READING FC WOMEN earned their first win of 2023 to take three crucial points in their fight for Women’s Super League survival.
Rachel Rowe’s thunderous strike six minutes from time gave the Royals just their third league win of the season.
Charlie Wellings put Reading ahead in the 66th minute, before Viviane Asseyi levelled 10 minutes later for the Hammers.
But Rowe found the decisive goal to ensure the Royals climb up two places into ninth and four points above the drop zone.
Searching for their first win of the calendar year, Reading were looking to push on in the WSL having knocked Spurs out of the FA Women’s Cup last weekend.
The Royals knew any kind of positive result would take them further away from the danger zone after relegation rivals Leicester City were defeated 5-1 at league leaders Manchester United earlier in the day.
It was a shaky start from Reading which saw goalkeeper Grace Moloney called into action twice in the matter of moments.
The first she did well to save from Honoka Hyassi who arrowed a low shot at goal before she got down to the corner to tip away a header from AmalieThestrup who connected with Lucy Parker’s cross.
Parker then had an effort of her own that was comfortably gathered by the Royals shot stopper.
Kelly Chambers’ team looked to create some chances of their own and almost forged an opening from a corner, but Justine Vanhaevermaet couldn’t quite latch onto a flick on in the area.
Moloney was kept busy again and made her best save of the half to keep out a close range header from Thestrup..
The clearest chance of the half came Reading’s way in stoppage time when a dinked cross from Amalie Eikeland found Charlie Wellings free and just five yards out from goal, but she volleyed over the bar with the goal at her mercy.
Reading came out after the break and started positively as skipper Emma Mukandi burst down the left and showed neat footwork before picking out Wellings, but she miscued her shot.
The hosts kept pushing to find a breakthrough and came close when Mukandi hit a stinging effort that was tipped over by the fingertips of Mackenzie Arnold.
Having set the tone throughout the second-half, the home team found their reward with 66 minutes on the clock as Wellings made amends for the chance she missed in the first-half.
Rachel Rowe put the ball into the path of Wellings on the left hand side of the box and she smacked a fierce effort that flew past Arnold to find the corner and put her team in front.
With 20 minutes to go, Chambers made her first substitution as Sanne Troelsgaard replaced Emma Harries.
The Irons replied to put the game back on level terms when Asseyi was picked out at the back post and poked the ball past Moloney.
With just six minutes of the 90 left to contest, Rowe unleashed a piledriver into the roof of the net to score a vitally important goal to try and maintain Reading’s top flight status.
West Ham came agonsingly close to snatching a point when they hit the crossbar with 90 minutes played, but Reading held on to claim three points.
Reading are away against Arsenal next Sunday in the WSL (6.45pm kick-off).
Reading: Moloney, Mukandi (c), Mayi Kith, Evans, Bryson, Moore, Vanhaevermaet, Eikeland, Rowe, Harries, Wellings
Subs: Burns, Hendrix, Caldwell, Troelsgaard, Meadows-Tuson, Wade
West Ham: Arnold, Shimzu, Cissoko, Fisk, Smith, Snerle, Parker, Longjurst, Asseyi, Hayashi, Thestrup
Subs: Hillyerd, Cooke, Denton, Filis, Houessein, Evans, Atkinson
Goals: Wellings 66’, Asseyi 76’, Rowe 84′
