The Royals began the 2022-23 campaign with a 1-0 defeat in Lancashire as Blackpool scored the only goal of the game. Reading battled hard to get back into it and dominated the second half but couldn't find an equaliser their efforts deserved.
The match began with high intensity as both sides looked to get off to a bright start to the campaign and despite the hosts winning a couple of early corners the Royals' back line dealt with the danger.
Royals keeper Joe Lumley was called into action not long after when he covered his near post well to deny Josh Bowler after the midfielder had struck from the edge of the box.
Tom Ince, making a return to his former side, then whipped in a fierce ball across goal that picked out Junior Hoilett, however Yakou Meite couldn’t quite make the desired contact from his cut back.
Matty Virtue put in a cross that was met by Bowler, but Lumley reacted well to make a smart stop low down. However, he could do very little when Callum Connolly fired the loose ball from a narrow angle into the roof of the net to give the Tangerines the lead.
Ince then picked up the ball in the middle of the pitch and did well to work a shot away on the edge of the D which was deflected just wide for a corner.
Ovie Ejaria passed inwards to Jeff Hendrick who played a well-timed ball through to Meite however Daniel Grimshaw in the Tangerines goal smothered the striker's scuffed shot.
Ince’s corner found the head of Tom Holmes, but his downward effort was cleared before the clearance from Nesta Guinness-Walker’s cross set up Holmes for a volley which went just over the bar.
Meite then earned the Royals a corner when he cut inside from Hoilett’s ball; Ince’s set piece found Tom McIntyre but his goal-bound effort was blocked behind for another corner.
That subsequent corner was played short by Hoilett into the feet of Tyrese Fornah, one of the four players Paul Ince gave debuts to this afternoon, and he teased the defender before putting a cross that almost found a blue and white shirt.
At the other end, Bowler put in a cross from the byline that was headed away by McIntyre and despite the ball falling to Lewis Florini, his mishit volley didn’t do the damage that was intended.
Andy Yiadom, skippering the side for the first time since being given the role this summer, burst down the wing and whipped in a ball that was collected by Grimshaw as the Royals looked to get back on level terms before the break.
But the last action of the half saw the ball just go over the bar from a Meite header after he got on the end of Hoilett’s cross.
Half time: Blackpool 1-0 Reading
The first effort of the second half came from the hosts as the tricky Bowler cut inside but his shot came back off the base of the post and he couldn’t sort his feet out for the rebound as Lumley collected.
Ejaria played in Yiadom on the edge of the six-yard box and the skipper’s cross had to be headed away by Dominic Thompson from almost underneath his own bar before a ball across goal saw Grimshaw do well to stop a Meite effort.
Lumley then got the better of Bowler once more when the midfielder’s teasing cross was well claimed by the Royals no.1.
Out on the far side, Yates found Gary Madine but Lumley was equal to the forward’s header.
The lively Hoilett once more found Meite with his cross but before he could get his shot away Tangarines captain Marvin Ekpiteta cleared the ball for a corner.
Yiadom received the ball from Ince out on the far side but his cross towards the penalty spot was cut out by Thompson. Ejaria then met Hoilett’s cross, but Grimshaw punched his effort away.
The home side looked for a second on the counter-attack through Yates and with the forward bearing down on goal, Yiadom’s slide tackle, timed to perfection was the only reason he didn’t get a shot away.
Striker Shane Long was introduced off the bench for his second Royals debut as the visitors looked for a late leveller. But despite the five minutes of stoppage time the Royals were unable to find a goal and now have to look forward to beginning the home campaign against Cardiff City on Saturday.
Full time: Blackpool 1-0 Reading
Blackpool: Grimshaw (GK), Connolly, R Williams, Ekpiteta (C), Thompson (Thorniley 82’), Carey (Corbeanu 82’), Florini, Virtue (Dougall 65’), Bowler, Madine (Lavery 71’), Yates (Hamilton 82’).
Unused Subs: Moore (GK), Lubala.
Yellow Card: Dougall 80'
Scorers: Connolly 10’
Reading: Lumley (GK), Yiadom (C), McIntyre, Holmes, Guinness-Walker, Hoilett, Fornah, Hendrick, Ejaria (Long 83’), Ince, Meite.
Unused Subs: Bouzanis (GK), Abrefa, John Clarke, Ehibhatiomhan, Leavy, Scott.
Attendance: 10,831
