Reading Taught a Lesson in Quality

RFC Youth 1 - 3 MCFC Youth

Despite Reading offering a real physical presence in the game and having well worked set pieces; City came from one nil down thanks to the left foot of Daniel Sturridge and the creative qualities throughout the City side as the young Sturridge scored a fine hat-trick after his long injury lay off to secure a fifth round away tie at Bristol City.
City would have been disappointed with their start to the match as they needlessly gave away possession at times and that allowed Reading to force more of the play; and so maybe Reading's pre-match huddle before the game was looking like paying dividends; especially with the leadership skills of the son of former Glasgow Rangers star Mark Hateley playing. Indeed a well rehearsed corner by Reading in the third minute led to a sharp save at the near post by Gregory Hartley.
City then had two chances within two minutes on twelve and fourteen; both falling to Sturridge, but his lack of match practice in both cases led to a poor first touch and what could have been better chances could then not be converted.
The game got a bit scrappy for a period as there were numerous free kicks for niggling fouls which the referee found very easy to award to Reading but failed to see the excessive manhandling that most of the City players were receiving in their vain attempt to stop City playing their fast free flowing football.
Reading then took the lead as they pressed down the left and a poor clearance straight to Josh Webb by Donal McDermott in the area was fired straight back in past Hartley.
Their lead only lasted seven minutes when good work by Vladimir Weiss allowed him to send a long pass to Sturridge who cut inside from the far edge of the area to send a great left foot strike into the far corner of the net, leaving Reading's Alex McCarthy with no chance in the goal.
As the game ebbed and flowed with City's defence holding firm and Reading's lack of composure in front of goal saw both teams go into the break on level terms although prolific striker David Ball saw an effort cleared of the line when Ryan McGivern headed back into the area from City's first corner in first half stoppage time.
The second half saw City grow further in confidence as the half wore on and Reading showed signs of tiredness in their passing. City also started to use their width more as they had played a more narrow game in the first half.
City took the lead however from a set play when McDermott played an in-swinging free kick from the right for Dedryck Boyata to climb majestically and head across the face of goal for Sturridge to run in to the far post and force the ball into the net from close range.
Reading made a double change on sixty five minutes to see if they could force their way back onto level terms; but five minutes later the Weiss and Sturridge combination proved deadly as Vladimir's sharp turn near the centre circle and run towards the box allowed him to see Sturridge free and he was able to control the ball and force it forward to gain the space to fire a powerful strike with his left foot under a despairing dive of McCarthy in goal.
Reading clearly refused to give in, but their lack of top quality players was the telling sign as centre halves Ben Mee and Boyata dealt with all the crosses that reigned in and City saw their way into the fifth round of the youth cup.


Reading: McCarthy(GK), Spence, Kelly, Hateley(Capt.), Cox, Bayley(Frewen 65), Vasilev, Sigurdsson, Bignall(Bryant 76), Webb, Illugason(Bossman 65).

Subs: Kitteridge(GK), Mitchell.


City: Hartley(GK), Trippier, McGivern, Boyata, Mee(Capt.), Kay, Tsiaklis(Ibrahim 56), D Ball, Sturridge, McDermott.

Subs: Clegg(GK), Nimely-Tchuimeni, Tutte, Mak.

Att: 1265.

MotM: Even though Sturridge is entitled to take the headlines; City's star man has to be Captain Ben Mee who led by example with a near faultless display whilst being under extreme pressure at times.


Both City's academy games with Liverpool this Saturday have been postponed due to Liverpool's youth cup game next Tuesday with Arsenal.