A look back on our youngsters’ progress so far this season
Our Under-18 side continue to impress in the U18 Professional Development League (South) – continuing on a learning curve as they each try to carve out a career as pro footballers.
Under the guidance of Michael Donaldson and Mikele Leigertwood – and occasionally stepping up a level to get involved in Noel Hunt’s Under-21 squad – the current crop are developing quickly.
Our youngsters have won eight, lost eight, and drawn one… and loads of learning on the way. We lie fifth in the league with 11 games to go.
So it’s time to take stock and reflect on our season to date…
August
Our season began in defeat in Wigan – Caylan Vickers opened our goalscoring account for the season with a goal just before the half-hour, but ultimately the Royals were defeated 3-1.
But we got on the winning trail a week later when Burnley visited Bearwood Park – the Lancashire side were overcome 2-1, as Jeremiah Okine-Peters opened the scoring and Vickers notched the winning goal two minutes from time, as we secured our first three points of 2022-23.
Back on the road the next weekend, our youngsters fell to a 2-0 defeat away at Sheffield United.
September
A perfect return of three wins from three fixtures in September – beginning with a Professional Development League Cup encounter at home against AFC Bournemouth. Vickers continued his goalscoring form with a brace – his goals bookending strikes by forward Aston Greaver and defender Abraham Kanu, as we took a 4-1 win at Bearwood.
And the Royals backed it up with a league win the following weekend in Birmingham – Ayyuba Jambang, a summer arrival from Norwich, opened his account in the first half. And 16-year-old Taylan Harris, on as a half-time sub, scored his first at U18 level within a minute of the restart and notched the eventual winner in the 89th – 3-2 the final score.
The month ended with a 2-0 win against Watford at Bearwood Park, as Greaver grabbed goals either side of half-time.
October
Ryley Campbell was the latest player to grab a brace when we visited QPR to open up October – and his two goals, which both came in the final quarter of the game, were enough to win the game 2-1 on the road.
Back to Birmingham the following weekend, and like the previous month, the Royals scored three times – through Jeremiah Okine-Peters, Jacob Borgnis and Caylan Vickers. But the Blues scored four, earning the points in the PDL Cup meeting.
The U18s followed up with what is to-date our only draw of the campaign, as Taylan Harris and Aston Greaver each scored in a 2-2 draw at home against Bristol City in the league.
Back in the PDL Cup, away at Colchester United, Aston Greaver found the net either side of half-time and either side of Caylan Vickers’ goal as part of a 3-2 win.
But we suffered a setback in league action on home soil against Swansea, who left 2-0 winners to round off a busy month.
November
Millwall currently sit top of the U18 Professional Development League – but the Reading youngsters were 1-0 winners when the sides met at Bearwood in the PDL Cup, as Luis Hamblin grabbed a goal in stoppage time to win 1-0.
But we went into the winter break from league action on the back of consecutive defeats in the league; despite Harrison Furlong’s first of the season, Ipswich were 3-1 winners when we travelled to Suffolk.
And then back at Bearwood, Jack Barough’s first-half brace went unrewarded as Charlton left with a 3-2 win.
December
Just a single fixture in December – and our FA Youth Cup journey ended at the first hurdle as our U18s visited Goodison Park, where Everton were 3-0 victors that evening.
January
The new year started with four goals on home turf… but it wasn’t enough to take anything from a visit by Ipswich to Bearwood! Harrison Furlong, Jeremiah Okine-Peters and Luca Fletcher all scored before the break and Ayyuba Jambang added one within a minute of the second-half kicking off… but the Tractor Boys scored five in reply to take a 5-4 win in a frantic match.
But four goals next time out came without reply. Caylan Vickers, Aston Greaver and Taylan Harris all found the net against Colchester, with an own-goal ensuring a 4-0 league win at Bearwood.
February
This month began in winning style thanks to second-half goals to beat Cardiff on home turf; Jeremiah Okine-Peters bagged a goal on the hour, and Ajani Giscombe grabbed the decider 15 minutes from time.
It was a South Wales opponent in consecutive matches when we travelled to Swansea; Taylan Harris grabbed another to add to his tally, but his early goal couldn’t prevent a 3-1 defeat.
And we were ahead of QPR only on goal-difference ahead of last week’s meeting in Reading – by Ryley Campbell’s sole goal, midway through the second half, earned us a 1-0 win.
However Bristol City went above us on Saturday with a 2-1 win; Jack Barough’s goal, early in the second half, wasn’t enough to earn us a return from our trip to meet the Robins, who now stand above the Royals by a single point.
