The Blues had to overcome an early own goal and a first-half red card, but goals from Guro Reiten, Sam Kerr and Jessie Fleming maintained our lead in the Women’s Super League title race.
Reading FCW 0-5 Chelsea FCW, WSL: Post-match reaction
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Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
The WSL spotlight was on Madejski Stadium as Reading Women FC hosted Chelsea FCW in the league’s only weekend matchup to avoid postponement. Chelsea had several weeks off but were sharp throughout and needed no time to shake off the rust. It was a dominant team display, but Fran Kirby absolutely stole the show.
Kirby scored her first just after the fifteen minute mark. She’d looked lively from the start, linking up with Sam Kerr to put the Reading defense under pressure. Smoke turned to fire in the sixteenth minute when a flicked header from Kerr near midfield left Kirby all alone on goal. She calmly rounded the keeper and fired home the first Chelsea goal of 2021. Moments later, Kirby almost added a second, when her driven shot from outside the box smashed off the far post. She got a bit of help on the second, as Reading’s Emma Mitchell played herself into trouble