Reading 5-3 Harborough Town: Player Ratings

Reading huff and puff, and eventually break their non-league team curse, winning 5-3 in extra time.

David Button: 5

Alert at the end of the first half to stop Harborough Town from having a free opportunity to make it 3-1 with a ball behind.

Couldn’t make a stop when Reading needed it today, though it would be hard to say he could have done much more in terms of saves for any goal outside of perhaps the third.

Could have done more to come and claim the ball from set plays and alleviate the panic in Reading’s ranks, though he often found himself surrounded.

That reticence to claim almost ended in disaster when Button failed to reach a corner in second-half injury time, and was incredibly lucky to see Malone put the ball wide.

Ashqar Ahmed: 7

An overall solid performance today with only one real mistake that was unfortunately punished.

Timed one challenge just inside the penalty box very well just before the hour mark, clearing it away without taking his man down.

Couldn’t do enough in the challenge to stop the cross into the box that eventually led to Harborough’s third goal.

He's a real athlete and continued to look pacey in injury time, despite other players going down with cramp around him. Arguably Reading’s best defender in the final 30 minutes.

Did well to hold off his man when Reading conceded a dangerous opportunity to cross with Button in no-man’s land. Earned a ripped collar for his troubles.

Was stronger than Starkey after he had managed to catch up with him, and cut out another in behind chance for Harborough Town.

Louie Holzman: 6

Got the closest to blocking the ball for the second goal, but dealing with an industrial Harborough attack in the first half, Holzman also struggled at times.

Held up his man one-on-one well and stopped a potential counter-attack in its tracks early in the second half.

Alert to clear away a ball that ricocheted in the box in the 70th minute. With the score at 3-2, and Reading finally having re-taken the momentum, reaching that first was essential.

Made a crucial sliding tackle in the final 10 minutes after Button made a save to stop Harborough from slotting the rebound home.

Abraham Kanu: 4

Really struggled with the Harborough Town approach in the first half, struggling to track runners at set plays, and mistiming a few challenges. Booked for taking his man down when he stepped out of the defensive line.

Not quite where the team needed him to be aerially today, mistiming a few jumps for the ball, and being sucked towards the ball when he needed to hold his position.

Sent off in the 75th minute for a second yellow card. With a Harborough player down by the halfway line but potentially breaking, Kanu bundled into his back rather than dropping off, giving the referee an easy decision to make.

Andre Garcia: 6

Physically outmatched by the much larger man for Harbrough’s first goal, perhaps being fouled in another ref’s eyes. The player was all over Garcia’s back, but already had a half foot of height on the teenager.

Began to find spaces to get involved with the build-up in the second half, and helped Reading to change the tempo with one-touch passing and progressive runs to tire Harborough’s defence.

Booked for a tactical foul in the late stages, hauling down his man to prevent a fast break.

Moved forwards to left-wing when Dorsett was brought on and was able to continue helping when the ball came high up the field.

Picked up a nasty cramp in extra time but had to continue with Reading having spent their substitutes. Performed impressively to continue in what capacity he could but Reading will have to hope that hasn’t caused any long term damage.

Lewis Wing: 6

Easily the player who dealt with Harborough’s physical approach the best in the first half, turning men in midfield with his body when they tried to put him off.

Worked the ball reasonably well from side to side, and took almost half of Reading’s 10 shots in the first half. Unlucky no to beat the goalkeeper early on with the score at 0-0.

Began to tire in the second half and was withdrawn after Reading equalised to rest him for the league. Picked up an easy assist for that goal though, teeing up Savage in space to shoot.

Ben Elliott: 6

Reading’s most creative outlet in terms of creating chances in the final third in the first half. Regularly drifted into the space between the right edge of the penalty box D and the edge of the box to spring players free in dangerous positions, or to hook the ball in himself.

Made a habit of calmly receiving the ball on the half space in tight areas, and showed good footwork to wriggle out of them again.

Unlucky to be withdrawn at half-time as Reading made a double switch.

Mamadi Camara: 5

Seemed to have actually put the shot wide for his goal before it was deflected in, but the goal was eventually given to him.

