READING FC WOMEN ended their run of four straight defeats as they produced a magnificent performance to beat Aston Villa.
Having waited more than four matches for a goal, the Royals scored a quickfire double as Amalie Eikeland and Rachel Rowe gave them the perfect start.
Natasha Dowie then netted her first Royals goal with a sumptuous strike on the stroke of half-time to put them three ahead.
Reading came into the match looking to turn their form around after a miserable start to the campaign as Tash Harding and Rachel Rowe returned to the starting line-up.
Meanwhile, the visitors had two former Royals players in their side as defender Maz Pacheco started at full-back and Remi Allen, who played 66 times in the league for Reading, was given the captain’s armband for Villa.
The Royals made a bright start to lift the home crowd as winger Deanne Rose showed her pace down the left touchline and placed a promising cut back into the box which found Brooke Chaplen in front of goal, but a Villa defender got her body in the way of the shot.
But having waited just over four games to score a goal, two came along in quick succession.
Eikeland opened the scoring in the 16th minute as the Royals burst forward on the counter attack and the Reading forward found the back of the net as her cross from the right looped up over the head of Villa keeper Hannah Hampton.
Just three minutes later, Reading doubled their advantage as Rowe got on the scoresheet just moments after the hosts cleared potential danger from a Villa corner.
Rose showed immense work rate to beat Hampton to the ball and recycled possession back out wide to find Rowe who arrowed a shot into the roof of the net at the near post from a tight angle.
With momentum now very much in their favour, Kelly Chambers’ team continued to lok fluid in attack and test the Villa defence.
Full-back Faye Bryson fizzed a teasing ball into the area that just evaded the head of Rose at the back post.
Carla Ward’s team had plenty of chances from set pieces, winning six corners throughout the first-half, but they were unable to test Grace Moloney in the Reading goal.
With the game on the brink of half-time, the Royals added to their delightful opening 45 minutes with a third goal of the afternoon.
Rose picked out the run of Natasha Dowie who set herself before she lashed a shot from outside the box that flew into the top corner to cap off a stunning half for the hosts.
The second-half was a much more balanced affair compared to the clinical opening 45 minutes from the Royals.
But they managed to sit on their three-goal lead and frustrate the away side to not allow them a glimmer of hope to get back in to the contest.
Chambers made her first change of the match in the 67th match as Rose was replaced after a lively display by Emma Harries.
Villa came close to grabbing a goal back in the 74th minute as Alisha Lehmann came forward on the left and hit a curling strike with her right-foot that clipped the outside of the far post.
Lehmann had another pop at goal just moments later but didn’t get a good connection as her effort flew high over Moloney’s bar.
Reading thought they should have been awarded the chance for a fourth from the penalty spot when Harries looked to have been tripped by Anita Asante in the box, but the referee waved the protests away.
The Royals held out to complete a professional performance in the second0half to earn their first win of the league campaign with a clean sheet.
Reading are back at home on Wednesday night when they host Bristol City in the Conti Cup.
Reading: Moloney, Bryson, Evans, Cooper, Harding, Eikeland, Venhaevermaet, Chaplen, Rowe, Dowie, Rose
Subs: Peplow, Harries, Woodham, Roberts, Lister, Stewart
Aston Villa: Hampton, Mayling, Sergeant, Asante, Pacheco, Lehmann, Arthur, Petzelberger, Hayles, Allen, Boye-Hlorkah
Goals: Eikeland 16’, Rowe 19’, Dowie 45+2’
