Reading FC Women made it a club record four consecutive league victories as they came from two goals down to beat Birmingham 3-2 in a game that exemplified both the Royals’ quality and guts.

Goals from Gemma Lawley and Jade Pennock saw basement-dwelling Birmingham race into a 2-0 lead but Justine Vanhaevermaet gave Reading a route back into the game on the stroke of half-time before a Natasha Dowie penalty and Emma Harris volley completed the comeback.

Manager Kelly Chambers made just one change from the Royals side that beat Leicester 1-0 a fortnight ago. Faye Bryson returned to the XI at the expense of Deanna Cooper in the centre of the Reading defence.

Reading Chronicle: Kelly Chambers and her staff are certainly enjoying things at the moment. Image by: PAKelly Chambers and her staff are certainly enjoying things at the moment. Image by: PA

Scheduled to play Arsenal last weekend, the fixture was postponed due to Covid and the unforeseen break seemed to affect Chambers’ side as they came out sluggishly, allowing relegation-threatened Birmingham to grab the lead after just three minutes.

The visitors sent a corner deep to the far post and Gemma Lawley rose highest to head past Grace Moloney and give Birmingham a shock early advantage.

Birmingham very nearly made it 2-0 in the 22nd minute with another corner, this time Reading managing to scramble Lucy Quinn’s close-range effort off the line before Rebecca Holloway smashed the follow-up wide of the target.

Reading started to gain slightly more control as the half wore on, but Birmingham looked a constant threat when they won the ball high up the pitch and it was from one of these quick counters that the visitors doubled their lead.

Libby Smith picked up the ball 25 yards from goal and played a delightful chipped through ball to her strike partner Jade Pennock who got to it just before Reading keeper Moloney to prod home.

Things went from bad to worse for the Royals when Moloney had to be stretchered off in the aftermath of Birmingham’s second goal following a major collision between the goalkeeper and Pennock.

Birmingham aimed to test the replacement goalkeeper, Rhiannon Stewart immediately, but Pennock's long-range effort didn't trouble Stewart.

In a half where almost everything went wrong for the hosts, Reading rescued a lifeline just before the interval through Justinne Haevermaet. A pinpoint free-kick from Bryson was delivered onto the midfielder’s head and she met it perfectly to nod past Emily Ramsey and draw Reading to within a goal.

But with seconds remaining Birmingham had a big chance to regain their two-goal advantage, Veatriki Sarri seeing an effort deflected wide after latching onto a knock-down in the box.

Just two minutes after the restart, Reading were gifted the chance to draw level when Emma Harries was bundled over in the box by Harriet Scott. Natasha Dowie stepped up and made no mistake with the spot-kick, sending Ramsey the wrong way to equalise.

And it took until just the 55th minute for Reading to complete the turnaround, Harries turning scorer this time. Deanna Rose broke down the left side, cut back and aimed a floated cross towards the far post. With time to choose her spot, Harries placed a delicate volley perfectly into the top corner to give the Royals their first lead of the afternoon.

Birmingham though, didn’t just accept defeat and went close to equalising in bizarre fashion on the hour mark. Quinn measured a free-kick towards goal from a tight angle and with Stewart scrambling across, the ball struck the base of the post before Reading could clear.

Reading so nearly made it 4-2 shortly after when Gemma Evans got free at a corner, but her header was a bit too central, allowing Ramsey to beat it away.

Holloway then had half a chance to get Birmingham back into the contest but she couldn’t keep her shot down from a tight angle.

Amalie Eikeland was next to try her luck for the Royals but her glancing header rose over the bar and onto the roof of the net before Harris saw a header of her own miss the target.

In the end, Reading didn’t need any more goals as they held on for a huge 3-2 victory, coming from two goals down to take all three points and make it six wins in seven WSL matches.

READING FC XI: Moloney (Stewart 45’); Bryson, Evans, Harding, Woodham; Harries, Troelsgaard, Vanhaevermaet, Eikeland; Rose, Dowie