Royals see off Imps to claim victory in opening pre-season clash of the summer
Reading got their summer’s action off to a winning start with a 1-0 win over League One Lincoln City at Bearwood Park this afternoon, Tyrell Ashcroft’s second half winner separating the sides.
Reading dominated from the off. And the first chance fell to the hosts with the game only six minutes old – Yiadom floating a well-weighted ball over the top for Tetek to run onto and although he got to the ball before the onrushing Imps keeper, the stopper did enough to smother the midfielder’s touch and Lincoln cleared the danger.
Rafael had had nothing to do besides gather in a scuffed shot from distance from Remy Longdon after a quarter of an hour, as the Royals played good possession football. And soon after Tetek won a free kick 25 yards out which Swift swept over the wall but also over the Lincoln crossbar.
The visitors squandered a half chance when a Draper header was glanced well wide from a cross into the box from the right.
But it took a flying fingertip save from the Imps keeper to deny Yiadom from opening the scoring with a powerful right footed drive from the right side of the area.
Swift met a Yiadom deep cross with his head but couldn’t direct it on target, then Holmes stooped to force a very good save from the goalkeeper – only for the referee to award the visitors a free kick for a tussle between Morrison and his marker in the build up to the corner.
Swift came within a whisker of making it 1-0 when he pulled the trigger from just outside the box – his effort took a deflection, flew over the keeper and crashed into the crossbar.
But on the half hour, Rafael produced a good parry to deny Lincoln a goal against the run of play, Maguire latching onto a ball cut back from the byline on the right and drilling it goalwards from 15 yards out.
Rinomhota got a similar opportunity at the other end but his effort was charged down. Then another good save saw an excellent Azeez shot turned over the crossbar.
Half-time: Reading 0-0 Lincoln City
Reading and specifically Tetek started the second half on the front foot, lashing an effort over the bar, then winning a free-kick on the right side with some close control allowing to beat one man before being fouled by a second.
Some very nice build-up play led to a chance for Laurent who arrowed an effort over the crossbar from range.
Ten minutes into the second period and a flurry of changes for the Royals saw a very young eleven take on the League One side for the final half an hour. And a lovely throughball from Osorio nearly got Bristow in behind and through on goal.
Bristow was back defending his own goal, clearing a low cross from the left to deny the visitors an opening goal on the hour mark.
Despite their senior team inexperience, the Royals upped the tempo and Ehibhatioman did well to find some space down the right before pulling a ball back for Melvin-Lambert whose effort was charged down.
And Reading got their goal through minutes later – and a good it was too. Leavy played the ball inside to Camara who spotted the run of Tyrell Ashcroft and played a lovely aerial ball over the top of the Lincoln defence. Ashcroft stretched and met the ball as it dropped to cannily flick the ball past the onrushing City keeper and into the bottom right corner for 1-0.
Camara and Ashcroft combined to good effect again with 10 minutes left, but Ashcroft’s low cross was cut out and put behind for a corner.
With five minutes remaining, Reading were still looking for a second and a swift counter-attack down the left saw Sackey supply a ball over the top for Ehibhatioman to chase after – but the ball bounced just in front of his outstretched leg and the keeper was able to gather the ball in ahead of the young Royals forward.
Stickland cut out a late cross from Lincoln and headed the ball clear as the Imps recycled it and swept the ball into the box again from the right, but the Royals were comfortable in their lead and earned a 1-0 victory in their first pre-season encounter of the summer.
Full-time: Reading 1-0 Lincoln City
Reading: Rafael (Southwood HT), Yiadom (Sackey HT), McIntyre (Bristow HT (Abbey 72)), Morrison (Stickland 56), Holmes (Dorsett 56), Tetek (Ashcroft 56), Laurent (Osorio 56), Rinomhota (Leavy 56), Trialist (Camara 56), Azeez (Ehibhatioman 56), Swift (Melvin-Lambert 56).