, Crosthwaite, Salicki, Bradley, Ayre, Noonan
Subs: McAloon, Bramley, Christon, E Wilson, Nicholson, Ryan-Doyle
Goals: Stapleton 66’
