KELLY CHAMBERS says every game between now and the end of the season is “like a cup final” for Reading Women as they seek to preserve their FA WSL 1 status.
Royals, promoted as WSL 2 champions last season, sit second bottom of the table with no wins so far, six points clear of Doncaster Belles.
Chambers’ charges take to the field against on Sunday when champions Chelsea come to Adams Park with two clashes against Doncaster looming on the horizon.
“Of course the games against Doncaster are going to be huge,” Chambers told The Wokingham Paper.
“Every game in this league is a cup final just because you have such a long break between each of them.
“You turn up and you’ve got a game then you’ve got a three-week break so every game is like a cup final.
“But we’ve got four games left, we play Chelsea twice and we play Donny twice.
“We need to make sure that we’re picking up points in those games.”
The cup final feel was in no clearer focus than Reading’s last game out as they created numerous opportunities against Liverpool Ladies on September 1, only to be stung by a late winner from the Merseysiders.
And Chambers admits that was a difficult defeat to take.
“It was really tough,” she said.
“I’m absolutely gutted.
“The performance definitely deserved more.
“We said that at Man City (after losing 2-0) but the chances we had against Liverpool, we should’ve been walking away with three points.”
She continued: “We had three golden opportunities including a penalty saved and a shot cleared off the line.
“We had three golden opportunities to score three goals to make sure that we walked away with three points and that didn’t happen.
“But I suppose when you’re sitting at the bottom of the table, you don’t get that luck.”
Chambers named an unchanged side from the one which lost at Man City four days earlier and she insists she is pleased with the displays her side are putting in.
“The performances have been outstanding for the last three games,” she said.
“The girls have really taken on tactics and gameplans, executing them extremely well but in top level women’s games it’s little moments that are going to cost you.
“It was a little moment against Liverpool which cost us and us not taking chances at the other end cost us.”
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