Reading vs Charlton Athletic. Sky Bet Championship.
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Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash at the Madejski Stadium
Saturday 31 August 2019 18:50, UK
Charlton extended their unbeaten Championship start to six games with a 2-0 victory at Reading.
Reading struck the crossbar in the first half, in which Charlton were not at their best, through George Puscas, but Charlton improved greatly after the break, scoring six minutes after the interval from Jonathan Leko's deflected strike.
They secured the win when leading marksman Lyle Taylor slotted home an 80th-minute penalty.
Charlton, the League One play-off winners last season, have adjusted to life in the second tier with relative ease and were undefeated in their opening five league matches, winning three and drawing two.
Reading were also on an unbeaten run of five, combined in the league and Carabao Cup, and penned Charlton back in their own half in the early exchanges.
A corner from John Swift on the left was glanced goalwards by Reading striker Lucas Joao but the ball went harmlessly wide.
Charlton replied quickly, with the home side having to survive a triple let-off in the space of a few seconds. Rafael saved well from a powerful Leko drive that hurtled through a crowd of bodies in the home area, Taylor shot across the goal-line with no Charlton player on hand to touch it in, and then Sam Field blazed the loose ball wildly over.
Reading regained control and began to exert pressure on the Charlton defence.
An acrobatic overhead kick from Joao flew just over, with goalkeeper Dillon Phillips motionless.
Then Puscas went even closer, his close-range volley from an Omar Richards cross clattering into the ground and up on to the bar.
Charlton produced little approaching the interval and were fortunate not to go further behind when Ovie Ejaria set up Puscas on the break but Phillips came out on top in the one-on-one by saving with his legs.
Reading were the more positive in the second half but Charlton went in front in the 51st minute.
Leko cut in from the right and his left-footed effort took a wicked deflection before looping over Rafael and into the net.
Leko could have added a second soon after but found only the side netting with an angled attempt from the left.
Charlton almost did make it 2-0, from a fierce 20-yard shot from Conor Gallagher, but Rafael made a superb save.
Ten minutes from the end, Pele clumsily felled Charlton substitute Chuks Aneke in the Reading area. Taylor strolled up to casually slide home from the spot for his fifth goal of the season.
Reading's frustrations boiled over near the end when assistant manager Jorge Mendonca was cautioned for his persistent protests to fourth official Gavin Ward.
Jose Gomes: "I'm really disappointed because I was expecting to win. We prepared for the game very well and, in the first half, my players showed our plan was good.
"We had a good defensive dynamic. We really blocked out Charlton. We created clear goal situations in the first half but we missed them. And in the second half, after their goal, it looked like my team was scared because of the things that were happening."
Lee Bowyer: "Yes, I thought we deserved to win. The first half was quite even but we were the better side in the second half. We dominated the game and created a lot of chances. We got in and around their final third a lot.
"But we should have been more clinical. We should have had another two or three goals and we would have done if our players had made the right decisions. Lyle Taylor was there for two tap-ins but we decided to shoot instead of just sliding the ball to him. The good thing is that it's a clean sheet and two goals. But it should have been more, though."
