Reading 2-0 Wrexham: How To Tame Your Dragon

A Harvey Knibbs penalty and Lewis Wing strike - plus some defensive brilliance - were enough for a massive home win.

Despite the referee’s best efforts, Reading put Wrexham to bed with a spectacular win this Tuesday night, showing class in performance and in front of goal. Nine games unbeaten is quite the record, and it’s been so deserved.

From minute one to minute 90, Noel Hunt showed Hollywood FC how it’s done with a clean sheet against the second-best defensive team in the league, topped off with two goals from players who have arguably underperformed since the managerial change, but were the difference-makers tonight.

Reading (4-3-3): Pereira; Abrefa, Stickland, Bindon, Garcia; Knibbs, Wing, Savage; Campbell, Wareham, Ehibhatiomhan

Subs: Button, Yiadom, Dean, Rushesha, Carroll, Camara, Akande

We made our presence felt early on, as Charlie Savage whipped in a free-kick which Wrexham struggled to clear, yet both side’s defences held firm in the opening few minutes. We were the brighter team early on though, with further promising deliveries from the left, and the Royals were comfortable in possession at the back.

Following a loose touch from Andre Garcia, the visitors had a penalty call quickly waved away as Ryan Barnett folded like a deck chair under the tackling of Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan, and soon after Reading hit back as Jayden Wareham took on an audacious volley from far out that didn’t go too far over the bar. An end-to-end start at the SCL, but it was the final ball that denied either team from having any decent chances.

The broadcast informed me that Reading had 78% possession in the opening 20 minutes, which told the story well. We looked fresh, not just in fitness but also in ideas and patterns of play. Forget a field in Reading, Wareham and Savage looked more suited to the favelas of Rio based off their footwork and the passing triangles we weaved around Wrexham.

We pressed very high too, which showed a very pleasing level of ambition and risk that we maybe haven’t seen for a few games.

Wrexham did eventually come forward and muster up a couple of chances for Sam Smith, neither of which threatened Joel Pereira’s net, and were instead blocked by a cohesive-looking defensive unit.

The first corner of the game came Reading’s way following some beautiful link-up play again, yet the next half-chance came for Chem Campbell a few minutes later, who tried a chest-down and overhead kick - a bold but eventually tame effort. In quick succession Kelvin Abrefa won it back high and found Savage well, but the shooting opportunity was forced onto his weak foot and the Welshman’s effort hit Ehibhatiomhan on its way.

Our domination didn’t last too long though. James McClean fizzed in a powerful cross which fell deep at the back post to Ryan Barnett. Michael Stickland blocked his first-time shot well, and the resulting corner came to nothing. On his second league start, the 21-year-old was having a stellar first half.

Wing’s free-kick hit the wall, Sam Smith was smacked in the face by the ball, and the half-time whistle blew. A fair scoreline at the break, with neither side looking good value for a goal, let alone all three points.

Half time: 0-0

We starting strongly out the blocks. Abrefa skipped down the right-hand side, laying the ball to Campbell, and when it broke to the edge of the box Savage’s shot was directed harmlessly wide.

Campbell knocked the ball down for Wareham up top, and unbelievably Eoghan O’Connell swung and missed at the ball, taking our striker with him. It was ‘Wrex marks the spot’ from the referee, as we were awarded a penalty. True Living Room Limbs in the household.

Harvey Knibbs stepped up and converted, sinking a hammer blow into the bottom left corner to put Hunt’s Royals ahead. 1-0. Would ya believe it?

Savage was pulling the strings again after the restart, crossing for Ehibhatiomhan, who laid it off for Wareham. His shot dribbled wide, but the domination continued.

Minutes later Garcia passed to Knibbs, then threaded to Wing. The right-footed strike from the midfielder stunned Arthur Okonkwo in goal as it sailed into his near post. 2-0 to Reading. Unreal, glorious, filthy scenes.

Substitute Elliot Lee attempted the second bicycle kick of the game, this time from about 25 yards, which as expected caused no problems, and the Royals came forward again, not looking at all content with only a two-goal lead. Hunt held his nerve with the substitutes into the 65th minute, and so far that decision was proving fruitful. The starting XI was remaining resolute.

A cross from the left landed on Smith’s head, and he produced a brilliant header to be fair to him, but Pereira was more than equal to it. The ‘keeper even partook in some ‘housery in the form of time-wasting after, unfortunately joining Stickland in the book for his efforts though.

James McClean and Jay Rodriguez clearly couldn’t handle the heat any more and departed with 20 minutes left on the clock, and all-action midfielder Savage continued to win quite literally every ball on the pitch.

It couldn’t go on like this, could it? No Mr McCarthy, actually, it couldn’t. Stickland stood over a free-kick, which he eventually decided to leave to Pereira to take as he ran forward. The referee decided that he was the real Hollywood star of the show and showed the centre-back a second yellow. Bizarre, but not shocking by League One standards.

The away side immediately came forward and Steven Fletcher, with his back to goal, slammed the ball over the crossbar. Harlee Dean entered the fray in place of Ehibhatiomhan to steady the ship at the back.

You wouldn’t think we had 10 men though. A free-kick delivery from that man Savage again bounced around the box and was looped back into the area. Tyler Bindon was on the end of an agonisingly good chance for a third goal, but his uncontested volley hit the goalkeeper square.

Pereira saved well from a Smith header again, and Bindon nearly diverted an own goal in as we entered squeaky bum time. Defensive mode was well on when Andy Yiadom was introduced for Wareham.

The Reading goal was getting peppered more than a steak bake at this point. Crosses coming in from all angles, and a few particularly dangerous chances with five minutes left from pinball in the box. But alas, in the end, Joel in Goal claimed the lot.

Seven minutes of stoppage time were announced, yet our two-goal lead had me very confident. Wrexham continued to produce weak attempts at goal, and Reading continued to win back possession and pump the ball away.

The work rate and desire to get over the line shone through prominently late on, and finally, the full-time whistle went. Ecstasy on the blue plastic seats of RG2 and tears around the TVs of plastic Wrexham fans worldwide.

Full time: 2-0

We’ve only gone and done it! Reading two, Wrexham nil. Roll the credits for this game, Noel Hunt, but Reading’s story is far from over.

A Royal Rocky Balboa has risen and knocked out the billionaire babes of League One football, and victory never tasted so sweet.