Those of you unfamiliar with London geography need to know the following for this next bit to make sense: Victoria Station (fun fact: named after Victoria Street, not Queen Victoria) is in Central London, Bromley is in Southeast London (or Kent, to the more pretentious of the local residents) and Brixton is between the two in South London.
Getting home after today’s game should have been a pleasantly straightforward, direct train journey from Bromley to Brixton. Well, one of this afternoon’s lessons
is that some trains on this line actually go straight to Victoria without stopping in Brixton. Cue a certain someone being forced into an annoying doubling-back tube journey from Victoria to Brixton…
To summarise that commute home then: the execution was a bit of a mess, I got there eventually so it ended up OK, but there are lessons for later this season (the league equivalent of this fixture comes up in March).
So, actually quite the apt ending for a matchday in which Reading showed some promise, got a fair bit wrong and looked inconsistent in their execution, but nonetheless ultimately got the job done.
Josh Stokes’ first-half goal was cancelled out by Michael Cheek in the first half, but Joel Pereira – who’d been at fault for the equaliser – made a crucial shootout save to send the Royals through as 5-4 spot-kick winners. That also spared the blushes of Lewis Wing, who hit the post with a second-half penalty.
What such a smorgasbord of a cup match portends for the coming nine months or so of competitive action is anyone’s guess.
‘Inconsistent execution’ was the big theme today. In short, Reading started the game well, looked well off the pace for much of the middle of the match, then ended normal time in the ascendancy. The changing flow of the contest did actually seem to match up fairly well with the World Cup-esque hydration breaks that effectively split the game into quarters: Reading better in Q1 and Q4, but worse in Q2 and Q3.
My main conclusion therefore is that, although the Royals did show promise and evolution over pre-season, applying that thoroughly to competitive action is another story. It’s one thing to become capable of more as a side by bringing in certain players and doing work on the training ground, but you do then need to know how to perform at a higher level as consistently across 90 minutes (league or cup) as possible.
Reading’s answer on that front today wasn’t terrible, but it certainly was unconvincing. I’m not too defeatist about that personally (an iffy showing on the first day of the season is hardly the end of the world), but for now I’m treating this game as a stark reminder that a team with new faces and a new tactical approach definitely has room for improvement. That will only come by playing more and more competitive matches.
And let’s not forget what’s actually the most important bit: Reading got the job done today and are in the hat for the next round of the League Cup. It wouldn’t have been that unfair if the Royals had nicked the game in normal time, and a perfect set of penalties in the shootout – plus a save from El Gato – demonstrates composure under pressure.
Leam Richardson went as strong as he realistically could with his team today, Jack Marriott thankfully returning to the bench after injury in the latter part of pre-season.
Reading (4-2-3-1): Pereira; Godwin-Malife, O’Connor, Ward, Dorsett; Wing, Rinomhota; Lisbie, Stokes, Kyerewaa; Brown
Subs: Stevens, Beacroft, Roberts, Fraser, Savage, Sackey, Williams, Lane, Marriott
First half
The game swung a couple of ways early on, with Reading and then Bromley having positive spells, before Stokes opened the Royals’ account for the season on 14 minutes.
Kyreece Lisbie – the Royals’ star man in this game – burst into the box and sent in a low cross, from which Daniel Kyerewaa had a shot blocked. Stokes was on hand however to slam home for 0-1, though the ‘keeper probably should have done better with it.
Side note: Bromley ‘keeper Shamal George was treated to chants of “you’re just a clothes shop in Asda” by the away end behind his goal in the first half, which I enjoyed a lot.
Paudie O’Connor came closest to doubling Reading’s lead in the first half. Lewis Wing sent in a dangerous inswinging corner to the back post and the Irishman met it, but he couldn’t keep his effort down. Kyerewaa soon had another opportunity but, having cut infield from the left, his finish was wildly off target.
Though there had been some shaky moments from Pereira, Royals looked to be the more dangerous side, midway through the first half. However, Bromley’s Cheek pounced on a calamitous defensive mix-up between O’Connor and Pereira to slot home for 1-1.
Reading only got sloppier as the half progressed, lacking any real authority in the middle of the park and looking increasingly unable to get their pacy wingers into the game, though Benn Ward came close with a header from a Wing corner (blocked for another corner). Down the other end, Bromley’s confidence rose but they lacked the quality to convincingly test Pereira before the interval.
Half time: 1-1
With the exception of a couple of moments of promise from Lisbie down the right, winning some corners, Reading made a slow start to the second half. Richardson saw enough on the hour mark, swapping off Jeriel Dorsett (who’d had a poor 60 minutes) for Paddy Lane at left-back and Stokes for Randell Williams in the 10 role.
The Royals improved soon after those changes. A Wing free-kick from the right met the head of Lisbie, who forced a strong close-range stop, before the roles were soon reversed.
Lisbie did excellently down the right to break away from the defender and get into the area, where he was felled for a penalty. Wing stepped up… and struck the inside of the left post (his left), with the ball cannoning back across the face of goal.
The game drifted somewhat after that chance (and a hydration break which followed directly after it) so Richardson soon made another two changes – Marriott replacing the ineffective Jacob Brown up top and Charlie Savage coming on for Lisbie. That meant Savage going to the 10 role, replacing Williams, who went to the right wing.
Reading upped their game in the closing stages. Lane pushed forward with increasing confidence from left-back, linking up nicely with Savage and sending in some crosses, as the Welshman displayed more creativity than his playmaker predecessor Stokes.
Things only got better for the Royals in the 90th minute when Richard Taylor – previously booked for the penalty foul – received a second yellow for taking down a forward-charging Godwin-Malife. That ensured the momentum was pretty much entirely in Reading’s favour during the nine minutes or so of time added on, which started with Andy Rinomhota (poor today) replaced by Liam Fraser.
The Canadian provided one of two good chances for Reading before full-time, sending in an accurate cross to the back post that Kyerewaa headed at the ‘keeper. Savage also came up with a similar moment later on, this time for Marriott, whose header was more easily saved.
Full time: 1-1
That meant penalties, which were fortunately taken in front of the away end.
Reading (Lewis Wing) – scored: 0-1
Bromley – scored: 1-1
Reading (Charlie Savage) – scored: 1-2
Bromley – scored: 2-2
Reading (Jack Marriott) – scored: 2-3
Bromley – scored: 3-3
Reading (Liam Fraser) – scored: 3-4
Bromley – scored: 4-4
Reading (Randell Williams) – scored: 4-5
Bromley – saved: 4-5
A perfect set of spot-kicks then, with Pereira providing the critical moment, meaning the best thing for a season opener: a winning start. Though the inconsistent nature of the performance was a worry and will have to be addressed, we’ve given ourselves a chance of a cup run to look forward to.
Que sera sera!
