Jack Stevens: 4
He’s usually a more than reliable stand in for Joel Pereira in these kinds of games. However, ultimately, he’s conceded two goals he really shouldn’t have this evening – particularly the first, which should’ve been a simple gather.
Ashqar Ahmed: 6
The best of a disappointing bunch. Most of Chelsea’s joy came through unforced defensive errors, but none of those came from Ahmed.
He’s got all the attributes to be a very good full-back at our level, and the time out of the spotlight has done him the world of good.
Josh Knight: 4
In theory,
this game was the perfect one to ease Knight back into first-team action, but in practice it didn’t play out that way.
He was OK in general play but should’ve reacted better to Stevens’ parry for Chelsea’s opener.
Going off this basis, it’ll be a little while into Knight is fully up to speed, which is understandable.
Conor Masterson: 5
The kind of game in which you want someone like Masterson to step in and put in a professional, assured performance, but again it didn’t quite work out that way.
He’s another one who has impressed in his limited cameos so far, but he looked shaky and off the pace this evening, summed up by his complete miscue that led to Chelsea’s second.
Jeriel Dorsett: 5
Back in the team after his mammoth stint on international duty for Montserrat, and he did OK.
Well, he wasn’t the main issue tonight anyway. The two full-backs were definitely better than the two centre-backs, that’s for sure.
Liam Fraser: 5
The thing with Fraser, in my opinion, is that his performances always teeter on the line between quietly effective and passive. He’s a steady Eddie, someone who will keep it simple and just try and tick the game along.
But in a game like this I expected him to have more control than he did.
Richardson’s style dictates that whoever we play in midfield isn’t necessarily going to control the play; we’re not a possession-based team. But still, the game seemed to pass Fraser by.
Charlie Savage: 5
Perhaps I’m unfairly holding Savage to a higher standard here, but for a player who will surely be thinking he should be playing more minutes in the league, he should be impacting the game more than he did tonight.
This may be an obsolete – perhaps even unfair – comparison, but if you compare Andy Rinomhota and Lewis Wing’s performances at the weekend to Fraser and Savage tonight, you can see why Richardson prefers the former duo.
Daniel Kyerewaa: 6
Having started the season as first choice on the left wing, he’ll be frustrated that he’s now got to settle for starts in the From The Cast Of The Jersey Boys Trophy.
He was arguably our biggest attacking threat this evening, skinning his man a couple of times in the first half, and generally looking like the guy who was going to make something happen.
The issue with him though, as we all know, is the end product. Again, the final pass or shot was missing tonight.
David Hicks: 5
A nice moment for him to make his first professional start for the club, and he’s the one you’d cut the most slack for, considering his inexperience and the fact his level is actually that of Chelsea u21s at the moment, perhaps dare I say it lower.
Unfortunately though he was largely ineffective in the 10 role. Had a headed chance very early on which he put over the bar, but aside from that failed to make an impact.
Randell Williams: 5
Another one to file under the category ‘expected more in a game like this’.
I hope that doesn’t come across as disrespectful to the opponents when I say that by the way. Chelsea have the most prolific academy in the country and were very impressive this evening.
But it’s fair to say that Randell Williams would’ve expected more from himself tonight against an academy full-back.
Jacob Brown: 4
Rinse and repeat from above, really. But Brown missed a huge chance to draw a goal back late in the first half, and who knows what could’ve been if he’d have scored.
He had a grand total of nine touches in his 77 minutes on the pitch, and while strikers are at mercy of the service they get from the players behind them, there comes a point where you’ve got the try and make things happen for yourself.
Subs
Jerae Jones, Reece Evans and Boyd Beacroft: 5
Jones entered the action first, replacing Hicks early in the second half, and Evans and Beacroft came on at the same time to replace Brown and Knight.
While the subs perked Reading up a little bit, none of the three managed to make a tangible impact.
Ryan Howard and Emmanuel Osho: N/A
Entered the fray in the 80th minute, so automatically get an N/A. Apologies, lads.
Average: 4.92/10
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