West Ham United Women were victorious in their Vitality Women’s FA Cup Fifth Round tie with Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
Dagny Brynjarsdóttir fired in the only goal of the game deep into the first half of extra-time to give the Hammers the win in a testing encounter.
Both sides had opportunities to win the game in 90 minutes, with Deanne Rose going close and Gemma Evans heading onto the post for Reading in the first half.
Katerina Svitkova and Yui Hasegawa went close for the away side, but extra-time was needed to split the two teams.
And it was to be West Ham United fan, Brynjarsdóttir who would fire her beloved Hammers into the next round of the competition.
Olli Harder elected to make several changes from the 3-0 defeat to Leicester City in the Hammers’ previous outing.
Lucy Parker, Abbey-Leigh Stringer, Tameka Yallop, Emma Snerle and Lisa Evans all came into the starting XI, whilst there was also a boost on the bench, with Adriana Leon make her return to the squad after a long spell on the sidelines.
In the opening exchanges in Berkshire, both sides battled for control, without actually creating much in the way of opportunities. Evans did manage to spring the offside trap, but her final lay-off was wayward and couldn’t find Kate Longhurst on the edge of the area.
Reading then had an opportunity of their own, with Deanne Rose creeping in behind Longhurst, but her effort was tame and held by Mackenzie Arnold.
Cagey was how it remained, with both sides giving the ball away whilst they tried to create openings.
Yallop then had an opportunity after some good build up play from Evans on the left, but the Australian midfielder couldn’t keep her effort down and it sailed over the bar.
The closest that either side came in the opening 30 minutes was through Gemma Evans, with the central defender heading an effort onto the post after the Hammers failed to clear from a corner.
Deanne Rose then had a golden opportunity to open the scoring. Faye Bryson did well to pick out the Canadian in the area, but she couldn’t keep the effort down and it flew narrowly over the crossbar.
And the home side went close again with 36 minutes on the clock – another corner delivery caused issue, and a Royals player almost managed to stab the ball into the net, but Arnold reacted well to keep the ball out.
The Hammers No.1 then had to be alert again just before the break, when she parried away a fierce free-kick from just outside the area, eventually claiming the second ball ahead of two Reading players who had followed in.
In the second half, the home side continued to look the more likely to open the scoring, Natasha Dowie fired wide after a throw in found the feet of the forward inside the area.
Rose was continuing to cause problems on the left, but after cutting inside, her effort was blocked well by Lucy Parker on 56 minutes.
Claudia Walker and Adriana Leon were introduced with an hour gone, the latter making her 50th appearance for West Ham United.
Walker had an opportunity to make an instant impact, but fired over after some good work from Svitkova to run in from the touchline.
Arnold atoned for an error to deny Emma Harries with a good save, after giving the ball away with a loose pass.
As the game ebbed and flowed, the Hammers flurried forward in search of a winning goal. Svitkova almost found it when a loose ball fell to her in the area, but her shot nestled into the side netting.
Yui Hasegawa then went close with an effort from outside the area, forcing Rhiannon Stewart into a good save.
But as the clock ticked down, there was nothing to separate the two teams as the full time whistle sounded, and extra time was needed.
The home side looked to tire as the second half wore on, and it was much of the same in the opening stages of extra time, as the Hammers looked the more composed on the ball, as the Royals continued to drop deeper and deeper.
And the deadlock was finally broken with 105 minutes played - Brynjarsdottir reacted first to a blocked Hasegawa shot and fired the rebound into the roof of the net.
And that goal would prove to be enough for the Hammers to walk away with the win, and put their name into the pot for the quarter-finals.
Reading: Stewart, Bryson, Evans, Rose (Vanhaevermaet 84), Eikeland (Primmer 101), Dowie, Harding (c), Harries (Rowe 74), Cooper, Woodham, Troelsgaard.
Subs not used: Poulter, Peplow, Roberts, Baigent, Thomann, Joslyn.
Y/Cs: Bryson 86
West Ham United: Arnold; Fisk, Parker, Flaherty (c); Longhurst (Wyne 101), Svitkova (Joel 101), Stringer (Brynjarsdottir 74), Yallop, Hasegawa, Snerle (Walker 60); Evans (Leon 60).
Subs not used: Leat, Filis, Cissoko, Houssein.
Goals: Brynjarsdottir 105
Y/Cs: Arnold 42, Fisk 49, Walker 117, Parker 119