Rubén's Royals through to the Second Round
A second half goal from Tyler Bindon and a Finlay Potter own goal saw Reading beat Fleetwood Town to progress to the Second Round of the Emirates FA Cup.
The visitors kicked us off in their bright yellow away kit, as both clubs began their Emirates FA Cup campaigns under the grey RG2 sky.
The opening exchanges saw both sides enjoy spells of possession without having the cutting edge to carve out a chance of note. The opening shot of the tie cam on six minutes when Charlie Savage let fly from all of 30 yards, but the Welshman's effort flew wide of David Harrington's right hand post.
Moments later Chem Campbell charged down a Harrington clearance on the edge of the six yard box, but the Fleetwood keepers blushes were spared when the ball ricocheted straight to right back Elliot Bonds.
The Cod Army responded with a chance of their own on 13 minutes, with Danny Mayor pouncing on an unconvincing clearance to take aim from the edge of the area. Royals youngster Shay Spencer was able to react quickly enough to get his body behind the shot, which deflected over the bar for a Fleetwood corner.
Ryan Graydon went close to giving the visitors the lead on 22 minutes when he was able to glance a header from a Phoenix Patterson cross, but fortunately for the Royals, the effort bounced just wide of the far post.
The miway point of the half came in a flash, with nothing to separate the two teams. The chances were coming more frequently, and it was Jayden Wareham who was next to trouble the oppositions defence. Latching onto a Ben Elliott pass into the area, the striker was able to set his feet and shoot goalwards, but the effort was blocked at close quarters by Bonds.
Wareham was afforded room to strike at goal once more in the 32nd minute, but this time his shot from 20 yards went narrowly over the bar. Shortly after it was Ben Elliott's turn to let fly, with the midfielders fierce left footed strike smothered by Harrington.
The Royals had their tails up, with Tiv Rushesha testing the resolve of the Fleetwood keeper with another bullet shot from distance. Harrington was able to get his body behind the ball once again, but the ferocity of the strike saw him spill it into the path of Wareham, whose follow up effort was blocked by the keeper - not that he necessarily knew too much about it.
Harrington was called into action once more on 40 minutes, with Campbell trying his luck from distance. The effort looked to be creeping inside the right hand upright, but the busy keeper was able to sprawl to his left hand side and palm the ball away with a strong hand.
The two teams went into the break goalless. A slow start to the proceedings saw the game warm up, with the Royals enjoying the better of the chances in the final stages of the half.
Half-time: Reading 0-0 Fleetwood Town
Both teams emerged for the second half with the same XI as the one that started the game, and Royals took the lead inside two minutes. Tyler Bindon was able to prod home from a wicked Charlie Savage freekick out wide to give Rubén's Royals the advantage.
The goal seemed to have brought the cup tie to life, with the visitors almost having an immediate response to going behind. Fleetwood forward Mark Helm found space in the box to drive a half volleyed effort in the direction of David Button's goal, but our number one was able to get down to his left hand side quickly to palm the shot away from danger.
Down the other end, strong forward play from Wareham saw him take the attention of the Fleetwood defence, which allowed Campbell the space to have an effort at goal from six yards out. The wide man looked to settle, but misjudged the bounce of the ball and his strike sailed over the bar.
At the hour mark the Royals made two changes, with captain for the day Bindon and Mamadi Camara removed from the action in place of Amadou Mbengue and Adrian Akande.
Button was called into the action once more with a save of the highest quality to deny the visitors an equaliser. The shot stopper thwarted Helm once more, getting his right hand to a deft touch that looked destined to find the back of the net.
Quick fire chances went to Royals way as Rubén's Royals look to put the tie to bed. Campbell fired a low on target effort that Harrington was able to smother down to his right hand side, before the keeper made his frame big to deny Wareham a goal from close range.
As the match entered the final 20 minutes, we had a cup tie on our hands. Both teams exchanged attacks in a basketball style, with Ben Elliott seeing a strike a goal blocked after jinking to find space in the area. As an immediate response Fleetwood's Patterson called Button into action once more with a low left footed strike, the Royals keeper having received the captains armband after Bindon's substitution was leading by example in his quest for a clean sheet.
A double change on 77 minutes saw Harvey Knibbs and Michael Craig come on to replace Shay Spencer and Ashqar Ahmed respectively. The two youngsters had put in a huge amount of effort for their team, showing maturity beyond their years and experience.
Harrington in the Fleetwood goal was earning his keep throughokut the afternoon, once again preventing the Royals from sealing safe passage to the second round. The keeper bravely pulled off a double save, initially from Wareham's stern shot, before bravely denying Akande a first goal for the senior team.
With four minutes of the 90 remaining, the Royals got their second goal of the game to put the tie to bed. The tireless Wareham will take the credit from a Reading point of view, with his close range effort deflecting off Finlay Potter through the legs of Harrington.
Five minutes added time was indicated, with the closest either team coming to a goal an audacious effort from Fleetwood's Mipo Odubeko from the half way line. It looked to initially have David Button worried, but the strike would sail harmlessly wide.
The referee blew his whistle to call an end to the match, with the Royals securing safe passage into the Second Round, the draw of which will be taking place live on BBC Two at 7.45pm on Sunday evening.
Full-time: Reading 2-0 Fleetwood Town
Reading: Button, Elliott, Savage, Rushesha, Wareham, Campbell (Tuma 85'), Bindon © (Mbengue 63'), Camara (Akande 63'), Holzman, Ahmed (Craig 78'), Spencer (Knibbs 78')
Subs: Boyce-Clarke, Garcia, Sackey, St. Louis
Goals: Bindon (48'), Potter (OG) (86')
Yellow: Rushesha (6')
Fleetwood Town: Harrington, Johnston (Broom 75'), Patterson, Mayor, Bonds, Virtue © (Harratt 75'), Coughlan (Odubeko 75'), Potter, Hughes, Helm (Lonergan 75'), Graydon (Shaw 75')
Subs: Lynch, Devonport