Reading 4-1 Northampton Town: Player Ratings
A solid performance all round from the Royals, with a flash of pure quality taking one player above the rest
Joel Pereira: 6
Started pretty well, able to come out and catch or divert most of the crosses that came his way.
Had sparingly little to do all day, and began to make his own fun late in the game, making some… creative decisions when playing the ball out from the back.
Finished the day without a save, showing just how quiet Pereira’s boxing day was.
Michael Craig: 7
Really sharp in the first half, making several good passes forwards and being up to whatever was thrown at him defensively.
Made one of his best contributions right at the end of the half when he stepped out of a chaotic situation in a Northampton counter-attack to reclaim the ball and send it back the other way.
With Kanu slotting in as an elbow back, Craig was able to get much further up the field today than he was able to against Lincoln.
Amadou Mbengue: 7
Burst down the field with great pace early on, beating four Northampton players, and then putting a decent effort on goal when it came back to him. Repeated the feat in the 68th minute when he ran all the way from his box to the Northampton box.
Probably should have had a penalty when he was hauled down in the box from a Reading free-kick.
It really does make a huge difference having Mbengue available, with his speed catching out countless attackers this season.
Tyler Bindon: 6
Totally dominant aerially, as he often is. Picked up the second assist for the Knibbs opener, serving the ball back into the middle where Smith was able to rise highest. Hauled down in the box several times in the first half (both boxes) and got no help from the referee, who was poor throughout.
Stepped in well to help out Kanu when he got into a jam early in the second half.
Abraham Kanu: 6
A little lucky right at the end of the half to be given a free-kick by the linesman when the winger had beaten him, but in fairness to Kanu, that was the only time in the first half. Got a little scrappier as the second half went on, but continued to compete.
Showed a little flash of attacking intent early in the second half, jumping past a few challenges on the outside of the box when he received it at pace. Taken off for Garcia.
Lewis Wing: 8
Looked sharp on the ball from the early stages today, orchestrating from the back as he often does, but also managing to get himself into wide areas to help Reading push into the final third. Often able to break a Northampton press with a smart first-time pass.
In the right spot from a corner to clear a dangerous headed effort off the line, and did his defensive work well today as Northampton failed to move the ball quickly.
Put two glorious balls over the top for Sam Smith, eventually getting him an assist. The first was curled onto Smith’s head and flashed just wide, showing great technique. The second showed Wing’s vision as he picked out Smith’s run to give him time and space to slot the ball home.
Chose his moments well to step out of his defence shielding role today. He’s been up and down in those responsibilities in recent weeks, so it was good to see a return to form.
Charlie Savage: 6
Did really well to harry Northampton while they were recycling after a corner and win the ball for Reading shortly after the first goal.
Quieter generally than Knibbs on the other side in the first half, but with the mix of options used at left wing in front of him, it’s perhaps not surprising Savage hasn’t been able to build much of a connection with another left-sided player.
Spurned an opportunity to find a nice cross into the box when Reading were arriving in the final third with speed and numbers. Made amends a few minutes later when he killed the game.
Taking a nice touch onto his left foot, Savage found space on the edge of the box to ask a tough question of the keeper: one he totally failed to answer. That’s four in 20 appearances now for Savage, a really decent return from a central midfielder no matter how you slice it.
Harvey Knibbs: 7
Started the game with a really deft finish in a spot that required bravery, crashing forward as the ball fell in front of two Northampton players.
Sharp with his passing in the early stages as well, able to get more involved than he often can at left wing. Continued to compete throughout the game, and had a lot of joy down the right-hand side with Craig and Campbell.
Chem Campbell: 7
Put in a really good first-half performance, useful going forward but also tracking back responsibly and ensuring Northampton couldn’t get much of anything going on his side. Deceptively strong and able to get crucial touches on the ball at key moments in buildup when Reading could lose the ball.
Combines really nicely with Harvey Knibbs, with the pair completing several give-and-goes. Able to beat a man on the dribble and reach really dangerous areas pretty consistently. If he can improve his end product as consistently, he’ll be quite the player.
Reading need to find a way to keep Chem when his deal expires in January.
Sam Smith: 6
Hung on the shoulder of the last defender all afternoon. While he wasn’t called on to win a ball over the top as often as he can, that allowed him to be a constant threat to spin in behind.
Unlucky not to see an excellent diving header hit the back of the net, instead choosing to score his goal a few moments later with a professional finish. Sent through one-on-one by Wing’s early ball, Smith slotted home low and hard.
Came close to getting in behind again in the second half but was called just offside.
Mamadi Camara: 6
Stalled an early counter-attack for Reading by turning and going backwards when he could perhaps have looked for the next forward pass.
Switched over to the right side in the final 20 minutes of the game: a return of an old-school tactic from Noel Hunt’s playing days! Looked more dangerous in that spot and was able to use the positioning to his advantage to score late in the game.
Camara scored with aplomb, receiving it a little loosely but making no mistake with the second touch: smashing it into the top corner.
Subs
Jayden Wareham: 6
Competed for every ball thrown his way but had a serious height disadvantage against the Northampton back line. Got himself involved in the buildup to the fourth goal for Reading, holding off the defender and bouncing it back to Garcia to run into the box.
Andre Garcia: 6
Picked up an assist in his small bit of time on the field, combining really well with Wareham to drive into the box, step across his defender and find Camara in acres of space.
Today was probably a good time for Garcia to be rested on the bench, with his defending being up and down in recent weeks. His run and cross though showed exactly what he can do and why he’s started so many games. Will surely be useful during the busy festive period.
Tivonge Rushesha, Harlee Dean and Ashqar Ahmed: N/A
Came on at the end to help Reading see things out, in a move that saw the Royals try out a back three for the final five minutes.
All three were perfectly solid in a quiet final five, but it was interesting to see Hunt try something different out. Alongside the wingers switching sides, this game felt like the first where Hunt was able to start making his mark on the side.
Average: 6.46/10
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