With the ball spending much of its time in the Harborough half, Camara and Tuma were able to be fluid in their positioning, but neither could consistently move the ball fast enough to trouble a very low block from the non-league side.

Withdrawn in the second half without having made another significant impact on the game.

Adrian Akande: 5

Helped to create the first goal with a run to the byline in the right half space. Other than that though he found himself let down by his touch a few too many times, and wasn’t really able to move the ball fast enough to bother the defence.

Jayden Wareham: 4

Really not his game today, and was ineffective against an industrial and deep-lying Harborough backline. Hardly got on the ball in the first half, not able to find the right movements to get into space in the box.

Opened the second half with a flicked header in the opening 60 seconds. Did well to get on the end of the cross, but couldn’t put it to either side of the goalkeeper.

Absolutely should have scored shortly before the hour mark with the ball sliding across the six-yard box. With nobody but the outstretched keeper to beat, Wareham slid the ball wide.

Just before the full-time whistle, Wareham spurned a tricky chance that ultimately came from an offside position. At the resulting intermission, Ruben Selles tried to withdraw Wareham for Sam Smith, but found out that he couldn’t.

Had the ball in the back of the net within 30 seconds of extra time but had needlessly strayed offside when he had time to reach the space, with the wing-back far out of position.

Basil Tuma: 5

Showed some great fast feet as he often does, but the end product is still a little lacking at the moment. His footwork in the second half in particular was able to stretch the back five of Harborough enough for Savage and Campbell to find small pockets of space.

Withdrawn for Dorsett when Reading needed more defensive presence on the pitch.

Subs

Charlie Savage: 7

Forced a good save out of the keeper early in his appearance, and helped Reading to move the ball much faster in the spaces in front of the Harborough box.

Seemed to smell blood and kept shooting from distance, eventually finding the back of the net with a lovely curled finish to draw Reading level.

Stepped in as Reading’s main playmaker after Wing left the field, and slotted some fantastic balls through tight seams to wrongfoot the Harborough defence.

Showed leadership in extra time to more than just the players on the field, coaching the ball boys through it and asking for them to slow down their ball retrievals.

Michael Craig: 6

Came on at half-time and moved into the right-sided eight spot, playing in central midfield for a rare time this season. The positioning proved pretty fluid and allowed Craig to often get into positions he finds when attacking the box in his usual right-back spot.

Quieter in terms of on the ball play than Savage, but moved around in front of and behind defenders with equal energy, which led to spaces being opened by the decisions the defenders had to make.

Made a real mess of an opportunity to either wind the clock down or create a chance late in extra time, skewing the ball up and over when a clearance found him all the way downfield.

Chem Campbell: 7

Came on in a midfield role that we’re not used to seeing him take when he replaced Wing and went to left-sided eight. With much of the play in Harborough’s third, Campbell was able to play mostly around the edge of the box in positions he’s familiar in. Moved out to his usual position at right-wing when Dorsett came on.

Stole the ball smartly in the late stages, and drove Reading all the way down the pitch to relieve pressure after a set play. Found Savage on the play to create a chance.

Seized the match early in extra time with a biting shot and a display of patience to score two goals in quick succession.

First he smashed it to the near post to take Reading 4-3 up. Campbell’s shot might have been saved by a better 'keeper but he left no room for error. Next he waited for reactions from seemingly every defender while snaking across the box before calmly slotting the ball against the grain and into the far corner for 5-3.

A decent performance capped off by two really impressive finishes.

Jeriel Dorsett: 6

Came on late in the game and moved into the left-back position. Often had to defend deeper and more centrally though once Kanu had been sent off.

Used his strength well in extra time to help Reading get rid of the ball whether through a run around the corner or a clearance.

Harlee Dean: 5

Came on shortly after Kanu’s red card to try to help Reading see things out but unfortunately couldn’t do it.

Horribly miscued a pass in injury time to gift Harborough Town a corner in injury time. Harborough were unlucky not to win the game from the resulting corner and Dean will have been thanking his lucky stars that wasn't the enduring memory of the game.

More helpful as Harborough tired in extra time and was able to provide a few clearances.

Average: 5.62/10

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