Reading vs Blackpool. Sky Bet Championship.
Select Car Leasing StadiumAttendance17,013.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Reading and Blackpool at the Select Car Leasing Stadium as Thomas Ince scored either side of Andy Carroll's penalty in victory for the Royals.
Saturday 25 February 2023 18:36, UK
Blackpool's Sky Bet Championship relegation fears deepened with a 3-1 loss to mid-table Reading at the SCL Stadium.
Reading's top scorer Tom Ince gave his side a half-time lead and, although Blackpool improved after the break, they were sunk by two goals in two minutes from Andy Carroll (penalty) and Ince.
The visitors did claw a goal back, through Sonny Carey deep into stoppage-time, but it was too little, too late.
The Tangerines, under new head coach Mick McCarthy, had ended a 14-match winless league run by beating Stoke at home last Saturday but they lost at Blackburn on Tuesday night and sat four points from safety ahead of their trip to Berkshire.
Reading had won only once in eight Championship games but were unbeaten in six home fixtures in all competitions.
The visitors began promisingly, with most of their moves along the left flank, and defender Curtis Nelson saw a shot blocked on the edge of the home area.
But Reading soon started to reassert control, with Yakou Meite heading a Junior Hoilett cross straight at goalkeeper Chris Maxwell, before Naby Sarr nodded over from an Ince free-kick.
Blackpool should have heeded the early warnings but they were caught napping in the 13th minute when Meite set up Ince. The winger jinked into the box and saw his well-struck effort take a decisive deflection off defender Jordan Thorniley on its way past Maxwell.
Blackpool tried to regroup but mustered little going forward and the hosts could have extended their lead before the break.
Stand-in skipper Carroll twice wasted good openings, narrowly missing a header from an Ince cross and then half-volleying over the crossbar.
Gary Madine did go close approaching the interval, with a shot that just missed Joe Lumley's far post, and Blackpool started the better in the second period.
Ian Poveda worked his way into the home area, only to see his final attempt deflected behind for a corner, before Luke Garbutt's well-struck 20-yard free-kick was gathered comfortably by Lumley.
Blackpool continued to press, as Reading sat back and protected their advantage, but were then caught out by a quickfire home double.
In the 70th minute, Meite was brought down in the area - by a clumsy dual challenge from Curtis Nelson and Andy Lyons - and Carroll fired home the spot-kick for his sixth goal of the season.
Two minutes later, Meite again caused havoc cutting in from the right wing and Nelson made a poor attempt at a clearance. Ince was lurking not far away and clinically despatched his ninth goal of the campaign.
Carey did reduce the gap in stoppage-time, with a powerful shot after a goalmouth scramble, but Blackpool remain in the bottom three.
Reading's Paul Ince:
"There was a lot of pleasing aspects to the game. The way we passed the ball in the first half, the chances that we created - though we do still start games too slowly sometimes. Blackpool had a really good chance before we had clicked into our play, so we could have been 1-0 down. Our home record is one of the best in the league, which is not bad for a 'misfit' team. The most disappointing thing in the first half was that we didn't kill the game off. We had some good chances to do that.
"I said to the players at half time that we should be coming in at 2-0 or 3-0 up. Then maybe I could have breathed a little bit easier. In the second half, 1-0 is never a good score for us. We've done it before - 1-0 up but we're sitting deep and then sitting deeper. How can you go from the first 45 minutes when you're playing some good stuff to, just like, defending deep and can't get hold of the ball? It happens, I've played in many games when it happens, but you just can't understand why."
Blackpool's Mick McCarthy:
"It can't go on like this? It can. But we don't want it to and we're trying everything we can to stop it. Yes, as a team, it's unacceptable. And what happens if it continues is that you get relegated. So we're going to have to try to turn that around, which we're doing. It [the poor form] can carry on. But there's not one of those players out there who are not trying to stop it. Whether or not they've got enough quality, we'll find out in the next 12 games. Out of adversity comes strength as well. So let's hope that's the case. While there is still a spark of life in me, we'll be trying to keep this team in the league."
"I thought that we had really good periods in each half. We were the better team in the first half and created chances but then we conceded and Reading had the momentum. We started the second half really well and again had chances. But I'm pretty depressed, to be honest, about giving away the goals that we did. Our mentality is fine, we started well. It's just the making of the mistakes and getting punished for it. And then when we get opportunities at the other end, we don't take them. Sure, we scored right at the end, but we should've done that a lot sooner."
