It'Sanogo For Charlton As Rakels Seals Reading Victory

27 February 2016
By Alex Bower

Playing against a side who find themselves bottom of the Championship, it should have been fairly straightforward for a Reading side who are seemingly getting their season back on track. Reading's away form was a concern prior to the game, with the Royals not winning a game away in the Championship since September but the 3000 away fans were optimistic of a positive result.

No one would have expected what was to come, however, with a stoppage time goal from substitute Deniss Rakels winning the game for Reading in a seven goal thriller. A hat-trick for Yaya Sanogo evened the score for the home side but it was not enough for Charlton to secure a much needed point.
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• Match Report:Charlton Athletic 3 Reading 4

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Crystal Palace Game Confirmed For Friday 11 March

26 February 2016
By Hob Nob Anyone?

Reading will play Crystal Palace under the Madejski Stadium floodlights after the match was confirmed as a 7:55pm kick-off on Friday 11 March 2016. The game will be screened live on the BBC.

Tickets are priced at 15 pounds for adult season tickets holders and 20 pounds for other members. Season ticket holders can immediately snap up their reserved season ticket seat ahead of ticket sales for members with over 300 points that begin on Tuesday 1 March. Unclaimed season ticket holders seats will go on sale on the following Wednesday.

The League fixture away at Brighton will be moved to Tuesday 15th March.

• Reading FC: Fixtures and Results

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Robson-Kanu Sees Off Battling Millers In 1-0 Victory

24 February 2016
By Alex Bower

"It was an ugly 1-0 win, but we'll take that. A bit of quality has won it. But that win is as important as Saturday's."
- Reading Manager Brian McDermott

"We have shot ourselves in the foot. We have given ourselves a chance of getting results in the games, we are just lacking a bit of quality."
- Rotherham Manager Neil Warnock

After Saturday's emphatic victory against Premiership side West Brom in the FA Cup, the focus returned on Tuesday evening to Reading's disappointing Championship form. Next up for the Royals were a Rotherham side who, while languishing in the relegation positions, managed to earn a draw in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

Reading manager Brian McDermott made a couple of changes going into the game. With Matej Vydra nursing a slight injury, Yann Kermorgant led the front line and Ola John was finally gifted the start that the fans had been calling for.

The early worry was McDermott's tactical decision in terms of formation. From past experience, Reading playing a 4-5-1 formation fails to make an impact nine times out of ten. Playing the formation against West Brom at the weekend worked, but playing it against a side struggling at the bottom of the Championship while playing at home was a concern. For a large portion of the game, those fears were pretty much confirmed.

The first half was a messy affair, to put it lightly, with Rotherham players determined to give up possession, defend deep and get themselves booked. It was a busy day for referee Kevin Johnson, handing out five yellow cards to Rotherham players in the first half alone, and looking to get involved in many of Reading's attacks himself.

Unfortunately it was Rotherham's antics that largely overshadowed the opening period of the game, with little real quality on show in the footballing department. On one brief occasion, the Millers were able to challenge Ali Al-Habsi in the Reading goal with the goalkeeper diving well to keep out a Richard Wood header. While it was Rotherham's only real chance in the game, Al-Habsi made a vital save at an important time in the game. Rotherham also had a penalty shout controversially waved away with referee Johnson booking Richie Smallwood instead for diving.

Reading, meanwhile, were struggling to make any real breakthrough with the long balls into Kermorgant failing to make any impact. The Reading striker did have a great opportunity to open the score when Hal Robson-Kanu made a break down the right before picking out Kermorgant in the centre but his volleyed effort was fired wide. The Frenchman clearly has the ability, as shown by his time at previous clubs, but it seems that he is not quite up to speed since signing for the Royals. Other opportunities fell to John, who managed to break through the Rotherham defence, and Quinn but both failed to make an impact on the scoreline.

The second half was not much better, though Rotherham had comparatively calmed down a bit. The Millers were increasingly relying on the long throw to try and create anything resembling a chance to score while Reading were continuing to struggle with the single striker. John was trying his best to create chances down the wing, and at times did well to beat his man, but often had little to aim at in the middle.

