Reading Women fell to a disappointing defeat at Ashton Gate as Bristol City took the points in a five-goal thriller to lift them off the bottom of the Women’s Super League.
Ebony Salmon scored the all-important winner as she raced through the Royals defence on the counter to guide Bristol to just their second league win of the season.
Emma Harries opened the scoring with her first senior goal, before Bristol levelled before the break through Charlie Wellings.
The home side went in front from Jemma Purfield’s looping shot but a sensational strike from Rachel Rowe levelled the game in the 73rd minute.
But just five minutes later, Salmon struck the winner just five minutes later to gift Bristol the win in front of the BT Sport cameras on International Women’s Day.
The Royals stay in sixth position in the table after their fifth defeat of the campaign.
It was a lively start to the match as the pacey Ebony Salmon looked to break in behind the Reading defence, but Royals’ goalkeeper Grace Moloney was quick to race off her line and smother the ball as she clattered into the Bristol striker.
Reading created their first chance of the game when the skipper Tash Harding got down the right-wing and found Emma Harries in the middle. She took the ball down neatly with her chest and swiveled but blasted her shot over the target.
There was danger for Reading when Yana Daniels was allowed far too much room to stride into the box, and there were appeals for a penalty after she threw herself to the ground under a challenge from Rachel Rowe, but the referee took no interest and allowed the game to continue.
On her return to the side, Fara Williams had her first sight of goal with a 30-yard free-kick but could only force a routine catch from Bristol keeper Sophie Baggaley.
A defensive calamity resulted in the first goal of the game in the 13th minute as a mix-up at the back cost Bristol.
Baggeley came out of her goal to collect, while two Bristol defenders both challenged for the same ball which led to a ricochet that fell to Harding. She put the ball into the path of Emma Harries who poked the ball in from close range to score her first goal in the Women’s Super League.
Reading grew in confidence after taking the lead as two chances came the way of Danielle Carter in quick succession.
Her first shot was well blocked before a brilliant flick on from Harries led to Carter using her quick feet to work space in the box, but Baggaley got down low to make a stop.
The hosts had a half chance when Charlie Wellings hit a half volley from 20 yards which travelled just wide before Rachel Rowe and Carter combined only to be denied again by Baggaley.
Just over 10 minutes after going behind, Bristol levelled the game a Wellings netted her first goal of the season.
Salmon sliced open the Royals defence with a through ball that Wellings raced onto and slotted the ball through the legs of Moloney and into the net to equalise.
Kelly Chambers’ side fought to try and regain the lead and looked the more likely to find a third goal of the game throughout the first-half.
Rowe continued to burst forward and help out in attack and her cross set up Harding at the back post, but she couldn’t control the bouncing ball as she lifted her shot over the top.
Rowe was then at the heart of another promising move as she moved forward with purpose and found Harries in the middle, but Aimee Palmer threw her body in the way of the Reading striker’s shot to make a crucial block.
Carter thought she had restored Reading’s lead in the 37th minute only to be denied by the offside flag.
Rowe’s cross fell into the path of Harries and her shot fell at the feet of Carter who bundled the ball across into the net but was in an offside position.
The hosts showed some brighter moments towards the end of the half as Salmon found her way into the box and could have squared the ball to Wellings in the middle, but lost control of the ball which allowed Deanna Cooper to take the ball away from her.
Reading dominated the ball for the opening 10 minutes of the second-half but couldn’t find a breakthrough.
Bristol then forced Moloney into action as Daniels cut onto her toot foot and lashed a shot towards goal just inside the box which was tipped behind for a corner by the Royals shot-stopper.
Chambers made her first switch of the game in the 58th minute as Amalie Eikeland replaced Lauren Bruton.
After a frantic start to the second-half, it was Bristol who took the lead just before the hour mark. The ball fell for Purfield out wide on the right in the box and she looped an effort which caught out Moloney and sailed over her head to put the hosts in front.
Just moments after going behind, substitute Eikeland had a superb opportunity to put Reading level when Cooper lofted the ball to the Norwegian forward who scuffed her shot into the side netting from just six yards out.
After applying the pressure, Reading found an equaliser in the 73rd minute of the match.
Williams spotted the run of Rowe and played a brilliant through ball that found the Welsh international who took a perfect first touch before smashing the ball high into the roof of the net to give the Bristol keeper no chance of making a save.
A second change from Chambers saw Jess Fishlock enter the game in place of Carter for the final 20 minute as the Royals looked to get themselves in front.
But the scoring wasn’t done there as Salmon gave the hosts the lead for the second time.
Abi Harrison played a delightful long through ball to find the run of Salmon who took an exquisite first-touch to take the ball into the box before she dispatched the ball into the far corner.
There was more disappointment for Reading when Rowe was given her marching orders in stoppage time as she was sent off for picking up her second yellow of the game.
Reading searched desperately to rescue a result as they attacked in numbers in the closing stages of the game but to no avail as they fell to defeat.
Bristol City Women: Baggaley, Bryson, Evans (c), Rafferty, Pike, Humphrey, Salmon, Daniels, Wellings, Palmer, Purfield
Subs: Haaland, Bissell, Collis, Cook, Harrison, Mastrantonio, Jones
Reading Women: Moloney, Mitchell, Cooper, Bartrip, Harding (c), James, Williams, Rowe, Harries, Bruton, Carter
Subs: Nayler, Leine, Roberts, Woodham, Childerhouse, Flores, Fishlock, Jeon, Eikeland
Goals: Harries 13′, Wellings 24′, Purfield 58′, Rowe 73′, Salmon 78′
