READING slipped to successive Barclays Women’s Championship defeats with a 3-1 loss at home to Sheffield United.

Ashley Hodson, Isobel Goodwin and Charlotte Newsham all grabbed goals as the Blades bounced back from last week’s 4-0 mauling at home to Birmingham.

Tia Primmer pulled one back for the Royals in injury-time but it proved nothing more than a consolation as Liam Gilbert’s side failed to recover from last Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at Sunderland.

Jonathan Morgan’s visitors starter the brighter of the two and almost seized an early lead when Tara Bourne struck a Select Car Leasing Stadium post.

But they opened the scoring on the half hour mark when Hodson pounced on a loose Royals backpass to coolly round goalkeeper Emily Orman and slot home.

United doubled their advantage just after the break when Goodwin brilliantly won back possession in midfield, embarked on a storming run towards the Reading box before calmly passing the ball past Orman and giving the hosts a mountain to climb.

And they netted the decisive third with 20 minutes remaining when Newsham tapped home from close-range after good work from Bourne and Jodie Hutton.

Primmer gave the home fans at the sun-baked Berkshire venue something to cheer when she scored late on but the Blades easily hung on to leapfrog Reading in the Barclays Women’s Championship table.

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