After a disappointing display in the FA Cup, the Ladies were looking to get back on winning ways and they certainly done that.
From the start, it was one-way traffic and the Shots came close on a number of occasions in the opening five minutes. After just 9 minutes the deadlock was broken, when the ball was played out to Laura Wallman, who crossed into the box for Crystal Kagbo to fire home 1-0.
The Shots pressed again and were starting to play some delightful football, opening up Reading every time they went forward. On 16 minutes the ball was played in from the right and Wallman chipped the keeper to make it 2-0.
On 25 minutes The Shots were awarded a penalty after Wallman was pulled down inside the area and she calmly dispatched the penalty past the keeper to make it 3-0. The Shots again used the width of the pitch on 28 minutes, stretching the Reading defence. Caroline Shepherd found Hann unmarked in the center of midfield, to fire in from outside the box to make the score 4-0.
On 42 minutes, captain Emma North collected the ball on the right wing. Her cross was deflected onto the cross bar and Wallman was on hand to head past the keeper.
Half time score 5-0.
After the interval, The Shots took the game to Reading, restricting them to their own half. On 47 minutes Giberson swung a deep corner to the back of the box, where North was there to volley in to make it 6-0.
The Shots were causing headache after headache for the Reading defence, as again on 49 minutes the ball was played out to the right and Caroline Shepherd crossed for Crystal Kagbo who laid it for Laura Hann to fire in - 7-0. Straight from the start, North found Hann and fed the ball through the Reading defence for McDonald to cross for Kagbo to side foot in - 8-0.
The Shots made their first change of the match seeing Danni Shepherd introduced onto the left side off midfield. From the kick off the Shots won possession and fed Hann who chipped the keeper from 25 yards 9-0. The Shots hadn't finished yet and again poured forward. Wallman fired past the keeper, scoring her fourth of the afternoon to send the goal tally into double figures -10-0.
On 61 minutes, Reading tried to break out from midfield, but Grover collected the ball from her half, passed three players and fired a shot from 25 yards that found the back off the net.11-0. On 64 minutes, Wallman found North who skipped pass three defenders to side foot pass the keeper 12-0.
Danni Shepherd was causing problems on the left with her deep crosses and came close, but finally she found Hann free, who shot home on 67 minutes 13-0. Again on 70 minutes Hann was allowed time and space to fire home 14-0.
Giberson from the corner again found Hann free to head in on 72 minutes, completing her second hat-trick of the day, her last three goals all coming within a frantic five-minute spell.
With Reading well and truly buried at this point, the Shots finished with a flourish, Wallman fired in from inside the box after some good work by Hann and McDonald on 78 minutes to make it 16-0. On 85 minutes, another corner found the Shots centre-half Coles who towered above every one to head into the net.17-0.
On 89 minutes the ball was thread out wide to Danni Shepherd whose cross into the box found McDonald, who controlled the ball and fired in to make the full time score. 18-0
Player of the Match went to Laura Hann.
Managers View:
"After the disappointment of going out of the FA Cup, we were looking to get a good performance under our belts. We worked on a number of things in training and tried some different things today.
At times the passing game was outstanding and the finishing was excellent, and it's also great to have a nearly fit squad who are all battling for starting places. We are taking every game as it comes, and hopefully we will start to push on in the league campaign against Southampton next Sunday.
Shots Ladies: Calder, Giberson, Coles, Grover (Donoghue) McDonald, C Shepherd, North (Meredith), Ireland (D Shepherd), Wallman, Kagbo, Hann
Subs not used: Hargreaves, Smith.