Read our account of our win over Boro...
The Royals followed up Wednesday's win with a deserved 1-0 win over Middlesbrough at the Select Car Leasing Stadium with a first Royals goal from Tyrese Fornah!
The first effort came in the opening minute when visiting midfielder Riley McGree found Marcus Forss but his tame effort was easily saved by ‘keeper Dean Bouzanis, who was making his Royals’ league debut.
The hosts first attack came when Junior Hoilett slid in Jeff Hendrick following a corner and after the ball was played back across, Hoilett then beat his man and forced a save from Boro ‘keeper Zack Steffan.
Ryan Giles then put a low cross into the Royals’ box but McGree snatched at the chance and it was cleared away by debutant Sam Hutchinson.
Hutchinson was then adjudged to have brought down Forss on the edge of the area with the resulting free kick being hit into the wall by Alex Mowatt from Jonny Howson’s lay off.
Tom McIntyre then ran onto Hoilett’s ball, but his cross was intercepted by Steffen.
Andy Yiadom’s cross was headed away by Marc Bola but only to as far as Tyrese Fornah who opened his Royals’ account with a first-time effort!
McGree then picked out Dael Fry over the top, but his cross was well cut out by Hutchinson.
Tom Holmes started a counter-attack and did well to pick out Hoilett but after cutting inside the Canadian international’s shot was blocked.
Tom Ince then put in a teasing cross that had to be put behind by Isiah Jones with Hoilett’s corner headed goal bound but Steffan stopped the ball.
Hoilett went in the referee’s notebook for a foul on Jones with Howson’s set piece dealt with.
The Teessiders’ won a succession of corners however the Royals’ backline held firm as we went into the break with the lead.
Half time: Reading 1-0 Middlesbrough
The second half began with Hoilett putting a ball in from the byline but Shane Long couldn’t get enough on the ball and the ball was cleared.
Paddy McNair played in substitute Matt Crooks, but McIntyre came sliding in to intercept the forward’s cross.
Mamadou Loum passed the ball to Ince on the edge of the visitor’s box, and he set up a chance for Jeff Hendrick, but his effort went over the bar.
Ince almost set up Hendrick just moments later, but his ball had just too much on it for the Ireland international to run on to as the hosts looked to double their lead.
Crooks then played the ball forward to Paddy McNair who set up Duncan Watmore on the edge of the box, but the half time substitute scooped his shot over the bar.
McNair floated a ball into the box which although Crooks won, his header didn’t trouble Bouzanis.
Hendrick’s header then fell to Hoilett but his long range effort went wide of the goal.
Bouzanis was called into action at the other end when a cross was headed goal bound by Darragh Lenihan but the Australian was on hand to catch the ball.
Boro then won a corner and after exchanging passes, Mowatt tried his own effort from distance that sailed over the bar.
Substitute Lucas Joao released Ince, but his cross was caught by Steffan before Watmore had a shot blocked.
John Clarke then did a tremendous sliding tackle to deny Matthew Hoppe as the visitors’ pressed for a late equaliser.
In the last minute of stoppage time the Teessiders’ earned a corner, from Hendrick’s block, but the Royals defence did their job to secure a third successive home league win!
Full time: Reading 1-0 Middlesbrough
Reading: Bouzanis (GK), Hoilett, Yiadom (C), Holmes, Hutchinson (John Clarke 69’), McIntyre, Fornah, Loum, Hendrick, Ince, Long (Joao 61’).
Unused Subs: Andresson (GK), Camara, Abrefa, Ehibhatiomhan, Craig.
Yellow Cards: Hoilett (41’), Bouzanis (85’), Loum (90+2).
Scorers: Fornah 28
Middlesbrough: Steffan (GK), Fry (Crooks HT), Lenihan, Bola, Jones, McNair, Howson (C), Mowatt (Boyd-Munce 90’), Giles, McGree (Watmore HT), Forss (Hoppe 70’).
Unused Subs: Roberts (GK), Smith, Dijksteel.
Yellow Cards: Jones (22’).
Attendance: 12,318 (1,336 away)
