Match reportKearns and Holland net to give LFC Women win over Reading

Missy Bo Kearns and Ceri Holland were on the scoresheet at Prenton Park to clinch an important set of three points for Matt Beard's side.

Kearns opened the scoring in the 62nd minute of the contest, and Holland quickly followed up to mark her 50th appearance for the Reds with a well-taken goal.

Liverpool would have to withstand a flurry of early pressure. Only the crossbar denied Reading grabbing a seventh-minute lead, Emma Harries' flicked header from an Emma Mukandi delivery striking the woodwork and bouncing over.

At the other end, Holland's head back across goal nearly saw Katie Stengel pounce on a loose ball inside the area, though the danger was cleared away in the nick of time.

Sanne Troelsgaard and Holland then traded unsuccessful speculative efforts, before Gemma Bonner cleared off the line to deny Reading's Gemma Evans in the aftermath of a free-kick – with the visitors looking threatening on set-pieces.

The early stages of the second period saw Melissa Lawley go on a driving run from deep and eventually lay the ball off to Holland, who fired just over from outside the box.

After close calls at both ends, the scoring arrived just past the hour mark.

For the Reds' first, Kearns brought under control a dragged shot by Emma Koivisto and battled hard to bundle the ball over the goalline.

The advantage was doubled three minutes later when Holland was positioned at the back post to sweep home from Bonner's flick-on off a trademark Megan Campbell long throw.

Stengel went close on two separate occasions to adding a third, as the Reds then professionally closed the game out to secure a vital win, handing a debut to January arrival Miri Taylor in the process.

Liverpool FC Women: Laws, Koivisto, Matthews, Bonner, Campbell, Hinds, Nagano, Holland, Kearns (Taylor, 86), Lawley (Daniels, 75), Stengel (Lundgaard, 90+1).

Unused substitutes: Cumings, Kirby, Robe, Roberts, Humphrey, Silcock.