A brace from Jess Fishlock and a late chip from substitute Rachel Rowe helped the Royals to recover from the early loss of their captain Tash Harding and solidify their midtable status in the WSL.
Reading came into this game against Brighton with an unchanged side from the team that put up an encouraging performance against WSL leaders Manchester United, while Brighton were looking to avoid suffering a third successive defeat.
Neither side was able to challenge the opposing goalkeeper in the early stages but the Royals were able to get into the better positions, playing the ball out wide and looking to beat the Seagulls with crosses.
Just over a quarter of an hour into the game, Reading would capitalise on a mistake from the hosts as a wayward pass was intercepted by Jess Fishlock.
The Brighton defenders were slow to close her down and Fishlock was able to strike a powerful effort low into the bottom left corner to open the scoring for the Berkshire side.
The visitors’ lead would not last long however, as Reading defender Diana Cooper would make a questionable challenge in the penalty area and referee Abigail Bryne would point straight to the spot.
Inessa Kaagman would step up for the Seagulls and sent Grace Moloney the wrong way to level the tie at one-apiece.
Things would go from bad to worse for Reading over the next ten minutes as they would lose their captain Tash Harding to injury and it looked as if they would lose goalscorer Jess Fishlock as well after a clash with Lee Guem-Min.
Fishlock would return however and it would prove to be a significant decision as on the stroke of halftime, Reading would dispossess Brighton in their own half once again.
A cross was played into the hosts’ penalty area from the left wing and would find Fishlock again. The Welsh midfielder would control the ball with her chest before firing on the half-volley, through the defenders and past Cecilie Fiskerstrand in the Brighton net to send the Royals into the interval with a two-one lead.
Reading would continue to carve out the clearer chances after the restart. Fishlock came close to securing her hattrick in an almost identical fashion to how she opened the scoring, except her effort would bounce just past the post.
The 18 year-old attacker Emma Harries was also a threat for the Seagulls to deal with as she repeatedly was able to get down the wing and showcase her blistering speed.
Harries would have had one of the more impressive goals so far this season, as she was able to pick up the ball on the halfway line and carry the ball herself all the way into the penalty area but she would not be able to get a shot off as the ball was collected by Fiskerstrand.
The tempo of the match would slow considerably as the second half progressed, with both sides tiring and passes that would have been chased down earlier in the match being left to just roll out of play.
Any Reading fans that were fearing a nervy finish were calmed almost as soon as injury time started as Fishlock brought the ball up the field and slotted a pass through the Brighton backline to substitute Rachel Rowe, whose effort was chipped over Fiskerstrand and struck the post.
Thankfully for Royals fans, the linesman would signal that the ball had rolled just past the goal line before being cleared. Reading would be awarded with the late goal and that would put the game to bed, the Royals closing 2020 out with a 3-1 win.
The result leaves Reading in sixth but the Berkshire outfit are now only one point behind Everton, who were beaten by Arsenal earlier in the day. The Toffees do boast a game in hand over the Royals however.
Conversely, Brighton remain in ninth but the two sides below them, West Ham and Aston Villa would be able to overtake the Seagulls given that they win their respective games in hand, meaning that the position of Hope Powell’s team is looking much more precarious.
Both sides return to action on the tenth of January, facing sides on opposite ends of the table. Reading play host to Chelsea, looking to inflict the first WSL defeat on the Londoners, while Brighton travel to Bristol City in a tie in which they will expect to win.
The Inbound Observer 