REMI ALLEN says Sunday’s clash with Birmingham is “more than winnable” as Reading prepare for their final home game of the Spring Series.
Royals go into their contest with the Blues at Adams Park sitting above them in the table after a 1-0 win at Yeovil Town last week thanks to Mandy van den Berg’s first goal for the club.
And Allen, who spent two years playing for FA Cup finalists Birmingham before switching to Reading last summer, sees this as another great opportunity to grab three more points.
“There’s a couple of ex-Blues players in our team now who will be playing against our old club,” she told The Wokingham Paper.
“It will be nice.
“But it will be like any other game for us. We want to go and win it.
“I think it’s more than a winnable game so we’re focussed and we’re ready to go.”
She continued: “They had a great FA Cup run. I think Marc (Skinner) has come in and done a great job (as manager). They haven’t had the run of results in the Spring Series, but I think they’re very much in a building process.
“It should be an interesting and entertaining game.”
Sunday marks the third and final game at Adams Park of the Spring Series, with Reading having lost to both Chelsea and Manchester City.
Since moving to Wycombe Wanderers’ ground in March 2016, Royals have won just once there, an FA Cup tie against Millwall in their first competitive game at the ground.
That winless home league run now stretches 11 games, way back to an 8-0 WSL 2 victory over London Bees in August 2015 at Farnborough.
“I actually didn’t realise that,” said Allen.
“That’s pretty bad from our part and obviously something we need to change and we need to change sharpish.
“We love playing at home.
“The pitch is amazing and we have great support and great fans.
“It’s sad that it’s our last home game on Sunday but hopefully we can end it on a high.”
Having not won since the opening day at Bristol City, Reading picked up their second win of the Spring Series at Yeovil.
Kelly Chambers made three changes from the side which lost 3-2 against Manchester City with van den Berg, Becky Jane and Charlie Estcourt replacing Harriet Scott, Rachel Rowe and Lauren Bruton.
And the Royals produced a dominant display, taking the lead after seven minutes when van den Berg marked her first start with a goal, notching from a Jo Potter corner.
Numerous chances came and went as the visitors peppered the Yeovil goal with Kirsty McGee and Anna Green both going close.
Strikers Melissa Fletcher and Anissa Lahmari were thrown on to try and kill the game, but Glovers goalkeeper Megan Walsh kept the score down.
However, the Royals did take the victory to climb up to fifth in the table.
“Going into it we said that getting the three points was the most important thing,” said Allen.
“Reflecting on the game, we had a lot of chances that we didn’t put away which we’re disappointed with.
“I think anyone who watched the game would’ve seen how much we dominated.
“It was pretty much a one-sided game.
“We have been building on performances and that’s what we’ve kept saying, but at the same time we can’t keep building and playing well but not winning.
“It was important to go out there and actually pick up three points.”
READING: Earps; McGee (c), Potter, van den Berg (Scott 65); Jane, Allen, Moore, Furness, Green (Fletcher 60); Linnett (Lahmari 74), Estcourt.
Subs not used: Moloney, Bartrip, Hines, O’Rourke.
Goal: van den Berg (7)
Yellow cards: Linnett, Furness, Allen, Lahmari
YEOVIL: Walsh; Jackson (Haigh 45), Short, Bleazard, Cousins; Heatherson, James, Curson; Quinn (Pusey 76), N. Jones (Wiltshire 45), Lawrence.
Subs not used: Williams, J. Jones, Snook, Clark.
Yellow cards: N. Jones, Heatherson, Curson
Referee: Martin Underhay
Attendance: 356
