READING FC WOMEN produced a strong display to pick up their second win of the Women’s Super League season by beating Tottenham.
The only goal of the game came after 12 minutes after Spurs defender Amy Turner headed past her own goalkeeper on the follow up after Tia Primmer’s thunderous strike hit the crossbar.
Reading pressed for a second with positive attacking play and managed to withstand a late flurry of Spurs attacks to take a deserved victory.
The win means Reading are now seven points clear of bottom side Leicester City who are yet to pick up a point.
With flu spreading through Kelly Chambers’ squad, Reading were forced into two changes as Lily Woodham and Tia Primmer returned to the starting eleven.
Academy graduate Emma Harries captained the side for the first time, while Chambers could only name five players on the bench after several first-team players were struck down with illness.
Meanwhile, Spurs named defender Molly Bartrip, who joined Reading at the age of 10 before joining Tottenham two summers ago, in their starting line-up.
Reading took the lead after 12 minutes in bizarre circumstances.
After Tia Primmer burst forward from midfield and had a sight of goal from 30 yards, she took aim with a fierce shot that was tipped onto the crossbar by Becky Spencer.
On the follow up, defender Amy Turner attempted to head the ball back to her keeper but got it all wrong as the ball looped over her teammate and found the net.
With Spurs rattled after conceding early, Reading tried to take advantage and pushed on to try and find a second.
Sanne Troeslgaard looked to continue her excellent recent scoring form when she stormed into the box and from a narrow angle saw her shot stopped by Spencer before she hit the follow up wide.
The Royals had a penalty appeal turned down when Troelsgaard went down under the challenge of Bartrip in the box, but the referee was not interested in awarding a spot kick.
Reading continued to look positive in attack as full-backs Lily Woodham and Faye Bryson provided a constant source of dangerous crosses into the box.
Harries came inches away from doubling her team’s lead when she met Tia Primmer’s cross on the volley but was denied by the woodwork.
Turner tried to make amends for her own goal but saw her looping header land on the roof of the net.
Spurs’ best chance of the half came when they had a two on one situation with Drew Spence and Ashleigh Neville, but Bryson got a vital touch on the ball to prevent Neville going through on goal.
Bryson whipped another inviting cross into the box to find Harries unmarked in the middle and she couldn’t direct her header on target as a big chance went begging.
Harries continued to cause havoc for the Spurs defence when she latched onto Bryson’s long ball, turned onto her left and unleashed a shot that was well held by the keeper as the Royals went into the half a goal in front after a dominant display.
Chambers made a change at the break that saw defender Diane Caldwell replace Deanna Cooper.
A big opening fell for Spence at the start of the second half when she swivelled from a corner and poked a shot just wide of the target from close range.
Woodham’s constant willingness to get forward continued throughout the second-half and she swung a cross into the box that was put behind for a corner.
Reading’s persistence to find a second nearly paid off when Troelsgaard hit a low cross at the near post that almost fell for Lauren Wade.
Another huge chance to further the advantage fell for Troelsgaard just six yards from goal, but Spurs keeper Spencer produced a magnificent fingertip save to push her shot behind.
The home team continued to create when another superb set-piece delivery from Woodham was only headed to Troeslgaard who pulled the trigger with a half volley that flew just wide.
Searching for an equaliser, Spence dug out a strike after she was teed up by Neville, but Burns kept composed to clutch the shot comfortably.
After making a triple change, Spurs began to apply pressure on the Reading defence and played with more intensity in the final third.
A second Reading change was made with 15 minutes left to play which saw Charlie Wellings replace Harries.
Burns came up with a big save at the near post to keep out Karczewska’s effort and put it behind for a corner.
The Royals face a tricky test next weekend away at defending champions Chelsea.
Reading: Burns, Bryson, Evans, Cooper, Woodham, Vanhaevermaet, Primmer, Troelsgaard, Wade, Eikeland, Harries ©
Subs: Poulter, Wellings, Hendrix, Caldwell, Jane
Tottenham: Spencer, Turner, Bartrip, Zadorksy (c), Ale, Summanen, James, Spence, Naz, Ayane, Neville
Subs: Korpela, Pearse, Harrop, Cho, Bizet, Ubogagu, Karczewska, Gunning-Williams
Goals: Turner og 12’
