Reading Women snatched a late equaliser as Emma Harries scored a stoppage time goal to rescue a point away at West Ham.
The Hammers took a two-goal lead into the break with goals from Lisa Evans and Grace Fisk.
Justine Vanheavermaet netted her first goal for the club, before Harries squeezed in a late leveller
Reading came into the match on the back of two victories to lift themselves off the bottom of the Women’s Super League.
West Ham found themselves in the ascendancy for much of the half and had their first chance when Katerina Svitkova sent a cross into the box, but Royals keeper Grace Moloney was alive to punch away the danger.
Reading had their first venture forward when Deanne Rose showed both pace and trickery on the left-wing to get forward but there was no yellow shirt in the middle to meet her cross.
The Royals had plenty of defending to do as Justine Vanhaevermae had to head away a deep cross into the box.
Amalie Eikeland got Kelly Chambers’ team going in attack and laid the ball of to captain Natasha Harding in the box, but again there was no teammate in the middle to get on the end of her cross.
Chloe Peplow broke forward out from her own half and played a searching ball to try and find the run of Tash Dowie, but West Ham got a body in the way to intercept the through ball.
Reading’s best chance of the half fell in the 19th minute when Rose broke through on goal one-on-one with the keeper, but West Ham goalkeeper Arnold rushed off her line to make a fantastic save.
Just moments after missing that golden chance, Reading were punished as West Ham broke up the other end and opened the scoring as Lisa Evans, on loan from Arsenal, headed in from close range.
Moloney had to make another smart stop to keep her team in the match as she parried away a low drive from Claudia Walker after she was fed by Evans in the box.
West Ham threatened to extend their lead when Tameka Yallop put plenty of pace on her cross but Svitkova could only put the ball wide.
Lily Woodham made a nice break through the midfield on the half hour mark but her cross proved to be aimless and went out for a goal kick.
Harding picked up a yellow card, which in hindsight was probably a smart decision, as she brought down Evans who looked to be through on goal.
West Ham won a corner from the resulting free-kick and extended their advantage as Grace Fisk was on hand to nod the ball in from a few yards out.
With plenty of work to do in the second-half, Chambers made a switch at the break as forward Emma Harries replaced Woodham.
Reading would have found themselves three behind early after the restart had it not been for an exceptional piece of defending on the line from Faye Bryson who headed Svitkova’s goal bound shot away from danger.
Both sides picked up cautions in quick succession as Brooke Chaplen was booked before Walker was carded.
Reading won two corners in back-to-back just after the hour mark but couldn’t take advantage as Bryson glanced a header wide.
The Hammers were then denied by the crossbar as Walker hit the frame of the goal after she traded passes in the box with Evans and Harding was well placed to clear Yallop’s follow up on the line.
Bryson was booked for a foul on the edge of the box but Svitkova got her angles a touch wrong as she put her effort over the bar.
Reading got themselves back in the contest with 20 minutes to go as Vanheavermaet towered above the West Ham defence to power in a header from Bryson’s free-kick.
The Royals had plenty of possession in the final stages of the game and were rewarded in the 92nd minute when Harries found the net.
Rose kept the ball smartly on the wing and then crossed the ball which was met by Harries on the volley, and despite the goalkeeper making her best efforts to keep it out, the officials awarded the goal, with replays showing it did cross the line.
West Ham: Arnold, Flaherty, Cissoko, Fisk, Longhurst, Svitkova, Stringer, Yallop, Hasegawa, Evans, Walker
Subs: Leat, Parker, Joel, Filis, Cairns, Wyne, Garrad, Brynjardottir
Reading: Moloney, Harding (c), Bryson, Evans, Vanhaevermaet, Peplow, Eikeland, Woodham, Chaplin, Dowie, Rose
Subs: Stewart, Poulter, Roberts, Macdonald, Primmer, Harries, Lister
Goals: Evans 19’, Fisk 35’, Vanheavermaet 70’
