READING FC WOMEN face their final test of the year when they make the trip to play Coventry United on Friday night.
It will be a day full of action for the club with both the women’s and men’s first-teams in action on Friday on the road.
Reading go into the game on the back of a narrow defeat against current Women’s Super League champions Chelsea in a game where they can hold their heads high after an outstanding second-half display.
Former Royal Fran Kirby opened the scoring with a goal that should have been ruled out for offside before the Royals shipped two more before the break to go in 3-0 down.
However, Kelly Chambers’ team showed immense fighting spirit on a bitterly cold night at Kings Meadow to take the game to the current title holders where they almost caught them out.
A quickfire double on the hour mark saw Sanne Troeslgaard and Amalie Eikeland find the net to reduce the deficit to one.
Reading pushed for a leveller but Chelsea just about held on to claim the points.
With their league action now concluded for the calendar year, Reading turn their focus to the Conti Cup against Coventry.
The Royals currently have three points from two games in their group after defeating Championship side Southampton having lost their opener to fellow WSL side Tottenham.
Reading will be confident that they can pick up three more points to put them in a commanding position to qualify for the next stage against a Coventry side that has lost all 10 of their matches in the Championship so far this season.
Coventry are yet topick up a point and are rooted to the foot of the table, seven points adrift of 11th placed Sunderland.
Coventry have managed just five goals and have leaked 37 times in 10 matches in what has been a harrowing start to the campaign.
In last season’s standings, Coventry finished in 11th place where they picked up five wins from their 22 matches which saw them finish above Watford by a single point.
However, Coventry have picked up a win in the Conti Cup this campaign having got the better of Southampton in their opening match.
Strikes from Meesha Dudley-Jones and Ebony Wiseman helped them to a 2-0 success, while they were beaten 5-1 by Spurs in their second Conti Cup outing.
Coventry did pick up a confidence boosting win last weekend in the FA Women’s cup that saw them beat Stockport County 4-2.
