The full report from our evening affair with the young Gunners...
Reading sealed their qualification to the knock-out stages of the Bristol Street Motors Trophy with a 5-2 win against Arsenal Under-21s on Tuesday evening - sealing the top spot in the group.
Both sides came into the game with two wins from their two games - meaning it was a shoot out for pole position. A brace from Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan and goals for each of Caylan Vickers, Harvey Knibbs and Sam Smith earned a well-deserved win against a talented Gunners outfit.
It was a new XI for the fixture after the weekend – Tom Holmes came in to skipper the side, with his centre-half partner Harlee Dean offering the most experience in the side. For Arsenal’s U21 side, first-teamers Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson were given starts, while former Royals Academy goalkeeper James Hillson was on the bench alongside Femi Azeez’s brother Miguel.
Within seconds of kick-off, a high press almost created an opening as Matty Carson stole the ball on left flank and tried to pick out Caylan Vickers with an early cross. Just too close to the goalie.
And then Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan came close to capitalising on a sloppy bit of defending by Ayden Heaven. A loose back-pass was easily intercepted by the striker – the visitors’ defence forced him wide, and he pulled his shot past the far post.
The Gunners’ first chance of note was all the work of Charles Sagoe, who collected on the right and used his teammates’ dummy-runs to buy room to shoot. His effort was tame and easily fielded by Joel Pereira.
It was the Royals who got the breakthrough. Nesta Guinness-Walker linked up smartly with Vickers down the right and tried to stab in… instead the ball broke squad for Ehibhatiomhan who had acres of space, and he stroked in unchallenged. 1-0 to Reading.
The visitors' two better-known players linked up and almost earned a leveller. A prodded pass from Vieira allowed Nelson to turn and shoot from the edge of the area - touched over by Pereira.
Instead, it was Reading that grabbed the second goal - a beautiful countering move. Pereira plucked the Gunners' corner out of the air, and instantly set Paul Mukairu racing away down the right... with options available, he slid a ball beyond the defence for Vickers to collect, and the teenage forward bided his time before lashing past Ovie Ejeheri. 2-0 to the Royals!
Arsenal halved the deficit. Khayon Edwards received the ball in behind and drew the foul from goalkeeper Pereira in the area... the referee pointed to the spot. Vieira spotted up and lashed in from 12 yards.
But less than three minutes later, the two-goal cushion was reestablished. Michael Craig snapped in to an underhit pass out of defence by Reuell Walters, instantly feeding Ehibhatiomhan... and without hesitation the striker drilled in his second, low and hard, for 3-1.
Not much to choose between the teams for the rest of the half - a couple of openings for Nelson, who tried to use his pace and trickery to work opportunities from the left flank, but nothing to trouble the goal. The Royals led at the break.
Half-time | Reading 3-1 Arsenal U21
Our visitors came out with some intent in the second period - and a forceful run from Nelson threatened to get them back into the game. It was all his own work when he glided through the midfield and eventually popped a shot away from the edge of the area. Dean was on the scene to make the block.
But they did grab one back - and Nelson was certainly the architect. His jinking run down the left and a piece of trickery on the byline allowed him to square for Edwards to hammer in under the crossbar.
Moments later, it could have been all square but for a great bit of defensive cover by Craig. Vieira picked up a ball through the middle as Reading were exposed on the counter; Dean and Carson combined to prevent a clear shot at goal, and the midfielder arrived to dispossess the Gunners man.
A chance for a hat-trick for Ehibhatiomhan, on the hour. Mukairu collected in the area and, rather needlessly, Walters clipped his ankle - the ref pointed to the spot. The forward stepped up for the penalty, shimmied, but had his low effort turned around the post.
By far from disheartened, he grabbed an assist just minutes later. A long throw from Amadou Mbengue was chested by Ehibhatiomhan, then headed through to sub Knibbs, who took one touch before lashing beyond Ejeheri at his near post. A delightful strike for 4-2.
Taylor Foran thought he had put the Gunners back within one, as he was first on the scene to fire in after Pereira had initially made a diving save. But the assistant's flag was quickly raised, cutting the celebrations short.
Sub Clinton Mola tried to get in on the action for the Royals; receiving from Vickers on the right after a quickly taken free-kick, he entered the area and opted to try to beat Ejeheri from a narrow angle, rather than squaring for fellow sub Sam Smith. The goalkeeper saved.
In the final ten minutes, the referee pointed to the spot for the third time on the night. It looked cheap as Nelson threw himself to ground under the the attentions of Dean. Nevertheless, the referee pointed to the spot to allow Vieira a chance from 12 yards... but Pereira was equal to it, pushing the effort away low to his left.
Vickers had a chance to seal it when Wing threaded him in on the right, with the Arsenal defence exposed. A pure hit, but saved and held in unorthodox fashion to keep the margin to two.
Arsenal's evening got worse in the 90th minute when Heaven overran in the dribble and, in an attempt to recover, lunged in on the ankle of Knibbs. The ref reached into his back pocket and produced a red card.
And in the fifth of 12 added minutes, Smith grabbed his third in as many games. Mukairu was lively in the attack down the left and threaded into the path of Smith, who unerringly hammered in from inside the area. 5-2 to the Royals - qualifying for the knock-out stages as group leaders.
Full-time | Reading 5-2 Arsenal U21
Reading: Pereira, Guinness-Walker (Wing 63), Carson, Holmes ©, Dean, Craig, Mbengue (Mola 73), Mukairu, Vickers (Wellens 86), Ehibhatiomhan (Smith 73), Wareham (Knibbs 63).
Unused subs: Button, Ahmed.
Goals: Ehibhatiomhan (13, 35), Vickers (24), Knibbs (68), Smith (90+5).
Yellow: Guinness-Walker, Holmes, Craig.
Arsenal U21: Ejeheri, Vieira, Nelson (Nichols 90+5), Edwards, Foran, Henry-Francis (Gower 55), Ibrahim (Azeez 55), Monlouis © (Ferdinand 78), Sagoe, Walters, Heaven.
Unused subs: Hillson, M’Hand, Kacurri.
Goals: Vieira (33 pen), Edwards (53).
Yellow: Ibrahim, Walters.
Red: Heaven.
Attendance: 3,015 (498 away).