Victory in the FA Cup 2nd Round
Ten man Reading overcame a stubborn Harborough Town in the Emirates FA Cup second round, with the Royals needing extra time to defeat our tier seven opponents.
The visitors got the game underway in front of a noisy Select Car Leasing Stadium, with both sets of supporters in fine voice in the build up to kick off.
The opening chance of the game came on two minutes, with Harborough's Riley O'Sullivan spinning and shooting inside the box but the effort went wide. In any event, the offside flag had been raised.
Within a minute, Ben Elliott had the Royals' first chance. A bobbling ball into the box from Lewis Wing found our number four, but his skewed effort was headed out for a corner, which came to nothing.
Lewis Wing was the first to call either goalkeeper into action in the 8th minute, fashioning enough space inside the box to hit a powerful effort from 12 yards out. The strike proved to be too close to Elliott Taylor in the Harborough goal however, and it was deflected away to safety.
Four minutes later Wing called Taylor into action once more with a deflected strike from all 30 yards seeing the keeper need to be quick on his feet to tip over. From the resulting corner Wing and Elliott linked up to send a ball to the back post in the search of a Reading player. Louie Holzman stood up to the test, but his header lacked power and went straight into Taylor's arms.
On the quarter hour mark Abraham Kanu went into the referee's book for bringing down a Harborough attacker just inside the Royals half. The free kick led to a half chance for the visitors that deflected wide for a corner, and from the resulting corner the opening goal of the game went the way of the visitors.
Freddie Robinson rose highest to head home from the corner to send the visiting fans into delirium in the 18th minute.
The Bee's celebrations were short lived, as Mamadi Camara prodded the Royals level just two minutes later after good build up play once more from Lewis Wing.
It looked as though a quick route back into the game would provide the hosts with a chance to settle the nerves, but the seventh tier Bees would find themselves ahead once more two minutes later. Riley O'Sullivan was on hand at the back post to fire past David Button and give the visitors the lead once more.
Rubén's side needed to settle and find a stranglehold on the game after starting brightly. Wing, who had been integral in all that was good for the Royals in the opening half hour tested Taylor once more with a long range effort. As the ball looked to be looping into the top corner, Taylor somehow managed to tip the strike away for another Royals corner.
As the minutes ticked down towards the end of the opening period, the Royals enjoyed plenty of territory around the Harborough box, but a lack of cutting edge saw the visitors maintain their goal advantage.
In two minutes of added time Reading had an opportunity to send a corner into the Harborough box, but it came to nothing and the referee blew his whistle to call an end to a difficult opening period for the Royals.
Half-time: Reading 1-2 Harborough Town
Charlie Savage and Michael Craig entered the fray in place of Ben Elliott and Mamadi Camara at the break as the Royals looked to find a way back into the tie.
Within the opening minute Jayden Wareham had a first sight of goal, getting his head on an Andre Garcia cross after the left back linked up with with Basil Tuma. The effort at the goal went straight to Taylor in the visitor's goal, but it was a quick statement of intent from the Royals.
The recently introduced Savage gave Taylor a headache with a dipping strike from 30 yards out, one that the keeper struggled to deal with. Two minutes later the Welshman repeated the trick with Taylor uncomfortably spilling wide for a corner.
It was third time lucky for Savage as he found the back of the Harborough net with a curled effort from outside the box. Given plenty of space, Savage was able to pick his spot and find the bottom right hand corner of Taylor's goal.
Before the restart, Chem Campbell entered the fray in place of the impressive Lewis Wing, with David Button taking on captaincy duty.
The visitors were so close to retaking the lead, with a wicked Riley O'Sullivan cross bouncing agonisingly wide of the Reading far post. They were made the rue the chance going begging when Adrian Akande gave the Royals the lead for the first time in the game on 64 minutes. Cutting in from the right hand side, the forward took two attempts to get a shot off at goal, the second being the decisive one as he fired past Taylor in the Bee's goal.
The hosts were reduced to ten men with 15 minutes of the 90 remaining, with Abraham Kanu picking up a second booking for a late challenge as Harborough looked to break.
The visitors made the man advantage count, and with four minutes remaining they made it 3-3 courtesy of substitute Kai Tonge. The Royals were unable to clear a ball into the box, and headed ball back into the six yard box from Paul Malone saw Tonge handed the simplest of tasks to prod in from close range.
Five minutes added time were indicated, and the Royals were dealt a huge stroke of luck as Paul Malone for the visitors hit the side netting with a headed effort from a corner.
With the last kick of the game, Garcia and Wareham combined beautifully to see the latter stretch to score from close range, but Taylor in the Harborough goal was able to snatch at the second attempt.
The referee drew the game to a close with 30 minutes of extra time ahead of us.
Full-time: Reading 3-3 Harborough Town
Within seconds of the restart Rubén Sellés' side had the ball in the back of the net, but a neat finish from Jayden Wareham was disallowed for the forward being offsidse in the build up.
The Royals didn't have to wait long to retake the lead however, with substitute Chem Campbell firing a pinpoint right footed effort into Taylor's near post.
Three minutes later Campbell had his second of the game and Reading's fifth. Cutting inside from the left hand wing, the forward committed multiple Harborough defenders before coolly slotting into the far corner - for the first time in the game, a cushion for the ten man Royals.
Half time in extra time was signalled as Rubén Sellés' side safely managed to navigate the opening period.
Half time of extra time: Reading 5-3 Harborough Town
Harborough, who had been a credit throughout the game threw everything at Reading in search of a way back into the game. Two minutes into the half goal scorer Tonge was able to steal a march on Jeriel Dorsett, but his dangerous floated cross couldn't find one of two on-rushing Bee's attackers.
With two visibly tired teams on show, the encounter became one of few chances with the ten men of Reading standing up to our non-league visitors.
Two hours of football ended with the sound of the referee's whistle, a stern test for the Royals against battling opponents in RG2.
We wish the very best to Harborough Town for the remainder of the season.
Full time of extra time: Reading 5-3 Harborough Town
Reading: Button, Elliott (Savage 46'), Wareham, Tuma (Dorsett 72'), Camara (Craig 46'), Wing © (Campbell 59'), Garcia, Kanu, Holzman, Akande (Dean 76'), Ahmed
Subs: Rhone, Smith, Bindon, Sackey
Goals: Camara (20'), Savage (59'), Akande (65'), Campbell (92', 96')
Yellow: Kanu (16' & 75'), Garcia (80')
Red: Kanu (75')
Harborough Town: Taylor, Cooper (Sandhu 74'), Walsh, Malone, Williams ©, Morris, Robinson (Forbes 74'), O'Sullivan (Tonge 66'), Stephens (Rose 66'), Starkie, Sandro (Carta 46')
Subs: Burgess, Daire, Dolman, Mulligan
Goals: Robinson (18'), O'Sullivan (22')
Yellows: Sandro (28'), Malone (108')