Honours even with the Royals

Spectators were given good value for money in this entertaining friendly with a youthful Reading side, although we were robbed of victory by a bizarre own goal near the end in our first game at Bulpit Lane in this campaign.

We had a scare early on when Paul Strudley made a good save following a misplaced back-pass, but we soon settled down and there was some neat football from both sides without any real chances being created and the first half was goalless.

 We started the second half in fine  style and created a couple of chances, before taking the lead after 59 minutes when Nat Jarvis squared the ball to James Clark who netted with a hard, low shot through a crowd of players. We  again made a number of changes and Alan O’Brien came on to earn a corner as he attempted to lob the keeper as the game continued at a frantic pace, but neither side able to find a real opening.

After 81 minutes, the visitors were gifted an equalizer when Diak John raced across in an attempt to cover a beak down the Reading left, but somehow managed to knock the ball past Strudley for  an unfortunate own goal which brought the scores level and left honours even.