READING FC were dragged back into the Women’s Championship relegation battle after they lost out at home to London City Lionesses.
The result meant that the Lionesses leapfrogged Reading into ninth position, leaving Liam Gilbert’s team just three points above the relegation zone.
After a relatively uneventful first-half, Reading found a breakthrough right before the break when captain Brooke Hendrix got on the end of Lauren Wade’s floated free-kick and nodded the ball into the far corner.
Reading’s lead didn’t last long as London replied quickly after the restart.
Emily Orman stood up to the test early on when she got low to her right to parry away astrike from Nicole Douglas.
But the resistance was broken when the visitors scored two quick goals to turn the game on its head.
The equaliser came when Reading failed to clear from a corner which allowed Paige Satchell to fire a shot in at the near post through a crowd of bodies.
The second blow was struck when former Reading captain Emma Mukandi hit an absolute stunner from 35 yards. She picked up possession on the left and tried what looked like a speculative effort which flew into the top right hand corner past a helpless Orman.
Despite having plenty of time to try and force their way back into the contest, the hosts were unsuccessful and suffered a damaging defeat which saw them slip down the table.
Reading are now in 10th position on 15 points from 14 games, above 11th Lewes by two points and bottom side Watford by three points. The Royals also have two games in had on Lewes and one on Watford.
Gilbert’s team are back in action on Sunday when they travel to face promotion hunting Charlton Athletic who are in fourth spot, but just four points off the top of the table.
Reading: Orman, Stapleton, Houssein, Wellings, Wade, Flannery, Hendrix, Mayi Kith, Estcourt, Woolley, Roberts
Subs: Annets, Dugdale, Smith, Primmer, Perry, Wilson, Jarvis, Elwood, Longhurst
London City Lionesses: Moloney, Mukandi, Brougham, Campbell, Joel, Douglas, Satchell, Fitzgerald, Carter, Culver, Littlejohn
Subs: Cull, Scofield, Alexander, Lindstrum, Wilde, Henson, Cowan, Boye-Hlorkah, Farrelly
Goals: Hendrix 45+2’, Satchell 54’, Mukandi 57’