The turning point came when McDermott finally brought on a second striker in the form of Deniss Rakels in place of midfielder Oliver Norwood. Changing now to a 4-4-2 formation, with Michael Hector and Stephen Quinn occupying the central midfield positions, Reading were able to almost instantly reap the benefits.

Rakels immediately offered more of an attacking threat than Reading were able to muster throughout the game. Playing a ball into the centre, Kermorgant dispossessed a dithering Paul Green on the edge of the box and simultaneously picked out an awaiting Robson-Kanu. The Welshman then curled the ball beautifully into the bottom corner of Lee Camp's net. It was the decisive moment of a poor game, summed up perfectly by BBC Radio Berkshire's Tim Dellor as a "jewel in a cow pat of a game."

The performance was nowhere near the levels of Saturday's FA Cup game, but Reading did enough to win a game that on too many occasions would have slipped past them. The Millers lacked quality in all areas of the pitch and subsequently anything other than a victory for the home side would have been hard to take. The Royals were previously without a win in the Championship in six games so putting a halt to that run and to relegation fears were major plus points.

In what was an ugly game, there were many comparatively lacklustre performances from the Reading players particularly in the first half. Hal Robson-Kanu and Michael Hector were two that did however grow into the game and put in impressive performances once again. A player that particularly stood out was Ola John who for large parts of the game looked like Reading's sole attacking threat. Deniss Rakels also continued to look lively when he came on, but needs to work on staying onside.

With bottom placed Charlton coming up next for Reading, the Royals will be confident of continuing their winning run on Saturday. The concern, however, is that Reading have not won away from home since September when they beat Burnley 2-1. Having reached the FA Cup Quarter Final and getting back to winning ways at home, there will be no better opportunity to resolve away form than on Saturday. As long as McDermott does not repeat the negative tactics displayed at home on Tuesday then you would feel that Reading have to be the favourites.

Three Points And Another Clean Sheet

24 February 2016
By Hob Nob Anyone?

Hal Robson-Kanu's composed finish midway through the second half was sufficient to secure all three points for Reading. Recently appointed Neil Warnock's influence was clearly evident Rotherham's performance. The visitors had little to offer in terms of footballing quality and collected five yellow cards in an ugly first half. They came looking for a point and got what they deserved. Nothing.

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• Match Report: Reading 1 Rotherham United 0

Reading Get Pardew's Palace In Quarter Finals

21 February 2016
By Hob Nob Anyone?

Reading have been drawn at home to former manager Alan Pardew's Crystal Palace in the quarter finals of the FA Cup. After the convincing 3-1 home victory over West Bromwich Albion in round five it will be seen as perhaps the best possible draw for the Royals.

Not only are Reading at home once again, but the Royals have again successfully avoided some of the Premier League's biggest clubs. West Brom and Palace are both midtable in the Premier League, one place apart and both on 32 points. It will be seen as a difficult match for the Royals, but does appear to give a realistic chance of a second FA Cup semi-final appearance in consecutive seasons.

Reading's recent history in the FA Cup is remarkable. Reaching the last eight once again, after an otherwise disappointing season, is a near miracle, but fans will now have expectations of another trip to Wembley Stadium in the FA Cup.

While Reading pulled off a shock win over West Brom, after coming from a goal behind, Crystal Palace's 1-0 victory at Tottenham today was probably a much bigger shock. The game will be big enough already, but Alan Pardew will relish a return to Reading, in what promises to be a mouthwatering clash at the Madejski Stadium.

Reading Stun Baggies To Seal Quarter-Final Spot

20 February 2016
By Alex Bower

"What an atmosphere in the ground today. The atmosphere was absolutely top-drawer, and when we got back to 1-1, the fans got us over the line again."
- Reading Manager Brian McDermott

"We still had two really great chances at the end which we missed but credit to Reading and I hope they get a good draw."
- West Brom Manager Tony Pulis

When West Brom were drawn to face Reading at the Madejski in the FA Cup fifth round, "winnable" was the word being used most by Royals' fans. With the Premiership side struggling in the league and Reading performing well in the FA Cup competition, optimism was high going into Saturday's game amongst the home fans.

