A late Christmas present with Boxing Day victory
Reading got back to winning ways with a 4-1 victory against Northampton Town at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, with goals from Knibbs, Smith, Savage and Camara enough to secure all three points.
The visitors got the Boxing Day football underway, with an expectant home crowd looking to will their team to victory in RG2. Within 90 seconds, Sam Smith got the home crowd in full voice by putting enough pressure on Northampton goalkeeper Nik Tzanev to see him skew his clearance straight out of play.
The positive momentum straight from the off paid dividends with the Royals taking the lead just four minutes into the match. A set piece from the right hand wing saw Amadou Mbengue, Abraham Kanu, Tyler Bindon and Sam Smith all win headers in the box, before Harvey Knibbs was able to glide in to poke past Tzanev in the Cobblers goal - a great start for Noel Hunt's Royals!
The visitors looked to find an immediate route back into the game, with Tom Eaves seeing a speculative long range effort go wide of Joel Pereira's right hand post. Cameron McGheehan was also able to head across goal from a Samy Chouchane cross, but fortunately for the Royals, there were no Northampton players in the vicinity to latch onto the ball.
Down the other end, Mbengue went on one of his trademark runs from the back to create an attack for his team. It looked as though he had misplaced a pass, but a miscontrol from the Cobblers defence saw him regain control of the ball and shoot from 30 yards, but it was easily claimed by Tzanev.
Not for the first time in recent weeks, the Royals had what looked to be a strong penalty appeal turned down. Charlie Savage's set piece from the right hand wing was fired in the direction of Mbengue, who looked to be manhandled by Tom Eaves inside the box - the protests were waved away.
Cobblers skipper Jon Guthrie wasn't far away from bringing his team level on 20 minutes when he rose highest to get his head onto a corner from the left hand side. The effort was heading goalwards, but it was a comfortable enough height for Royals skipper Lewis Wing to clear with relative ease.
As the midpoint of the half passed, Noel Hunt's side went so close to doubling the lead. Neat play from Chem Campbell and Michael Craig on the right hand side saw Wing send a pinpoint cross into the Cobblers' box in the direction of Smith, whose header went just wide of Tzanev's left hand post.
The striker didn't have to wait long to get himself on the scoresheet however, beating the offside trap to coolly slot past Tzanev on 28 minutes. The move started from the hands of Pereira who claimed a cross before finding Wing just outside his own area. The skipper sent forward another trademark pinpoint ball to find our number ten, and faced with plenty of time, Smith made no mistake.
With five minutes remaining of the half, Northampton's McGheehan left fly from all of 30 yards with a ferocious effort that went just over Pereira's bar. Moments later down the other end, Mamadi Camara saw a deflected cross sail just over Tzanev's goal with the keeper looking stranded.
One minute additional tgime was indicated and passed without incident, a strong first 45 minutes from the Royals, and something to hold onto for the second half.
Half Time: Reading 2-0 Northampton Town
Fresh with the words of the half time team talk in their ears, the Royals got the second period underway with a view to securing three festive points at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
Northampton's Liam McCarron was the first player from either team to have a sight of goal in the second half, finding enough space in the box to shoot, but the effort went well over the bar.
Just prior to the hour mark, Smith was sent through on goal one on one with Tzanev once more, but unlike in the first half, he had timed his run slightly too early and was flagged offside.
In the 70th minute Harvey Knibbs broke free of his marker to send a wicked cross into the box that was nervously turned out for a corner by Timothy Eyoma.
Goalmouth action in the final stages of the game was infrequent as the Royals looked to stifle the visitors out the game with neat interchangeable passing throughout the pitch.
The backline were standing up to the Northampton attacking threat, and down the other end, Charlie Savage put the gloss on what had been an exemplary performance for his team with a long range strike that is starting to become a trademark of his. The Welshman found the ball at his feetg 25 yards out, set himself, and sent a delight left footed strike into the bottom right hand corner of Tzanev's net.
Jayden Wareham and Andre Garcia were introduced in the 80th minute in place of Sam Smith and Abraham Kanu respectively.
The Cobblers got a goal back in the 81st minute courtesy of Tom Eaves. The forward had looked to have handled the ball as he set himself to shoot, but it was unnoticed by the referee with play allowed to continue as he passed the ball into the top corner of Pereira's goal.
Undeterred by the setback, the Royals bagged a fourth goal on 87 minutes courtesy of Mamadi Camara. A purposeful run from the recently introduced Garcia saw the 17 year old find Camara, who set his feet and volleyed into the roof of the net.
The referee's whistle sounded after five minutes of additional to raptuous applause from the home faithful who had been treated to a late Christmas treat. Next up, Mansfield Town at home on Sunday afternoon, with another tghree points up for grabs.
Full-time: Reading 4-1 Northampton Town
Reading: Pereira, Craig, Knibbs (Dean 90'), Savage (Rushesha 90'), Smith (Wareham 80'), Campbell (Ahmed 90'), Bindon, Mbengue, Camara, Wing ©, Kanu (Garcia 79')
Subs: Button, Sackey
Goals: Knibbs (5'), Smith (28'), Savage (75'), Camara (87')
Yellow:
Red:
Northampton Town: Tzanev, McGowan (Obiagwu 85'), Guthrie ©, Eaves, Pinnock, Guiness-Walker, McCarron (Odimayo 63'), McGeehan, Hondermarck (Dobson 73'), Eyoma (Baldwin 85'), Chouchane
Subs: Dadge, Willis, Wyatt
Goals: Eaves (81')
Yellows: Eaves (45'), McGheehan (90+2')