46 | SPORT
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How Reading rated v Bournemouth
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A GAME OF TWO HALVES: ROYALS COLLAPSE SEES CHERRIES TAKE POINTS SECOND HALF DISASTER SEES
LOSING STREAK CONTINUE Bournemouth 4 Reading 2 By ANDY PRESTON apreston@wokinghampaper.co.uk
READING were left to rue a fluffed chance to end their losing run as they let a two-goal lead slip on Saturday. An impressive second half fightback saw Bournemouth take the win and three points last Saturday.
RAFAEL 3: His error for the fourth goal summed up Reading’s collapse in the second half. Was beaten too easily at his near post for the equaliser and has made several in errors in the past couple of months in contrast to his usually consistent displays. OMAR RICHARDS 6: Got forward well in the first half and performed well enough defensively as Bournemouth’s main threat came from the other wing. MICHAEL MORRISON 5: Similar to the rest of the defence, a solid first half to shut Bournemouth out but was culpable as the Royals collapsed in the second. LIAM MOORE 5: Returned to the line-up after injury and looked solid in the first half. But Reading’s lead and defensive stability collapsed in the second half and he should have done better to get across and clear the cross from Kelly which led to Bournemouth’s first goal. TOMAS ESTEVES 6: Dealt with Danjuma brilliantly in the first-half but lost his man far too easily which led to the equaliser. Was replaced in the 60th minute by Tom Holmes. ANDY RINOMHOTA 6: Provided his usual energy and vigour in midfield but Bournemouth took control in the second half and got the better of the Royals midfield.
JOSH LAURENT 6: An impressive first-half display as he constantly won the ball back from Bournemouth to put Reading on top but couldn’t deal with Bournemouth’s control in the second half as the game switched. ALFA SEMEDO 8: Went on a sublime solo run early in the game to win the penalty and got in good forward areas throughout the first-half. Had a good chance to score with a header but didn’t make good enough contact, and picked up an injury before being replaced in the 80th minute. SONE ALUKO 6: Scored his first Reading goal in nearly two years to give Reading a 2-0 lead, but was a bit wasteful in possession and with his set pieces. OVIE EJARIA 7: Provided the creative spark which Reading had been missing in their last three games and cut open the Cherries defence for Aluko’s goal. Tired in the second half and was replaced by Yakou Méïté. LUCAS JOÃO 7: Scored his ninth Championship goal of the season as he converted early on from the penalty spot. Was very unlucky not to snatch a late equaliser as Begovic scrambled to keep out his header which would have made it 3-3.
The Royals went ahead after just four minutes as Lucas João scored from the spot, before Sone Aluko doubled the lead just before half-time. But Reading endured a disastrous second half as a quickfire double from Dominic Solanke and Arnaut Danjuma levelled up the game before Lewis Cook scored a sublime goal to put Bournemouth ahead. Solanke then capitalised on a Rafael error to secure the points with a fourth goal late on. Captain Liam Moore and Ovie Ejaria returned to the starting 11 having missed the three consecutive defeats which saw Reading’s form dip drastically before the international break. Bournemouth fielded a strong side, featuring several players who played in their Premier League campaign last season despite Josh King missing out after testing positive for Covid-19. Recent form may have suggested Reading would come into the game void of confidence. But they showed little sign of that and were awarded a penalty just three minutes into the match. Alfa Semedo showed superb footwork as he dribbled his way past two defenders into the box from the touchline and knocked the ball past Bournemouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic who brought down the Reading midfielder. Lucas João stepped up to take responsibility and strolled up to the ball before blasting the ball into the bottom left hand corner despite Begovic diving the correct way to try and make amends for his foul.
Jefferson Lerma then burst into the box, looking to replicate the run of Semedo, but threw himself to the ground as the ref pointed for a goal kick. Semedo continued his lively start as he constantly got in good forward positions and drove forward and got into the box to meet Omar Richards cross but didn’t make proper contact with his head after he leapt well to win the ball. Rafael was then tested for the first time as a shot from David Brooks stung the gloves of the Brazilian stopper but was a comfortable enough save at a good height. Ovie Ejaria provided a creative threat going forward showing his side what they had been missing prior to the international break as he found Sone Aluko, who won a free kick but overhit his delivery to waste the chance. Despite Bournemouth’s possession, the Royals looked more potent on the break as Joao feigned to shoot before playing the ball to Aluko who was shrugged off the ball by Lloyd Kelly. The Cherries main threat this season had been from Arnaut Danjuma but the young Royals full-back on loan from Porto, Tomas Esteves, did an immense job to nullify his game in the first half. And the Royals found their clinical touch just before the break as Aluko scored his first Championship goal in nearly two years. Ejaria moved forward and breezed past a defender before slipping a perfectly weighted through ball to find the penetrating run of Aluko who planted the ball into the bottom right corner. Rafael was called into action again in stoppage time of the first-half as he flew to his right to palm away Junior Stanislas’ free kick to preserve the two goal lead. The Cherries fired back less than 10 minutes into the second half as Kelly drilled an inviting cross into the six yard box which was converted by Dominic Solanke from close range.
And Bournemouth’s momentum saw them grab an equaliser just three minutes after their first goal as Danjuma got the beating of Esteves with a run inside of the defender and squeezed the ball past Rafael at the near post. Veljko Paunović made a double change as Tom Holmes and Michael Olise replaced Esteves and Aluko. Joao worked some space for a shot as the Royals looked to retake the lead but he scuffed his effort straight at Begovic. A frantic last 25 minutes ensued as both sides searched for a winner. Olise looked to create for the Royals and had the beating of Danjuma who fouled the Frenchman wide on the right, just outside of the box. Olise took the resulting free kick but completely wasted the chance to get the ball in the box as his short pass was read and easily intercepted. Yakou Méïté made his return from injury as he took the place of Ejaria in the 74th minute. And the Cherries’ turnaround was complete in the 77th minute as they continued to heap misery on the Royals in a calamitous second half display as Lewis Cook picked out the top corner from 25 yards with a stunning strike which hit the underside of the bar on its way in.
Reading came inches away from an equaliser in the 84th minute as Joao’s powerful header was clawed off the line from Begovic. But Reading’s dreadful second half got even worse as Bournemouth sealed the points in the 89th minute. Rafael made a mess of his clearance as he hit the ball at Solanke, and the striker wrestled possession from the keeper who was left stranded before the Cherries forward converted into the unguarded net. Reading have now lost four consecutive Championship games as Bournemouth leapfrogged them to take their top spot. The tea, were in action last night against Millwall a match report is on our website. BOURNEMOUTH: Begovic, Stacey, S Cook, Kelly, Rico, L Cook, Lerma, Stanislas, Brooks, Solanke, Danjuma SUBS: Gosling, Mepham, Surridge, Riquelme, Travers, Ofoborh, Simpson, Kilkenny, Anthony READING: Rafael, Esteves, Moore, Morrison, Richards, Rinomhota, Laurent, Semedo, Ejaria, Aluko, Joao SUBS: Olise, Baldock, Méïté, Gibson, Southwood, Holmes, Tetek, Watson GOALS: Lucas João 4′ (pen), Aluko 43′, Solanke 56′, 89′, Danjuma 59′, Cook 77′