A lacklustre Oxford United Women suffered a 5-0 thrashing at local rivals Reading in FA Women's Super League 2, writes MATTHEW BRUCE.

A dreadful start from the visitors saw them go 4-0 down inside the opening 25 minutes on Sunday.

The U’s found themselves behind after just three minutes when Laura May-Walkley capitalised on Oxford’s failure to clear their lines, striking home from close range.

United defender Jemma Connor-Iommi then flicked a header over her own keeper from a Reading free-kick to compound their problems.

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England international Fran Kirby made the third and fourth goals, first teeing up Lauren Bruton to strike into the bottom corner and then pulling the ball back from the bye-line for Melissa Fletcher to notch the fourth.

Oxford improved after the break and managed to prevent their hosts from doing further damage for much of the second half, though they never looked likely to reduce the deficit.

And their misery was completed late on when Fletcher nipped in front of goalkeeper Demi Lambourne to tip the ball into the bottom corner.

Oxford Utd Women: Lambourne, Chivers, Connor-Iommi, Osborne-Ricketts, King (Franklin-Fraiture 65), Hines (Simmonds 72), Nutman, Nichol, Low (Pickett 72), Stanley, Allison.

Referee: D Berry.

Attendance: 181.

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