Manchester City cemented their place in next season’s Champions League with a 4-0 win over Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.  

Lauren Hemp, Khadija Shaw, Ellen White and Alex Greenwood all netted for the Citizens in their final game of the Barclays FA WSL season.  

City ultimately finished third overall, eight points behind second-placed Arsenal and nine shy of champions Chelsea, who sealed their third straight league title with victory at Kingsmeadow.  

Reading, meanwhile, concluded their campaign in eighth place after failing to find a win in their final ten league matches.  

The first chance fell to the visitors inside the opening four minutes as Greenwood played an exquisite ball to set Hemp away into acres of space. The 21-year-old launched a bursting run and glided a low-driving cross but Reading’s Rachel Rowe comfortably cleared the danger.   

 

Reading Chronicle:

 

Reading goalkeeper Grace Moloney pulled off a fantastic save to keep her side in the game before Georgia Stanway struck a fierce effort towards goal which was parried away by Moloney.   

Gareth Taylor’s side continued to create better attacking opportunities in the first half, Hemp skipping her way past two Reading players on the right flank and firing an effort just wide into the side netting.   

City took the lead in the 33rd minute when Keira Walsh clipped an inch-perfect pass into Hemp, who did superbly well to dink her effort past Moloney into the far corner to give her side a deserved lead.  

The Citizens doubled their advantage five minutes before the break thanks to some fine work from midfield. Caroline Weir launched a bursting run on the left flank to beat Natasha Harding before squaring the ball to Shaw, who poked her effort into the back of the net.   

Kelly Chambers’ side started the second half brightly and had a glorious opportunity to pull a goal back, but Natasha Dowie failed to connect to Lily Woodham’s dangerous cross at the near post before Rowe’s close-range effort was inches wide.   

 

Reading Chronicle:

 

With 21 minutes remaining, Chloe Kelly looped an effort, forcing Reading keeper Moloney into an acrobatic save.    

In the 85th minute, Ellen White glanced her header past Moloney as Reading failed to clear their lines from Vicky Losada’s resulting corner before Greenwood converted her spot-kick in injury time to secure a resounding victory.   

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