Despite going behind to a second-half Darren Fletcher goal, Reading ultimately sealed their place in the next round of the cup in style with goals coming from Michael Hector, Paul McShane and Lucas Piazon. The West Brom squad arguably had the better quality squad on paper but the overall performance from Reading was fully deserving of victory.

Prior to the game a few questions were asked about Brian McDermott's starting line-up. With Yann Kermorgant and George Evans once again cup-tied and Danny Williams sidelined through injury, the Reading manager made several enforced changes. The most questionable was the choice to give Simon Cox the nod up front with Deniss Rakels making his full debut for the side on the left wing. There was arguably no better opportunity for Cox to make a case for a more prominent place in the side, however, than against his former club.

Before the game began, a mention must be given to the minutes applause for Reading's top goalscorer who passed away this week aged 90. It was a poignant moment to begin the fixture, with both sets of fans joining in the moment of celebration.

The first half was a largely uneventful one but Reading were the better of the two sides from the off. West Brom seemed content to sit back and contain the Championship side but Reading still managed to create a couple of chances. The first surprisingly fell to Paul McShane just outside the West Brom penalty box but his fired effort curled narrowly wide of Ben Foster's post. The other opportunity fell to Hal Robson-Kanu, who rose to meet an Oliver Norwood cross, but his headed effort was straight at the West Brom keeper. The most entertaining, but concerning, moment of the half was Al-Habsi's diving defensive header which will hopefully not be making another appearance.

As the second half got underway, West Brom began to work themselves into the game. When the ball fell to Darren Fletcher in space on the edge of the Reading box, it was the first occasion that the Premier League side demonstrated any real class. After taking a touch, the former Manchester United midfielder fired the ball across goal and into the back of Ali Al-Habsi's net to give West Brom an undeserved 1-0 lead.

It was clear the Royals were fired up and that the game was not over just yet. Now needing to chase the game, McDermott made a couple of attacking changes that would go on to change the dynamic of the game- bringing on Ola John and Matej Vydra in place of Simon Cox and Deniss Rakels. Just before the hour mark and straight after the substitutions were made, the home side equalised courtesy of a McShane header. With an inch perfect delivery from Norwood, the Reading captain simply directed the ball into the bottom right corner of Foster's goal. At 1-1, the game was on.

While Reading usually struggle when it comes to converting set pieces, it was another spot on delivery from a Norwood free-kick that lead to the second Reading goal. This time the midfielder picked out Michael Hector at the far post who was rewarded for a highly impressive performance with a goal. Despite having some tall defenders in their ranks, West Brom made it all too easy for Reading to take the lead.

With just under twenty minutes left of the game, the Royals were well on their way to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. The Baggies were intent on getting back into the game, however, and were to have a couple of opportunities to even the score before the final whistle. A corner had Reading scrambling for a brief moment when it was flicked on at the near post and Fletcher could only pass the ball into Al-Habsi's arms when a follow up ball picked him out in space in the penalty box.

Despite West Brom's best efforts, Reading were to add a third through some inspired play by substitutes Vydra, John and Piazon. Vydra broke with the ball down the left wing and looked as if he was going to just hold the ball in the corner. The striker had other ideas, however, when he picked out John on the edge of the box who rolled the ball one way before passing it the other to Piazon. Despite being on the pitch for only a matter of seconds, the Brazilian sealed the victory when he fired the ball into the net to make it 3-1.

It was an impressive performance from the hosts and one full of positives. On no occasion did West Brom look like a Premier League side and if their performance is anything to go on then I am sure their fans will be concerned. Reading, meanwhile, seem to be thoroughly enjoying the FA Cup competition once again this year as their fourteen goals so far make them the current highest scorers.

As arguably the best display of the season so far, there were no weak performances throughout the Reading side. Cooper continues to grow in confidence and together with McShane is beginning to build a solid partnership at the back. If any particularly stood out, however, it would be the likes of Michael Hector and Stephen Quinn in the centre of midfield. Both players put in a dominating display and had the better of the opposition throughout, with Hector improving in the holding midfielder position by the week. Hal Robson Kanu also continues to impress in the cup, clearly feeling confident enough to pull a few tricks out the bag on the right wing. The Welshman was fully deserving of a goal, but he was unable to add to the tally when he found himself one-on-one with Foster late on.

