Our women’s first team missed a fantastic opportunity to move four points clear of the relegation zone on Sunday as they surrendered a two-goal lead at Reading.
Having gone seven without a win prior to Sunday’s affair, Amy Merricks’s team couldn’t have enjoyed a better start.
Poppy Pattinson’s cross found Katie Robinson at the back post, who pulled it back for Sarri to fire into the top right corner after just eight minutes.
The Greece international had her second of the afternoon just six minutes later when Megan Connolly’s ball into the box was nodded down by Guro Bergsvand and Sarri poked into the bottom right corner.
It was more than an ideal start for Albion and a host of chances for Merricks’s team should have seen them put the match to bed in the opening half an hour.
Emma Kullberg struck wide of the bottom left corner before Sarri had a great chance for her hat-trick when she pounced on a poor back-pass, only for Grace Moloney to deny the former Birmingham City player.
Robinson went through on goal but her tame effort was easily gathered by Moloney, with Charlie Wellings going close to halving the deficit with a close range blast, but Kullberg was on hand to deflect it wide for a corner.
Albion’s two-goal cushion was halved just a minute after the restart as Emma Mukandi found the run of substitute Emma Harries through the middle, who calmly slotted into the bottom right corner.
The sliding doors moment of the afternoon came after an hour, when Danielle Carter picked out Connolly down the right of the box who saw her low shot tipped away from goal by Moloney and Sarri was just unable to poke in from three yards.
Moment later Reading went up the other end and Harries had her second of the day as she nodded in from Rowe’s left-wing cross.
Robinson should have restored Albion’s lead with just under 20 minutes to go as she got on the end of Lee’s ball and took it past Moloney before taking a touch to steady herself, only to see her hammered effort at goal smack the outside of the post.
Substitute Libby Bance had a golden opportunity to snatch all three points late on when she was played in on goal but skied her effort late on, as Albion had to settle for a point that saw them move two points clear of bottom side Leicester.
The line-up: L Williams, Pattinson, Kullberg, Morse, Bergsvand (Carter 28), Zigiotti, Connolly, Robinson, Fox, Sarri (Bance 67), Lee.
Unused subs: Walsh, V Williams, Stott, Visalli, Park, Ferguson, Lane.