Reading v Swans | Vital Football

Reading v Swans

keith margam

Vital Football Legend
With the chance of auto promotion all but mathematically gone, we turn our attention to a play-off spot. As we tumble down the table due to our disastrous form, and teams around us keep on winning, the last play-off spot and sixth place looks increasingly likely, with a home and away tie against Bournemouth, with whom we have drawn at home and were thumped 3-0 away a few weeks ago.
There are three games left and Reading, who are in seventh place and are our next opponents this Sunday, are eight points behind us. We need a draw from one of the games left to guarantee the play-offs, but the form we are in and the team on a suicide mission, it will be tough.
We knew what was missing from the squad and had our opportunity to bring in a recognised striker in the January transfer window. Instead we wasted the spare cash on Whittaker, who couldn’t even get in a struggling Derby side and Cooper never played, and Hourihane, who was fantastic first few games but has been a passenger ever since, so much so that he had to be dropped, not that the others were much better.

Back to Reading, they have only lost one in their last six at home, and that was back in February, with three wins and two draws since then.
 
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Form Guide last 6 matches:

16 Reading DDWLDD W1 D4 L1 F6 A6 Pts7
14 Swans LLWWDL W2 D1 L3 F7 A5 Pts7


Last 6 home:
6 Reading LWWDWD W3 D2 L1 F9 A5 Pts11


Last 6 away:
5 Swans DWLLWW W3 D1 L2 F7 A5 Pts10


Going by the form guide it’s our home form that has let us down the most with four defeats in the last six, three by the odd goal:
22 Swans LWLLDL W1 D1 L4 F5 A9 Pts4
 
Reading match is on Sky Sports Football & Sky Sports Main Event starting at 11:30 am, with a 12 pm kick off.
SwansTV will be broadcasting but can only show the match in dark market regions.
 
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Tough game for us, Reading are decent but consistency has let them down and have dropped out of the playoffs despite a strong start. Thankfully, the 2 wins we had recently means there's no real pressure on us to win us and I don't expect we will, especially if we're without Ayew again.
 
Me too but I just can't see it and where the goals will come from. Reading need to go all out as its a must win for them (they all are)
 
Reading: Rafael Cabral, Omar Richards, Liam Moore (captain), Andy Rinohmota, John Swift, Yakou Meite, Ovie Ejaria, Andy Yiadom, Lucas Joao, Josh Laurent, Tom Holmes.

Substitutes: Luke Southwood, Tomas Esteves, Michael Olise, Sam Baldock, Lewis Gibson, Sone Aluko, Alfa Semedo, Dejan Tetek, George

Swansea City: Freddie Woodman; Kyle Naughton, Ben Cabango, Marc Guehi, Jake Bidwell; Jay Fulton, Matt Grimes (captain), Conor Hourihane; Wayne Routledge, Liam Cullen, Jamal Lowe.

Substitutes: Ben Hamer, Ryan Bennett, Korey Smith, Andre Ayew, Morgan Whittaker, Yan Dhanda, Joel Latibeaudiere, Connor Roberts, Ollie Cooper.
 
Cullen, Cabango, Hourihane return to the starting line-up.
Roberts, Bennett, Smith drop to the bench.
Leading scorer Ayew back from his hamstring injury as sub.
Ryan Manning doesn’t even make the subs bench (injured apparently)

Reading’s leading scorer with 19 goals, Lucas Joao, is back in the team today after a dislocated shoulder injury
 
It’s been all Swansea ......
...... but here we go again, Reading’s first attack and it’s 1-0
30’ Meite free header from cross, Bidwell absolutely pathetic challenge to stop him.
Reading one win in the last eight games!

41’ Hourihane passes the ball back to his own goal straight to a Reading player, fine save by Woodman.
All Reading now
44’ Moore shot cleared off the line

HT: 1-0
We did not look like scoring except for Cabango heading wide in the first minute, other than that a few shots just blastoed wide.
Only one way this is going. Reading more confident after scoring and look more dangerous in attack, but our midfield looks so weak to me.
 
Second half:

47’ Cullen header wide from Lowe cross

63’ Reading hit the side netting

64’ Ayew, Roberts, Whittaker on. Routledge, Cullen, Naughton off

1-1
66’ Lowe - back flick from Ayew to Fulton, shot parried out for Lowe to slot home


1-2
82’ Ayew slots home from Bidwell pass


87’ Smith replaces Hourihane
90’ Lowe hits the post


2-2
93’ Esteves shot from the edge of the box, unmarked, through a crowd of players, Guehi bends his body away from the ball and he watches it go past him into the net instead of blocking it, and Woodman dives late trying to save it.
94’ FT
Oh no, typical Swans conceding in the last minute again, two points dropped from a winning position.
In the play-offs that’s the main thing.
 
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Andre Ayew Sky Bet Man of the Match

Reading 2 v Swans 2
Possession: 52% - 48%
Passes Attempted: 418 - 394
Passes Completed: 353 - 313
Passing Accuracy: 84% - 79%
Shots: 14 - 15
On Target: 4 - 4
Corners: 7 - 4
Fouls: 13 - 15
Cards: 1Y - 2Y
 
For Reading’s first goal the BBC match report says: “His inviting cross was met by Meite, who rose above Jake Bidwell and powered a header into the net via the foot of the post.”
They show a photo above the report with Meite heading the ball and Bidwell’s feet firmly on the ground, so he didn’t even challenge for the ball.
Their second goal Guehi turned away from the shot instead of blocking it.
Those mistakes cost us the win and third place, important to achieve because the third place team will be given second leg home advantage in the semi-final.
Overall it was a much improved performance and if only Lowe’s shot had gone in instead of hitting the post.