Anyone who witnessed Al-Habsi's leap into the crowd or any of the goal celebrations will have been able to see how much this win meant to the players. The general atmosphere in the stadium also showed how much this win meant to the fans with the volume being the best it has been for a long time despite the drab weather. While the game may be remembered for the incident occurring amongst West Brom fans after the final whistle, the Reading performance was one to be proud of and will hopefully help the players to push on both in the Championship and in the next round of the FA Cup.

• More: FA Cup 5th Round: Reading 3 West Bromwich Albion 1

Promotion Chasing Burnley Next In League

12 February 2016
By Hob Nob Anyone?

Reading's hunt for a league win continues with yet another home fixture as promotion chasing Burnley visit the Madejski Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Burnley are third in the Championship but remain just two points off a top spot as they hunt automatic promotion. The Royals of course are back down in 15th and looking to secure a few vital points to stop far fetched talk of relegation after our slump in form. Reading have failed to win in any of their last five league games which has included three draws and two defeats. Reading have only found the back of the net three times over those five fixtures. Burnley have already scored 48 league goals this season compared to Reading's 33.

With striker Matej Vydra listed as an injury doubt, new signing Deniss Rakels will be hoping for a place in the side. Rakels played the last 11 minutes of Reading's 0-0 draw with Wolves last weekend and looked lively and keen to impress. He may be just the spark Reading need as they look to end a run of few points and few goals in the league. Danny Williams and Hal Robson-Kanu are expected to be available for selection despite having minor issues during the week, giving McDermott plenty of choice for his starting eleven. Tshibola will remain out of action after failing to successfully return from injury.

Brian McDermott will be starting to feel the pressure after failing to stop the decline in the short time he has been back as Reading manager. It is very early days in McDermott's second stint as Royals boss but fans and the board are equally impatient while waiting for the club's fortunes to finally reverse. McDermott has explained that it has been a very busy time since his return and accepts that it's time the results started to arrive: "I've had 12 games in eight weeks - it has been game after game, and we've had a transfer window involved. All sorts of stuff has been going on which has needed taking care of as far as the football is concerned. Now you feel that we can really start and get going and we've got a bit more time to work with the players to get the shape that we want and they style of play that we want, and get the results that we want."

Everything points to a Burnley win - apart from the result in our previous meeting earlier this season. Reading were 2-1 winners at Burnley back in September thanks to early goals from Nick Blackman and Lucas Piazon that put us ahead after just nine minutes. The result saw Reading move ahead of Burnley in the table, to third position, and was one of the early results that raised expectations of the season so high early on. Reading will have to improve dramatically from recent weeks to pull off a repeat of that result.

Recent Meetings With BURNLEY

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Reading Face West Brom In Round Five

10 February 2016
By Hob Nob Anyone?

Reaading will face Premier League side West Bromwich Albion in the fifth round of the FA Cup after they narrowly defeated League One Peterborough United on penalties in their fourth round replay this evening. The away side were 4-3 winners in the penalty shoot out. The two sides drew 2-2 in their first meeting to force the replay which finished 1-1 at full time and after extra time tonight.

Tickets are already on sale for the fifth round fixture, which will take place at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday 20 February (3pm kick-off). Season ticket holders have until Friday morning (12 February) to claim their reserved seat for the game before remaining seats are released on general sale. Once again the club have priced the fixutre at low prices to try and attract a crowd. Adults are priced at 10 pounds in advance and all other concession tickets are five pounds.

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Goalless Stalemate As Reading Lack End Product

07 February 2016
By Alex Bower

"Sometimes you get a clean sheet and a point, you take it and you move on."
- Reading Manager Brian McDermott

"It was a hard battle today but it was a good performance from us. We controlled long spells of the game but couldn't quite get that goal."
- Wolves Manager Kenny Jackett

With Reading seemingly relying upon their home form to make a late push up the Championship table, their fixture at the Madejski on Saturday against Wolverhampton Wanderers was an important one. Reading fans have been treated in recent times at home to a number of goals but on this occasion they were left wanting.

