Report & Highlights: Palace Women end 2023 with draw at Reading

Summary:

• Kaminski names unchanged starting XI
• Noble named on the bench for the first time in 11 months
• Palace dominate opening 10 minutes but unable to create any clear cut chances
• Hopcroft’s cross on the 19th minute heads goal wards after a deflection but the save is made
• Hughes inevitably breaks the deadlock on the half an hour mark
• Wade draws Reading level on the counter on the 39th minute
• Sharpe’s low shot just before the break is collected by the keeper
• HT: Reading 1-1 Palace
• Reilly’s thundering shot from outside the area flies over on the 55th minute
• Lambourne keeps out Houssein’s free-kick five minutes later
• Blanchard finds some space and shoots from distance but her effort is too high
• Nolan dribbles through the final third before shooting on the 83rd minute but her effort is off target
• Potter also sees a long-range strike fly wide in the game’s dying minutes
• FT: Reading 1-1 Palace

Laura Kaminski’s side dominated proceedings from the starting whistle this afternoon as they put the home side under early pressure but their first real chance didn’t fall until the 19th minute.

Shanade Hopcroft’s floating cross hit a defender inside the area which took the ball goalwards but Emily Orman got up to collect.

Palace’s dominance paid off as Elise Hughes bagged her 17th goal of the season on the 30th minute. Fliss Gibbons floated one of her routine free-kicks into the area for Hughes to safely nod past Orman in goal.

However, the side’s lead didn’t last long as Lauren Wade punished Palace on the counter attack nine minutes later. Orman found Tia Primmer on the half way line who slipped through Wade who carried the ball towards goal before slotting it past Demi Lambourne.

Lexi Potter won the ball back inside the box just before the break before picking out Hughes with a pass who then moved it onto Molly Sharpe but her low shot from the edge of the area was collected by the keeper.

Palace kicked-off the second-half searching to regain their lead and they came close on the 49th minute after Aimee Everett pinged a fantastic shot through the Reading half and into Araya Dennis’ feet. She then moved the ball through the box and fizzed a cross through the area looking for Sharpe, but the clearance was made.

Kirsten Reilly created some space inside the final third on the 55th minute before smashing a strike from just outside the area before her effort agonisingly flew over the goal.

Reading had a chance to take the lead on the hour mark as Halle Houssein lifted a free-kick from 22 yards out over the wall and towards goal but Lambourne was equal to it.

Substitute Annabel Blanchard carved open some space outside the box on the 70th minute before her strike soared over the goal.

Hayley Nolan and Potter also tried their luck with shots from distance inside the game’s closing minutes but both were also unable to hit the target and seal the three points.

Palace: Lambourne, Reilly, Everett, Nolan, Gibbons, Arthur (Blanchard, 46), Potter, Hopcroft, Dennis (Watson, 66), Sharpe, Hughes

Subs: Negri, Johnson, Cataldo, Noble, Guyatt, Sibley, Bailey-Gayle

Reading: Orman, Mayi Kith, Troelsgaard, Hendrix, Woodham, Primmer, Houssein (Elwood, 87), Estcourt, Wade, Perry (Gregory, 66), Wellings

Subs: Annets, Smith, Wilson, Jarvis, Longhurst, Kennedy, Hunt