Tykes Throw Away Lead as Marriott Breaks Barnsley Hearts Late
Reading 2-2 Barnsley
League One - Saturday 24th January
A 2-2 draw at Reading that felt like watching someone try to assemble furniture without the manual. We had it, lost it, found it again, then promptly dropped it in the final stretch. The Reds showed glimpses of what we can do when things click, but also demonstrated our curious ability to make simple tasks unnecessarily complicated.
Roberts breaks the deadlock on debut
The opening half hour was scrappy enough to make you wonder if both sides had spent the week practising their worst passing. Neither team could string together anything resembling coherent football until Reading's new boy Roberts decided to announce himself in the 32nd minute. Lane's cross caused the sort of chaos in our box that makes you want to hide behind the sofa, and Roberts squeezed his shot home from an angle so acute it barely existed.
Credit where it's due though (barely), we didn't let our heads drop. Within six minutes, McGoldrick had us level with the sort of finish that reminded everyone why experience matters. Cleary whipped in a cross from the left, and there was our veteran striker, unmarked and grateful, tapping home his eighth of the season. Simple football done well, which felt revolutionary given what had come before.
Tykes take charge after the break
The second half started with Reading throwing everything at us like they'd suddenly remembered they were playing at home. Wave after wave came our way, testing a defence that looked about as solid as a chocolate teapot in direct sunlight. Somehow we weathered the storm, and when the pressure eased, we struck.
Phillips picked up the ball 20 yards out and let fly with a shot that took such a wicked deflection it left their keeper Pereira looking like he was trying to save a ball from another dimension entirely. The skipper's effort wrong-footed everyone, including half our fans who weren't sure whether to celebrate the goal or the sheer comedy of it all.
For a brief moment, you could almost believe we'd learned how to see out a lead. The stats tell their own story here - Reading had dominated possession with nearly 64% of the ball and peppered us with ten shots to our three. We were hanging on by our fingernails, but sometimes that's enough.
Late drama denies the points
Here's the thing though: we've all been here before. That creeping sense that one goal might not be enough, that familiar tightness as the clock ticks towards full time. Sure enough, with six minutes left, Marriott popped up with Reading's equaliser. A well-struck effort that glanced off the post and in, the sort of finish that leaves you cursing the football gods while grudgingly admitting it was decent.
The warning signs had been there. Their substitute Keane had missed from close range moments earlier, a let-off that should have been the cue to tighten things up. Instead, we seemed to invite more pressure, and eventually the dam burst.
Looking at the numbers afterwards, you could argue we nicked a point we probably didn't deserve on the balance of play. Reading had more shots, more possession, more corners, and generally looked more likely to create something meaningful. But football isn't played on spreadsheets, and our ability to find the net when it mattered most nearly got us over the line.
The defensive performance won't have Hourihane jumping for joy. Two bookings for Shepherd and O'Keeffe suggest we were struggling to contain their attacking threats through conventional means, while the late yellow for Keillor-Dunn came at precisely the moment we needed to keep eleven men on the pitch.
McGoldrick deserves particular mention for not just his goal but his overall contribution. At his age, every decent performance feels like a bonus, but he's showing no signs of slowing down. His assist for Phillips' goal demonstrated the sort of vision that comes from years of knowing where teammates will be before they know it themselves.
The draw keeps us ticking along without setting the world alight - same drama, different season. Reading will feel they should have won it, we'll take the point and run. On a day when neither side managed to convince completely, maybe a draw was the fairest result after all.
Team Line-ups:
Reading (4 - 2 - 3 - 1):
Joel Pereira, H. Roberts, J. Dorsett, P. O'Connor, A. Yiadom, C. Savage, L. Wing, P. Lane, K. Doyle, D. Kyerewaa, J. Marriott
Subs: F. Burns, K. Ehibhatiomhan, L. Fraser, W. Keane, R. Nyambe, M. Ritchie, J. Stevens
Goals: H. Roberts (32'), J. Marriott (84')
Barnsley (5 - 4 - 1):
O. Goodman, E. O'Connell, J. Shepherd, T. Watson, N. Ogbeta, C. O'Keeffe, R. Cleary, P. Kelly, J. Bland, A. Phillips, D. McGoldrick
Subs: M. de Gevigney, L. Farrell, K. Flavell, D. Keillor-Dunn, C. Lennon, M. Roberts, V. Yoganathan
Goals: D. McGoldrick (38'), A. Phillips (67')
Yellow Cards: J. Shepherd (19'), C. O'Keeffe (57'), D. Keillor-Dunn (84')
Match Stats:
| Statistic | Reading | Barnsley |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 63.8% | 36.2% |
| Shots | 10 | 3 |
| Shots on target | 3 | 2 |
| Goalkeeper saves | 0 | 1 |
| Aerial duels won | 10 | 17 |
| Fouls committed | 7 | 12 |
| Corners | 9 | 6 |
Final Whistle
One point gained or two dropped? Depends on your glass-half-full tendencies, but given Reading's superiority in most departments, we probably shouldn't grumble too much. The stats don't lie - 64% possession and ten shots suggests they were the better side for large chunks, yet we still managed to rattle the crossbar twice through sheer bloody-mindedness and a bit of McGoldrick magic. That's the sort of smash-and-grab mentality that can serve you well in League One, even if it won't win any style awards.
The concern is how easily we invited pressure in those final ten minutes when game management should have been the priority. Three yellow cards tell their own story about a side struggling to cope with sustained attacks, and you suspect Hourihane will have plenty to work on in training this week. Still, there's something to be said for a team that refuses to buckle completely - last season's Barnsley might have crumbled after conceding late.
As January trudges on, this feels like the sort of result that could prove valuable come May. Not pretty, not dominant, but stubborn enough to take something from a game where we were second best for long periods. McGoldrick's experience and Phillips' leadership continue to be our standout qualities, and sometimes that's enough to keep you in fights you probably shouldn't be winning. Roll on next week.