The Royals extended their concerning run to five Championship games without a victory, with their latest 0-0 draw earning them a point but not doing much in way of confidence. Goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi and Captain Paul McShane were both vital in preventing a largely lacklustre Wolves making a breakthrough, but neither team really deserved the victory.

Reading manager Brian McDermott made a couple of changes prior to kick off, with Anton Ferdinand unlucky to lose his starting place at centre-back in favour of Paul McShane. Garath McCleary also started out wide, replacing Stephen Quinn.

Reading were the first to create a chance as Garath McCleary picked out Hal Robson-Kanu in the centre, but his effort was easily blocked by Wolves defenders. Former Reading player James Henry was in a threatening mood for Wolves, however, firstly being halted by Al-Habsi when he broke through the Reading defence and then narrowly missing with his twenty-yard shot.

A couple of half chances fell Reading's way before half-time, with Yann Kermorgant's shot being deflected wide and Jake Cooper's drive flying over following a corner. It was Wolves and Henry again who had the best opportunity to end the half, but his free-kick was impressively saved by Al-Habsi in the Reading goal.

In the second half, Chris Gunter did his best to throw the game away for Reading. Following a looped ball forwards by Wolves, Gunter messed up a headed backpass to Al-Habsi who had run out of goal to collect. Instead the ball fell to Henry once more but his slightly delayed effort gave the Reading goalkeeper enough time to get back and make another great save. Defensively Reading were struggling and were lucky to not be behind. With Ola John once again making an appearance from the bench, Reading could have gone on to win the game themselves. John broke down the left before picking out Matej Vydra in the centre. Passing the ball out to the edge of the box, Norwood followed up with a twenty yard curled effort which only narrowly missed Carl Ikeme's far post.

As the game approached the end, both sides had chances to score. Bjorn Sigurdarson had the first great opportunity when he broke through the centre of the Reading defence- only to be stopped by a last ditch Paul McShane slide tackle.

The surprise move of the game was the introduction of new signing Deniss Rakels for Reading, despite McDermott saying he needed to improve his fitness before featuring. The striker played a part in both of Reading's late chances and the early signs are promising for the player.

After a ball in from Norwood, Rakels initially missed a header before either falling over or diving in an attempt to win a penalty. In a very similar piece of play, another ball in from Norwood was instead headed down by Rakels to Kermorgant who controlled and hit the ball on the volley over the bar. Both sides created chances, with Henry arguably having the best, but it can be said that neither side really deserved the victory.

Looking back on the game, no player stood out more than Ali Al-Habsi. The Reading goalkeeper can be prone to making mistakes but his vital stops throughout the game earned the home side a point. This performance extends his impressive period of form which is currently keeping youngster Jonathan Bond out of the starting line-up.

Other than the performance of the keeper, Reading players struggled to make an impact all over the pitch. Robson-Kanu, who has had a decent run in recent games, was tamed throughout by the impressive Dominic Iorfa. Garath McCleary, who often offers a threat out wide, kept drifting in field and offered little going forward. Matej Vydra, who should be high on confidence following his goal-scoring run in the FA Cup, didn't seem that keen on shooting on any occasion and preferred to pass the ball back to the player who initially picked him out, losing the ball in the process.

One player who seemed to fall apart as the game went on was Chris Gunter. With such a large focus being placed on his contract, perhaps the defender is struggling under pressure. Following his failed backpass, on more than one occasion Gunter just stopped in his tracks for no apparent reason. This game will not have helped his cause in getting a new contract but there is still time to prove himself.

Someone who I am personally looking forward to seeing over the next few games, however, is Deniss Rakels. His transfer was one met with some bemusement as he was a signing supposedly made by the owners and was someone that I had never heard of. This being said, if the first few minutes he played in a Reading shirt are anything to go by then he could be an asset. The striker seems quick and had a few decent touches. His fall in front of goal seemed to be a bit of a strange one, especially if he wasn't pushed, but early signs are promising.

