I’m not really sure where to start with that one to be honest. Five goals, a clean sheet, Charlie vs Robbie, some astonishingly bad defending from Posh, ruthless finishing from us, The Boys Fletch and Ally on comms waxing lyrical about how well we were ‘bopping the ball about’ – it was all a bit of a whirlwind, and it’s a tricky one to coherently sum up.
I mean, with the disaster that was Wednesday night, the main priority was that we bounced back, showed a bit of fight and turned in a performance.
Yes, it would’ve been nicer if we didn’t have to do that and instead showed that fight and spirit in the first place, but alas, c’est la vie. The only thing the players could do was be better tonight, and they were, albeit against a very, very – sod it, let’s add enough one – very poor Peterborough United side.
That won’t change what happened on Wednesday or suddenly extinguish it from our memories, far from it, but you can only play what’s in front of you.
And we did it with a surprisingly strong starting XI. It’s just become a standard modus operandi that wholesale changes are made for cup games, but Leam Richardson bucked the trend tonight, going near-enough full-strength.
Reading (4-2-3-1): Pereira; Godwin-Malife, Knight, O’Connor, Roberts; Rinomhota, Fraser; Lisbie, Savage, Kyerewaa; Marriott
Subs: Stevens, Ahmed, Masterson, Wing, Stokes, Williams, Osho, Reid, Patton
First half
Contrary to what the final score – and, to be honest, the rest of the game – suggested, the first 25 minutes were pretty even stevens. And, if not for a sensational goal-line clearance from Liam Fraser, the game could’ve been a very different one.
Of course, the first goal is always important, and it was a terrifically worked one from our point of view. A neat one-touch passing move between Daniel Kyerewaa, Liam Fraser and Andy Rinomhota ended with the former of the three slotting home via a deflection. 1-0 to the Royals.
The Peterborough boys must’ve been listening to some Rod Stewart pre-game because the first cut was most definitely the deepest. From then on, there was only ever going to be one winner.
We’ve seen plenty of games in recent years when it’s been Reading who’ve conceded first, heads have dropped and we’ve gone on to get annihilated. So, Posh fans watching that tonight did have a bit of sympathy from me, I must admit.
Pretty much all five goals tonight were a case of us ruthlessly punishing some kamikaze defending from the hosts, and the second was no different. A wonderful delivery from Haydon Roberts met the head of Jack Marriott, who, completely unmarked, nodded home from point blank range. 2-0.
It was to get even better just before half-time as a free-flowing counter-attack went from Kyreece Lisbie, to Marriott, to Savage, before the latter put the tie well and truly to bed before the interval.
Three goals, and at least twice as many pans to Robbie Savage in the Peterborough dugout shaking his head as if he’s not the guy in charge of his team’s tactics and suicidal defending.
Half time: 0-3
I mean the second half followed pretty much the same flow as the first. We cruised, because we didn’t need to do much more.
The game was ours as soon as soon as we went 1-0 up, and while I want to praise the players as much as possible – we won 5-0 for Pete’s sake – the scoreline was largely helped by just how bad Peterborough were.
The worst defending was yet to come however, as a floated free-kick was flicked on by Paudie O’Connor and Jamie Reid had enough time to take a touch and do a few keepie-uppies if he so wished – but boringly he simply decided to lift the ball over the ‘keeper’s head instead for 4-0, and his first goal in a Reading shirt.
The fifth was the best of the lot from our perspective and probably won’t get the credit it deserves because the game had been done and dusted for about an hour. Genuinely, it wouldn’t have looked out of place if it had been scored at the Nou Camp between 2009 and 2012. OK, maybe not genuinely, but you know what I mean.
It was a lovely team goal from back to front, ending with Reid grabbing his second and our FIFTH. Five, Jamie, five? That’s insane.
Full time: 0-5
I feel like I should be more impressed than I currently am after seeing my team win 5-0. I know it’s bad, but all I can think about right now is just how bad Peterborough were.
Like I said before, you can only play what’s in front of you, and the players did that very well. They had a job to do, and they did it by scoring five goals and conceding none – so perhaps I should be a bit happier and more positive.
I suppose what I’m trying to say is that tonight is only a first step in the players winning back forgiveness for Wednesday night. A good first step, no doubt about that, but by no means have I now forgotten – and I would imagine I’m not alone in that boat.
Put it this way, if we lose on Saturday against Stockport County, no one will be talking about this game, that’s for sure.
