Defeat on the road in Lincolnshire
Ten man Reading fell to a two goal defeat to Lincoln City on Saturday afternoon in the final fixture before Christmas.
One year and five days since our last visit to the LNER Stadium, the hosts got the game underway with the Royals attacking the section where 850 of our supporters were housed.
The first chance of the game went the way of the Imps, with Sean Roughan forcing Joel Pereira into a finger tip save from all of 25 yards. The Portuguese was able to save with relative ease, and the resulting corner came to nothing.
It had been a strong start for the hosts, and they made their dominance in the opening period pay when they went a goal ahead in the eighth minute. After the Royals couldn't clear their lines from a long throw, Bailey Cadamarteri was able to stab the ball home from eight yards to put the Imps in front.
Pereira was called into action once more in the 17th minute, when a Lewis Montsma free kick from 20 yards evaded the wall but was gratefully grasped by El Gato in the Reading goal.
At the mid-point of the half the Royals began to find their feet in the game, enjoying spells of possession that hadn't been evident in the opening exchanges.
The Royals had a strong call for a penalty waved away by the referee in the 33rd minute. Sam Smith looked to be through on goal but was felled inside the box for what looked like a clear foul, but referee Herczeg was unmoved.
Moments later Herczeg was much more eager to make a decision when Holzman was issued a red card for a last man foul on former Royal Ben House. An already aggrieved Reading side now had an uphill task getting back into the game a man down.
Mamadi Camara was sacrificed in place of Harlee Dean who brought the Royals backline back up to four players.
Three minutes added time was indicated at the end of the opening period, these passed without incident, and it allowed Noel and his coaching team the opportunity to provide further instructions going into the all important second half.
Half Time: Lincoln City 1-0 Reading
The Royals got the game underway with just 45 minutes of football left before Christmas, and much work to do to get back into the tie.
In a similar fashion to the start of the opening period, Lincoln started the half on the front foot. Ben House went close to doubling the Imps' advantage just three minutes into the half with a side footed strike that hit the foot of the left hand post.
Three minutes later House had another attempt at goal, on this occasion it was a headed effort that hit the target but was easily saved by Pereira.
The former Royals Academy product had a busy opening ten minutes of the half, with the thrid incident seeing him go into the book alongside Harlee Dean for a scuffle off the ball.
Abraham Kanu entered the game at left mark when the game reached the hour mark, he replaced Andre Garcia in the back four.
Lincoln's House hit the woodwork once more on 65 minutes with a left footed strike hitting the right hand post, bouncing across the goal and fortunately away to safety.
The hosts had been knocking on the door all half, and they doubled their lead in the 72nd minute courtesy of Reeco Hackett. The wideman stole a march on the Reading defence and poked home a first time effort centre of the goal.
Harvey Knibbs was close to halving the deficit with 12 minutes remaining when he hit a half volleyed effort goalwards, but the sheer number of defenders in his way so the ball deflected clear.
Jayden Wareham was introduced with ten minutes remaining in place of Chem Campbell, with the Royals going two up top in the search of a way back into the game.
Six minutes of added time was indicated, enough time for Wareham to try an acrobatic overhead kick that was on target but straight at Wickens in the Lincoln goal.
The game ended with the Royals suffering defeat on the road before back to back home games in RG2 between Christmas and New Year.
Full-time: Lincoln City 2-0 Reading
Lincoln City: Wickens, Darikwa, Montsma, Erhahon, Hackett, Cadamarteri (Draper 75'), McGrandles, O'Connor ©, House (Moylan 75'), Roughan, Makama (Ring 81')
Subs: Hardington, Hamilton, Ring, Jefferies, Duffy
Goals: Cadamarteri (8'), Hackett (72')
Yellow: House (55'), O'Connor (78')
Reading: Pereira, Craig, Knibbs, Savage, Smith, Campbell (Wareham 80'), Bindon, Camara (Dean 40'), Wing ©, Garcia (Kanu 61'), Holzman
Subs: Button, Senga, Sackey, Osho
Yellows: Dean (55')
Red: Holzman (37')