All in all, this game won't stay in the memory for long and Reading will no doubt be keen to improve. With Burnley up next, the tough tests keep coming for McDermott and Reading will be hoping for a positive result to take into their FA Cup game. As the Reading manager highlighted himself after this game, the Royals have a high quality squad on paper who are under-performing. There is something missing, they just need to find out what that is.

Reading Still Looking For League Win

06 February 2016
By Hob Nob Anyone?

Reading were left still looking for that elusive league win after they shared a point in a disappointing 0-0 home draw with Wolves. The draw made it five games without a victory for Reading as they continue to drift in the middle of the Championship table.

The draw was probably a fair reflection of the play after both sides failed to make a real impression on the game. Ali Al Habsi was definitely the busier of the two goalkeepers, but chances for either side were few and far between. Reading had more of the ball but rarely seemed brave enough to work themselves into a position to shoot on target. The Royals finished the stronger side but couldn't make the most of some late chances. It was another dull day at the Madejski Stadium all round as the football failed to inspire on a cold, wet, and windy afternoon.

It was the same old story as Reading made a very slow start to the game and only really got going in the later stages of the game when Ola John made his appearance from the bench. Hal Robson Kanu looked lively later on and Deniss Rakels had chances when he made his expected late appearance from the bench. Reading appeared to have a clear penalty when Rakels went down in the area - but the referee was having nothing of it. However, a Reading win would have been more than they had deserved. McDermott has plenty of work to do to prevent Reading drifting into trouble.

• MATCH REPORT: Reading 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0

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Midtable Clash As Wolves Visit Madejski

05 February 2016
By Hob Nob Anyone?

Reading welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Madejski Stadium as our run of home games continues. Wolves visit starts a run of four consecutive home fixtures thanks to the FA Cup draw giving us another home fixture that will take place instead of the away game at Middlesbrough. Reading will have played just 1 fixture away from home out of 8 when they finish their run of home games against Rotherham United on 23rd February.

The game is a battle of two teams struggling to make something of their seasons. Both sides appear set for midtable finishes, but Reading need the points more to avoid continuing on a late drop towards the drop zone. Reading are four points and four places behind 12th placed Wolves.

Reading fans will have the chance to welcome back former Royals striker Adam Le Fondre. Since leaving Reading Le Fondre has had mixed success, but never really rediscovered the kind of goal scoring form that led Cardiff to snap him up in May 2014. Le Fondre remains a player frequently used from the bench but has struggled to find the net with the kind of frequency he did at Reading. With Reading he scored 41 goals in 110 appearances - nearly half of those appearances were off the substitutes bench. Le Fondre has scored three goals for Wolves since joining them on loan at the start of the season but hasn't scored in eleven games since his last goal back in October 2015.

Up front for Reading there is a chance that we will get to see new signing Deniss Rakels after he finally he received his International clearance. Rakels will be eligible to play against Wolves but isn't considered to be match fit and is unlikely to start. He has been training with the side since his transfer went through and he could be on the bench for a late first appearance in a Reading shirt.

Wolves are another team that Reading have an excellent recent record against. Before this season's 0-1 away defeat in December we had gone six games undefeated against them. Those six games included four wins and two draws. Our last home fixture against Wolves was in September 2014 when the points were shared after a 3-3 draw. Hector, Jake Taylor and Glen Murray were on the scoresheet that day with Murray grabbing a late equaliser for the Royals.

Ahead of the game it's fair to say that Reading fans are not optimistic about Reading returning to winning ways in the League...

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Defeat At Ipswich As Poor Away Form Continues

02 February 2016
By Hob Nob Anyone?

Reading sunk to 16th - their lowest placing in the Championship since the very start of the season with yet another league defeat away from home. The Royals looked set to pick up an away point until Ipswich scored with two minutes left to play to take a 2-1 win. Lucas Piazon and Ola John were both forced to sit the whole match on the bench as McDermott opted for Kermorgant, Robson-Kanu and Vydra. Ferdinand and Cooper played in the centre of defence with McShane also left on the bench. Reading's last away win was all the way back in September 2015 as Reading continue to struggle to pick up League points.

