Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Reading and Middlesbrough at the Select Car Leasing Stadium as Tyrese Fornah earned all three points for the Royals on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday 20 August 2022 18:44, UK
Reading secured their third successive Championship victory at home this season with a hard-earned 1-0 win over Middlesbrough.
In a mostly even first period, Reading went in front just before the half-hour through a fine 20-yard drive from loanee Tyrese Fornah.
Although Boro dominated much of the second half, they proved toothless in attack and the hosts held on reasonably comfortably.
Reading's turnaround in form, sparked by a 3-0 win over Championship leaders Blackburn on Wednesday, had followed a 4-0 defeat at Rotherham.
First-choice goalkeeper Joe Lumley was unavailable, the Middlesbrough loanee ineligible to face his parent club, so summer signing Dean Bouzanis came in for his league debut.
Boro had failed to win in their opening four league outings and also went out of the Carabao Cup first round - 1-0 at home to League One Barnsley.
However, three of those league games had finished in draws, including 2-2 at Stoke on Wednesday, and it was the visitors who threatened first, in the opening minute, with Bouzanis quickly into the action.
Marcus Forss found space in the home area but his effort was weak and Bouzanis saved with ease.
Reading replied with a spell of good pressure, culminating in an excellent chance for winger Junior Hoilett.
The Canada international cleverly cut in from the left flank before unleashing a powerful shot that Boro keeper Zack Steffen did well to parry away to safety.
It was a warning for Middlesbrough but they failed to heed it, with Reading going ahead in the 28th minute.
Andy Yiadom's cross was only half-cleared and Fornah, on loan from Nottingham Forest, thundered in the first competitive goal of his career with a superbly executed finish on the half-volley.
This time, Steffen barely moved.
Reading began strongly after the interval, with Yiadom again proving troublesome along the right flank.
His clever run to the byline - and then pass - set up Shane Long but the veteran striker totally miscued his attempted shot.
Boro still offered little going forward, though half-time substitute Matt Crooks did give them more of a physical presence up front.
However, too often the promising Middlesbrough moves broke down on the edge of the home area.
Reading broke quickly - and often - and Jeff Hendrick saw an ambitious long-range effort deflected behind for a corner, which came to nothing.
Boro did finally fashion a decent chance, with about 20 minutes left, but Duncan Watmore blazed over Bouzanis' crossbar after being released by Paddy McNair.
And as Reading retreated to protect their lead, Middlesbrough launched a late rally that could have produced an equaliser.
Bouzanis saved well from a firm header by defender Darragh Lenihan and then Alex Mowatt fired wastefully over.
Reading's Paul Ince: "I'm happy with the performance but it was a different type of performance from that on Wednesday. It was sort of backs-to-the-wall stuff today and I kind of half-expected that because the lads had put in such a shift against Blackburn. And we're more or less talking about the same players. I knew that, after 60-65 minutes, we'd probably be dead on our feet. It was more today about unity, spirit and sticking together, people making blocks. I thought… 'Oh, here we go. We're going to throw it away'.
"But that's what it takes and just shows you the spirit that we've got at this club and in this changing room. Wednesday was amazing but today was probably even better because of the circumstances. Because we were out on our feet. And when you're out on your feet, subconsciously, you start dropping deep and you start making mistakes. Everyone gets nervous, apprehensive and agitated. But I was so proud to go from Wednesday night to this sort of display."
Middlesbrough's Chris Wilder: "We had all the ball in the second half but it was all too little, too late. The match started at three o'clock, not four o'clock. There was no spark about us, no intensity about us. I wasn't sitting there enjoying that. Nobody wanted to risk a pass going forward, they just wanted to keep the ball. Playing against a team like that, you have to move the ball quickly. Or you have to move higher up the pitch.
"We weren't ambitious, we were slow, we were ponderous. It was as if their goal didn't really matter. We just thought that what we'll do is look like this really technical, pretty side that just keeps hold of the ball and gets in a thousand passes. But you just go from side to side and backwards. Fair play to Reading. They did enough to win a game of football. But it's possibly one of the most disappointing afternoons that I've had since I became Boro manager."
