Cardiff Take All Three Points

Cardiff City Ladies took all three points from this FA Women’s National Premier League match last Sunday when they beat Reading Ladies 3-0 in treacherous conditions. The rain was torrential throughout and the pitch was wet and slippery, making the game far from a spectacle.

The opening chance fell to Reading as Nicola Watts cut in from the left hand side. Her shot bounced awkwardly in front of Cardiff keeper, Rhian Nokes, who did well to push the ball around post.

Reading got to grips with conditions better than Cardiff in the first twenty minutes. Watts and Becky Jane were a threat but just couldn’t find a way through the solid defence, with centre backs Terri Beddows and Kayleigh Green snuffing everything out.

The hosts then had a purple patch and on 29 minutes they had their first effort on goal. Nicola Cousins struck the ball towards goal only for Reading’s keeper, Grace Moloney, gathering well.

Minutes later Moloney was called on again when Cardiff’s Steph Williams unleashed a shot from the edge of box. She again did well to claw the ball over the bar ensuring that it was goalless at the break.

One minute into the second half Cardiff opened the scoring when a Cousins free kick was sent deep into the box. Ellie Smith ran across the keeper who took her eye off the ball, which ended up in the back of the net without anyone else touching it.

On 50 minutes the keeper then lost the flight of the ball when Lauren Price sent in a deep cross from the right hand side. It curled over Moloney and straight into the top left hand corner of the net, doubling Cardiff’s score.

Nokes was called upon almost immediately when she pulled off a point blank save from Watts who was only six yards out.

On 68 minutes Cousins picked up on a Reading defensive mistake on the half way line and crossed in an inviting ball into the box. Zoe Atkins rose and met the ball perfectly with her head to bury Cardiff’s third goal.

Just before the final whistle Nokes saved another Watts effort, this time with her feet, before putting the rebound over the bar from Jane.

The second half saw a much more purposeful and team like performance from Cardiff, leaving them just one point behind Reading in the table. However, they have a massive six games in hand and next week they travel to Leeds United Ladies.