READING FC recovered to take a late point at home to Liverpool after a six goal thriller was levelled up by Sanne Troelsgaard’s 89th minute goal .
Tia Primmer and Natasha Dowie netted to put the Royals in front, but the Reds came roaring back with headers from Katie Stengel and Rhiannon Roberts to make a comeback.
Reading pushed to find an equaliser and found their reward when substitute Troeslgaard nudged in from close range.
The draw means that Reading have a four point lead over bottom side Leicester City in the Women’s Super League.
The Royals came into the game with just one league win under their belt in seven games, as did Liverpool.
Kelly Chambers made three changes from Sunday’s defeat at Aston Villa which saw Grace Moloney return in goal after Jacquline Burns saw red in Reading’s last outing.
Deanna Cooper returned to the defence, while Charlie Wellings was selected to play up top alongside Natasha Dowie.
Liverpool had a golden chance to grab the lead after six minutes when former Royal Rachel Furness was found in space from Melissa Lawley’s cut back, but Cooper got her body in the way to make a pivotal block.
Reading’s first chance fell for Amalie Eikeland who got on the end of Lily Woodham’s inswinging free-kick, but missed the target on the volley at the near post.
The Reds nudged themselves in front in the 16th minute when Lawley’s cross was perfectly placed for Katie Stengel to nod the ball past Grace Moloney into the right corner.
Furness came close again with her header that drifted just inches over the top.
Seeking a leveller, Rachel Rowe tried to pick out Natasha Dowie in the middle, who was left unmarked, but her cross was a fraction too high for the forward.
Stengel almost stung Reading on the counter when she raced down the left, cut inside to breeze past Diane Caldwell and Cooper, but saw her shot blocked by Woodham.
Three minutes into added time in the first-half, Reading found their equaliser with the final play of the half.
After Woodham’s free-kick was only cleared to the edge of the box, Tia Primmer unleashed an excellent first timed effort that looped over the head of Eartha Cumings to find the corner.
A big chance passed Reading by to take the lead when a floated cross found its way to an unmarked Charlie Wellings who scuffed her effort well wide of the target.
Reading were on the front foot for the opening 15 minutes of the half and Wellings forced a decent save out of Cumings who collected her shot from just inside the box with relative ease.
The hosts were rewarded from their positive play and took the lead in the 63rd minute. Just seconds after Natasha Dowie’s glanced header hit the post, the striker stayed alert to poke the ball in from close range.
But it didn’t take long for Liverpool to find a response and they were level five minutes later when Stengel netted for the second time of the night to convert from Megan Campbell’s cross.
That prompted Chambers to make her first switch as Emma Harries replaced Wellings up top.
With just over 15 minutes to go, Liverpool were back in front with their third headed goal of the night as Rhiannon Roberts’ effort squeezed past Moloney at the near post.
Stengel had a chance to seal her hat-trick when she raced into the box only to skew her shot off target.
With just a minute of the 90 left to play, Reading found the sixth goal of the evening when substitute Sanne Troeslgaard was on hand to scramble the ball in from close range.
The final whistle blew which meant the points were shared in an enthralling contest.
Reading: Moloney, Mukandi (c), Caldwell, Cooper, Woodham, Vanhaevermaet, Rowe, Primmer, Wellings, Eikeland, Dowie
Subs: Poulter, Bryson, Evans, Wade, Harries, Jane, Troelsgaard
Liverpool: Cummings, Koivisto, Fahey, Matthews, Hinds, Holland, Wardlaw, Furness, Lawley, Van de Sanden, Stengel
Subs: Kirby, Roberts, Robe, Kearns, Humphrey, Daniels, Campbell, Silcock
Goals: Stengel 16’, 68’, Primmer 45+3’, Dowie 63’, Roberts 73’, Troelsgaard 89’
