Young Royals dominate experienced Norwich side in PL2
Adrian Akande and Jayden Wareham were on target for Noel Hunt's side as they picked up their eighth league win of the season last night.
It was the Canaries who got the game underway, but the Royals who seized the early initiative, our first chance coming just three minutes into the game, as some neat play down the right opened up an opportunity to get it into the box, the ball landed to Wareham who was able to flick it on to Akande at the far post, he forced a good save from Norwich keeper low to his right.
And the strong start continued, another opportunity coming five minutes later, but the roles were reversed this time. Akande carried the ball from our half, and a darting run took him all the way to the edge of the penalty area, he tried to slip in Wareham, but his run couldn't quite get onto the end of it, with the Norwich 'keeper Long coming to gather it up.
We found more joy down the right around the 15-minute mark, a cross from John Ryan found Akande at the back post, he brought it down and played it back to Ben Purcell, who then tried an audacious effort from 25 yards, but it was comfortably saved.
Our early play had all come through one man, and unsurprisingly it was Akande who broke the deadlock 18 minutes in.
A ball over the top was brilliantly won by Wareham in the air, and his flick allowed Akande to run through the Norwich backline onto the loose ball. He charged into the left-hand side of the penalty area, before composing himself and cooly slotting it across the 'keeper and into the back of the net.
It took another 10 minutes for Hunt's side to fashion a chance, this time it was fizzed in from the left by Matty Carson, who found Mamadi Camara in the penalty area, a Norwich defender managed to briefly flick it away from him, before a follow up effort was blocked.
The Royals nearly doubled their lead on the half-hour mark, once again it was linked up on the right before finding Camara, his effort was blocked once more but this time it fell to Wareham who struck a fierce effort goalwards, but Fisher was on the line was able to get his body in the way and then clear it.
Then the visitors' only effort of the first half brought them level, Harvey Collins' clearance was picked up by Finley Welch, and with the 'keeper away from his goal, it was struck from distance and found the back of the net.
Half-time: Reading U21 1 – 1 Norwich City U21
The goal before the break gave Norwich a lift, winning a free-kick out on the right early on, and a neat routine allowed one of their attackers to get free in the penalty area and strike it on the half-volley, but Collins made a strong save to his right to keep them out.
It took the Royals around 10-minutes to find their footing again, but it was Carson and Akande who fashioned our first chance of the second half. Linking up down the left, with the former whipping in a dangerous cross which the visitors failed to scramble clear, it fell to Camara in the penalty area, but again his effort was blocked by bodies flying in.
But it was Noel Hunt's talisman this season who restored the advantage just after the hour mark.
Another ball over the top was impressively won by one of the smallest players on the pitch in Purcell. Similar to the opener his excellent flick on set Akande away down the left, and he charged towards the penalty area before drilling it across the box into the path of Wareham, who didn't even break stride as he slotted it home at the back post.
An attritional midfield battle then ensued, Michael Stickland stood strong and didn't miss a ball on the right before Louie Holzman impressively brought a Norwich counter-attack to a premature end. They linked up down the left and looked to play a dangerous through ball from the channel into the area, but the centre-back impressively slid in and cut it out for a throw-in, which was subsequently cleared.
Akande wasn't finished for the day though and he had another go down the left-flank, and once again beat his man before drilling it across the box, almost in an identical fashion to Wareham's goal, however this time the Norwich defenders were alert and cleared it just before we could get onto the end of it.
Substitute Joe Barough did well to beat his man in the middle of the Norwich half, he could've had a go from just outside the penalty area, but selflessly sent it out to Ryan on the right, whose cross went just over the bar.
The final action of the game was a defensive effort for us. A dangerous in-swinging corner was whipped in by the Canaries, who got a head on the end of it, but an impressive reflex save from Collins kept us ahead to the finish.
Full-time: Reading U21 2-1 Norwich City U21
The result moves the Royals back up into ninth in the Premier League 2 table, with a game in hand on three of the teams within touching distance above them.
Reading: Collins, Ryan, Carson (Clarke 81'), Senga, Stickland ©, Holzman, Akande, Purcell (Barough 75’), Wareham, Wellens, Camara (Okine-Peters 75')
Unused subs: Norcott, Borgnis
Goals: Akande 18', Wareham 64'
Cautions: Akande 52', Carson 77'
Norwich City U21: Long, Fisher (McIntosh 88'), Renecke, Batth, Wilson ©, Gibbs (Duffy 88'), Manning, Lima, Van Hooijdonk, Aboh, Welch
Unused subs: Craven, Riley, Brooke
Goals: Welch 44'
Yellows: Gibbs 77’, Renecke 90+3'