Overall Reading were disappointing again after poor, scrappy, first half performances from both teams. Ipswich got off the mark on 57 minutes after getting the ball in from the right, but their lead was short lived. Gareth McCleary was quickly involved after replacing Stephen Quinn on the hour mark and scored Reading's equaliser from the penalty spot on 69 minutes after Hal Robson-Kanu was taken down in the area. Reading looked like they might hang on but Ipswich finished the stronger and after a period of possession it was the home team that secured the win with a straight forward finish.

• Championship: Latest League Table
• Ipswich Town 2 Reading 1

Reading Hope For Nine From Ten Against Ipswich

02 February 2016
By Hob Nob Anyone?

Transfer deadline came and went yesterday with no incoming signings and just the single outgoing player on loan. There had been rumours about a goalkeeper coming in on loan, and rumours of interest in Danny Williams and Jake Cooper. However rumours remained nothing more than that and Reading have the same squad today as they did yesterday, with the exception of academy graduate Dominic Hyam going out to League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge on a one month loan. It was the quietest transfer deadline day for a while for Reading, but it wasn't disappointing unlike the end of some transfer windows, after the club had already suggested they were not looking to add any new players. If anything the day was a success as Reading held on to all their players.

Reading travel to promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town tonight to resume league action after more FA Cup success. Brian McDermott has seen his Reading side drop out of contention for anything, with the exception of the cup, over the past few weeks. We have dropped to 15th in the Championship table, but in reality there is no side more midtable than the Royals right now. Meanwhile, the home side are just two points outside the play off places and their fans will see this fixture as a near certain three points to take them back into the top six.

Aaron Tshibola made a very brief return from injury in the FA Cup against Walsall on Saturday but only lasted ten minutes before having to leave the field with a hamstring problem. After failing to successfully return Tshibola looks set for further weeks out of action before being tried again. After missing out on Saturday due to being cup tied Yann Kermorgant and George Evans will be back in contention. McDermott will have tough choices to make on including those players back in the starting eleven after his side finished so strongly in the 4-0 win over Walsall. Deniss Rakels is still waiting for his International clearance to come through and will not be eligible to play this evening.

Reading's recent record against Ipswich Town is remarkable. Out of our last nine encounters, stretching back to September 2010, we've won 8 and lost just one. Earlier this season Ipswich were crushed 5-1 by Reading thanks to a hatrick from new-signing-now-departed Orlando Sa.

Match Report Archive: Reading -v- Ipswich Town

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Transfer Deadline Day - Rumours And Discussion

01 February 2016
By Hob Nob Anyone?

It's January transfer deadline day once again, but it is expected to be much quieter for Reading this time around after the recent arrivals of Deniss Rakels, Yann Kermorgant and George Evans. Brian McDermott has hinted that he is unlikely to be adding to his squad today as the transfer window closes. Reading fans aren't expecting any new signings with nearly two thirds of fans expecting the Royals to fail to sign anyone before the end of the day. However, over 20 percent are still expecting McDermott to pick up at least one new player.

The biggest rumour of the day so far is that Swansea City are interested in signing Danny Williams and have put in an offer to get the player. Williams was also linked with Middlesbrough earlier in the month after a good run of form for Reading. Williams was very impressive at the weekend during Reading's 4-0 victory over Walsall in the FA Cup, creating the second goal with a superb pass in for Quinn to cross, and scoring a fine goal after a run from the half way line. There currently appears to be little substance to the rumour, and it's likely to be the first of many as the day goes on.

Joining Williams on the "unlikely" rumour list is the arrival of goalkeeper Julian Speroni on loan from Crystal Palace. Manager Alan Pardew has already ruled out the goalkeeper moving even though he has failed to get any first team action this season. With that rumour dead it has moved on to former Reading goalkeeper Alex McCarthy arriving on loan. McCarthy joined Palace for 3.5 million in the summer from QPR and made six appearances at the start of the season before losing his place.

Staying with Crystal Palace, there is another vague rumour that Alan Pardew may be interested in defender Jake Cooper. At just 20 years old Cooper is bound to attract rumours with his obvious potential, and other clubs including Stoke have also been quoted as taking a look.

Check out the dedicated discussion topic to see the latest transfer rumours and get involved in the discussion.

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