READING FC WOMEN’s future in the Women’s Super League looks ominous after they were swept aside by Aston Villa in what was a humiliating home defeat.
Lionesses star Rachel Daly was in scintillating form as she netted a hat-trick having already scored a treble against Reading in the reverse fixture.
Goals from Alisha Lehmann and Kirsty Hanson added to the misery as Villa came away with the points in a dominating display.
The Royals occupy bottom place in the WSL and are two points off Leicester who have a game in hand.
Kelly Chambers’ team went into their penultimate home fixture of the campaign in desperate need of points to try and drag them off the bottom of the table.
Meanwhile, Villa have had an excellent season which has seen Lionesses star Rachel Daly net 17 WSL goals since returning to England in the summer.
It was Daly who continued to haunt Reading having scored a hat-trick when the team’s met in the reverse fixture when she gave the visitors an early lead.
After a burst down the left from Kirsty Hanson, Daly stretched to reach the ball and poke it into the bottom corner to give Villa a 15th minute breakthrough.
Having been woken up by conceding an early goal, Reading almost came up with an instant response when Justine Vanhaevermaet fed the ball to Sanne Troelsgaard who took aim from a tight angle and saw her shot clip the inside of Hannah Hampton’s near post.
Chances were few and far between for Reading as Villa dominated proceedings and looked likely to add to the scoreline.
The next big chance came for Hanson when she met Maz Pacheco’s free-kick delivery and headed just wide of the target.
Vanhaevermaet was the first player to go into the book when she was cautioned for a late lunge.
With 42 minutes on the clock Villa sliced open the Royals defence again to double the score.
Daly turned provider in what was almost a carbon copy of the opening goal as the forward delivered from the left to find Alisha Lehmann completely unmarked in the middle and she converted with a first timed finish.
Looking to add to their superiority, the away team almost added a third when Moloney punched the ball away which only dropped as far as Daly who tried to pick out the top corner from 15 yards, but narrowly missed.
Things went from bad to worse in the final few minutes of the half as the game was all but taken away from Reading.
With Easther Mayi Kith in possession just outside of Reading’s box, she surrendered possession all too easily under pressure from Daly who unselfishly slid the ball across to Hanson who was able to slot into an empty net to make it 3-0.
Reading had a chance to reduce the deficit when the bouncing ball dropped in the six-yard area for Jade Moore who snatched at the chance and smacked high over the bar.
Just a few minutes later, Villa picked Reading apart again when a flowing move that involved Lehmann and Kenza Dali ended with Daly who planted the ball into the corner to bag her second of the afternoon.
Daly’s profitable streak was far from done as Reading were carved open again and she stroked the ball past Moloney to seal her hat-trick.
With 35 minutes left, Chambers had made all five of her changes which had seen Lily Woodham, Tia Primmer, Lauren Wade, Maddison Perry and Brooke Hendrix enter the game.
Villa had opportunities to put even more gloss on the scoreline, including a chance for former Royal Pacheco who nodded inches wide of the far post.
The final whistle sounded as the Royals were left at the foot of the table with just two games left to play to try and save their WSL status.
Reading: Moloney, Mayi-Kith, Caldwell, Mukandi, Vanhaevermaet, Rowe, Moore, Harries, Wellings, Troelsgaard
Subs: Bryson, Evans, Wade, Hendrix, Alexander, Woodham, Poulter, Perry, Primmer
Aston Villa: Hampton, Pacheco, Turner, Patten Mayling, Dali, Staniforth, Hanson, Blindkidle Brown, Daly, Lehmann
Subs: Allen, Boye-Hlorkah, Leat, Magill, Littlejohn
Goals: Daly 15’, 55’, 63’, Lehmann 41’, Hanson 44
