Reading FC Women’s winless streak continued as their Women’s Super League campaign finished with a loss to Manchester City.
The Royals end the season in disappointing style that has seen them not pick up a league win since February.
Kelly Chambers’ team finish the season in eighth in the WSL on 25 points.
Chambers made one change from their goalless draw at Leicester City as club captain Natasha Harding came into the side to make her final appearance for the club.
City started strongly and got down the left after Alex Greenwood found Lauren Hemp in acres of space down the left before her ball across the face of goal was cut out by Deanna Cooper.
The first shot on target from the visitors came in the ninth minute when Grace Moloneygot down low to push away Georgia Stanway’s strike.
Gareth Taylor’s side worked the ball around neatly in the opening stages but Reading’s organised shape managed to keep them at bay.
The Royals attempted to hurt City on the counter attack and almost did so when Deanne Rose accelerated down the line and tried to find her strike partner Natasha Dow in the middle, but the defence managed to clear.
Reading were beginning to get more joy going forward as the pace of Rose continued to pose problems for the visitors.
The Canadian international had a big chance when she got through on goal after a superb pass from Rachel Rowe, but she smacked her shot into the side netting.
Just moments after that chance for Reading, they were punished by City who opened the scoring with 33 minutes on the clock.
A ball dinked into the box was met by Hemp who brought it under control and slammed the ball past Moloney.
Caroline Weir went close with a low driving effort that whistled past the post.
Weir’s excellent work down the left paid off as she managed to keep the ball in play and find Khadija Shaw in the middle who applied the finishing touch to double the lead.
Reading’s bright spark throughout the half, Rose, almost grabbed a goal at the end of the half when she showed brilliant trickery to breeze past Alex Greenwood but she couldn’t keep her shot on target.
Rose continued to shine in the second-half when she got down the left and lifted a cross in the direction of Dowie who tried to connect with a diving header but couldn’t quite reach it.
Kelly came agonisingly close to claiming a third for City when Moloney rescued her side by pushing away the looping effort.
Sanne Troeslgaard came on to replace Justine Vanhaevermaet for the final 15 minutes of the contest.
A double switch came with less than 10 minutes to go as Chloe Peplow and Tia Primmer took the place of Amalie Eikeland and Rowe.
City controlled proceedings throughout the second-half and added a third goal in the 85th minute when Ellen White was left unmarked in the middle from a corner and she nodded the ball into the bottom corner as the away team confirmed their Champions League qualification with a third placed finish.
Greenwood added more gloss to the scoreline when she netted in the 90th minute from the penalty spot.
Reading finish the season in eighth position after a miserable second-half to their league campaign.
Reading: Moloney, Bryson, Cooper, Evans, Woodham, Harding, Rowe, Vanhaevermaet, Eikeland, Rose, Dowie
Subs: Stewart, Peplow, Roberts, Primmer, Poulter, Troelsgaard
Man City: Roebuck, Bronze, Kennedy, Greenwood, Blakstad, Walsh, Stanway, Weir, Kelly, Shaw, Hemp
Subs: Coombs, Mace, Keating, Raso, White, Losada, Angeldahl, Benameur
Goals: Hemp 33’, Shaw 40’, White 85, Greenwood 90+1’ (pen)
