READING FC Women ended their WSL with a 3-2 home defeat against Chelsea on Sunday.

Beth England’s 22nd goal of the season decided a see-saw contest which ensured the Blues ended their league campaign unbeaten away from home.

Emma Hayes’ side quickly established a stranglehold over the game, Fara Williams clearing Sophie Ingle’s header off the line just three minutes in.

And they took the lead when Ji So-yun latched onto a loose ball to fire home.

Last-ditch defending from Reading kept the score at 1-0, Natasha Harding’s last-gasp tackle denying Karen Carney a certain goal and Remi Allen also deflecting former Royal Fran Kirby’s shot onto the post.

Chelsea appeared to pick up where they left off after the break as Grace Moloney saved from Kirby before a crazy passage of play yielded three goals scored in three minutes.

First, Harding drew Reading level as she collected Williams’ chip over the top and slotted past Hedvig Lindahl.

Straight after the restart, Carney’s cross looped over Moloney and into the net, only for Reading to score with their next attack.

Harding beat the offside trap and hit the bar with a lob, but Williams converted the rebound to make it 2-2.

England then recovered from a point-blank miss to put Chelsea in front again as she punished Jade Moore’s casual back-pass.

Kirby continued to threaten against her old club, hitting the bar and forcing Moloney into another save, but the visitors had done enough to earn all three points.

Reflecting on the defeat, Moore commented: "For us, we just wanted to come here on a high at the end of the season, make sure we had a nice performance and a good send-off for the girls who are leaving the club.

“It was probably a game of two halves for us. We stayed in the game in the first half and weathered a little bit of a storm. Then it was goal after goal after goal.

“We kicked off after conceding, we scored, kicked off after scoring, conceded, we kicked off, we scored. The only way I can describe it was madness – you can’t write some games.

“It’s actually her (Harding’s) natural position as a striker, so for her to go out and end the season in a two-goal flurry is a credit to her just for digging in deep and making sure that when she goes up there and gets the opportunity that’s what she does.

“That’s where she wants to be and it was great to see her get those goals.”

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