By Lloyd Webb at Adams Park
How it happened
We booked our place in our sixth Continental Cup final thanks to Jordan Nobbs' late winner in a dramatic 3-2 victory against Reading.
It didn’t take long for us to take the lead at Adams Park. With just five minutes gone, Beth Mead ghosted in at the back post to poke home Dan Carter’s dangerous cross.
Our joy was short lived however, as the hosts immediately hit back thanks to a curled effort from Brooke Chaplen from the edge of the box, just two minutes later.
With the equaliser coming against the run of play, Joe Montemurro’s side reasserted control as they looked to carve open Reading’s resolute defence. Vivianne Miedema tested Grace Maloney with a stinging volley from a difficult angle, before Nobbs raced forward and fired over the bar.
Chances were few and far between as the semi-final went into the break level, with Chaplen only able to force Van Veenendaal into a routine stop.
Reading came out after half-time on the offensive, although they were almost made to pay for it. Latching onto a loose pass, Carter raced through on goal but was thwarted by an outstretched Moloney.
Danielle Van de Donk later created space for Miedema with a clever back heel, but the striker was unable to hit the target.
Moments later, we were punished for their missed opportunities. Unable to clear the ball from defence, Lauren Bruton found the bottom corner with a low strike - leaving us with it all to do in the final 20 minutes.
Just as it started to look as if we would miss out on a place in the final, Miedema sent the travelling fans into ecstasy with a composed finished inside the box.
The drama didn't stop there. As the clock slowly ticked towards full-time, Nobbs pounced on Moloney's inability to deal with a cross and took us to the final with the deftest of touches.
What it means
Manchester City’s 1-0 victory against Chelsea sets up what promises to be a highly-entertaining final in March.
What’s next
Reading will be looking to avenge their defeat in two weeks’ time as we return to WSL action at the same venue.
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