Aston Villa Women vs Reading Women. Women's Super League.
Poundland Bescot StadiumAttendance461.
Report from the Women's Super League clash between Aston Villa and Reading at Banks's Stadium; Villa end 10-game losing run at home thanks to Ramona Petzelberger's equaliser; Reading took lead through Justine Vanhaevermaet's penalty; hosts stay 10th in WSL, with visitors seventh
Sunday 27 March 2022 00:01, UK
Aston Villa finally ended a run of 10 successive defeats at Banks's Stadium by coming back to earn a point against Reading in their Women's Super League clash.
Villa had not won at home since a 2-1 victory over Leicester on September 4, and went into the game against Reading on the back of three consecutive 1-0 defeats.
The hosts also hadn't scored a goal in over a month, meaning their supporters may have feared the worst when the visitors took the lead thanks to Justine Vanhaevermaet's penalty - awarded after Mayumi Pacheco brought down Amalie Eikeland - in the 69th minute.
But Villa rallied impressively and salvaged a point when Ramona Petzelberger met the impressive Laura Blindkilde's cross with a flying header at the back post seven minutes later.
The German's goal helped to make amends for her earlier miss, when she volleyed Sarah Mayling's cross from the right over just four minutes into the game.
That was one of several opportunities Villa squandered throughout the match, with Emily Gielnik wasting a promising opening after beating Deanna Cooper to a long ball and Jill Scott heading wide when unmarked before half-time.
Alisha Lehmann impressed on the right of Villa's attack and twice came close to creating the opener in the first 45 minutes, with one cross somehow evading everyone before trickling just wide of the far post, and another nearly being turned into her own net by Gemma Evans.
Carla Ward's side continued to create chances in the second period and Remi Allen saw a trio of efforts kept out by Grace Moloney, the third of which was a brilliant one-handed save from point-blank range that denied Villa a first home win in over six months.
Both sides had chances to find a winner as the entertaining tie reached a conclusion, but they ultimately had to settle for a share of the points, which leaves Villa 10th and Reading - who ended their own six-game winless run - seventh in the WSL table.
Aston Villa's next fixture sees them travel to play Tottenham in the WSL on Sunday, April 3, with kick-off at 2pm.
Reading's next game is also on Sunday, April 3 - they face a trip to take on champions Chelsea, live on Sky Sports, with kick off at 6.45pm.
