BROOKLANDS Manchester University always prove a tough challenge for Reading Men at Sonning Lane, and their trip down last Sunday was no exception, writes Dave Wright.

Blues triumphed 4-3 to record their first Premier Division win of the season, but were made to work extremely hard for all 70 minutes.

“They are always a difficult side to play against,” said team captain Ciaran O’Connell.

“They are physical, always in your face. But then we are also quite physical at the back, so it was a nice challenge for us and one we enjoyed.

“Brooklands scored from a (penalty) stroke and a corner and we didn’t give them too many chances. I was happy with our performance although we did give away a couple of cheap corners, but then that is always going to happen against the way Brooklands play.”

Reading had won the corresponding fixture last season 5-4 following a 3-2 victory in Manchester.

Peter Scott, a member of the England training squad, went close a minute before giving Blues a deserved 16th-minute lead, taking a pass with his back to goal and scoring with a reverse-stick shot.

They continued to enjoy the better of the exchanges and it was against the run of play when the visitors equalised through David Flanagan on the half-hour mark from a re-taken penalty corner.

Reading regained the lead two minutes after half-time when Scott superbly created the chance for Matt Richards to score for the second successive game.

In the 48th minute, England defender Liam Sanford scored a rare goal for Reading following good work down the right by Jack Clee.

Despite being down to 10 men following a yellow card, Brooklands pulled one back through Flanagan after 58 minutes, but it took just two minutes for Blues to restore their two-goal advantage with Jatinder Bachu finding the net, Following a penalty corner, a foot infringement on the line saw the visitors awarded a penalty stroke and it enabled Flanagan to complete his hat-trick.

Reading conceded another penalty corner late on, but survived to secure three deserved points.

This Saturday (6pm) they are away to a Holcombe side who have won both of their opening games.

Reading women have signed Australian Tracey Johnson and she is set to make her debut in their Conference West match at Stourport on Saturday (2.30pm).

The forward, who plays for Central Victoria Blazers, links up with a new-look Blues side which opened their league campaign with a 2-1 defeat by Swansea City at Sonning Lane on Saturday.

Despite a promising start, they fell behind in the ninth minute with Carys Gordon seizing onto a rebound close to the left-hand post after keeper Amy Tennant had made an initial save.

Blues had an escape when the visitors missed a good chance from a penalty corner and then captain Esme Swindells rescued her side with a timely tackle.

But Reading enjoyed more possession for the rest of the half without being able to break down a well-drilled and physically strong Swansea defence.

It needed a penalty stroke two minutes into the second half to enable player-coach Jo Ellis to open her side’s account, but they were only on level terms for five minutes.

They lost possession in the opposing half and Sarah-Jayne Thorburn supplied the pass for Gordon to slide in on her reverse for her and City’s second goal.

Blues worked hard to save the game, but could not find a way past keeper Jana Pacyna, who pulled off several fine saves in a display which earned her the player-of-the-match award.