Reading under-21s were fantastic in securing a dramatic late 1-1 draw against Newcastle United under-21s on Friday night, capped off by a 96th-minute equaliser from substitute Matteo Dashi.
In a game of few clear-cut openings, Reading created the lion’s share of the chances, though they looked occasionally vulnerable playing out from the back, with Philip Duah and Kevin Mfuamba having a few shaky moments.
Up front, the attacking unit caused persistent problems through explosive pace and directness.
Joe Barough was a constant live wire on the left wing, showing blistering pace and a welcome willingness to shoot from tight angles to force parries, while Torin Ntege spearheaded the attack fantastically by combining clever, skilful movement with a similar threat from narrow angles.
On the opposite flank, Jerae Jones displayed brilliant skill and quickness, though, as a natural left-footer on the right, he occasionally ran out of room and could benefit from releasing his shots a fraction quicker.
In the engine room, the midfield trio provided physicality and a high-intensity press, led by Luke Howard, who operated as an impressive number 10, functioning out of possession as a second striker to lead the press despite being denied a goal by lacking power and one fantastic save.
Alongside him, Tyler Sackey proved his immense versatility across the pitch, while the commanding Mfuamba anchored the midfield with a physical presence that suggests he could be knocking on the first-team door in the near future.
The back line was also solid. Callum Cliff looked solid at left-back despite playing much of his under-18 football at centre-back, and Duah showcased his explosive power by charging the entire length of the pitch to win a first-half free-kick on the edge of the area.
Newcastle simply could not cope with Reading’s superior physicality, despite leading thanks to a bit of quality, and their frustration boiled over when their striker was shown a straight red card for kicking out at Duah after being completely outmuscled in a duel.
The Royals’ bench kept the intensity high late on as Scofield Lonmeni used his strength effectively to carve out a scoring opportunity and Michael Bampoh injected vibrant energy and skill down the right wing.
Ultimately, a late tactical reshuffle saw Dashi replace Cliff, sending Howard to left-back and Dashi to the left wing, which paid dividends in the 96th minute when a slick, composed passing move culminated in Dashi smashing home a brilliant, deserved equaliser – similar to United’s goal.
It was a fantastic testament to this young Royals side, who refused to panic, stuck to their footballing principles and fought until the end.
