| Competition | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
| FA Youth Cup 4th round | Wednesday, 16th January (7pm) | Barnsley | Home | Lost 0-3 |
Match facts:
Reading goals: None
Assists: None
Opposition goals: After 20, 57 and 74 minutes
Half-time: Reading 0 Barnsley 3
Gamebreaker: Barnsley's second goal
Attendance: Disappointing
Weather: Drizzle
Referee: P Russell
Linesmen: I Restell, L Vernamore
Reading line-up: 1 Simon
Cox (senior), 2 Nathan Stamp, 5 Alex Stanley, 6 Adam Theo, 3
Callum Earl; 7 Chris Davies (16 Darren Campbell, 80 minutes), 4
Andre Boucaud, 8 Simieon Howell (14 Nathan Bailey, 60 minutes),
11 Jason Awbery; 9 Steven Laidler, 10 Louie Soares
Subs not used: 13 Jamie Young, 12 Gary Middleton, 15 Leon
Bird
Reading yellow cards: Adam Theo (foul, 17 minutes), Andre Boucaud
(wild challenge, 83 minutes)
Reading red cards: None
Match report:
A disappointing night saw Reading go out of this season's FA Youth Cup. We never really stamped any authority on the game whilst Barnsley scored a couple of well-taken goals to seal our fate.
The opening 15 minutes or so were relatively even and uneventful, with the first decent attacking move coming from a strong run by Jason Awbery followed by a pass through the last line of defence for Louie Soares to run onto. The Barnsley keeper was quick off his line and able to save at the second attempt. A few minutes later Barnsley took the lead. The goalscorer (who had played the last few minutes of their first team game away to Nottingham Forest last Saturday) ran onto a header and fired the ball low past Simon Cox. Quite impressive apart from the fact that he was clearly offside - unfortunately the linesman somehow missed that and kept his flag down.
A couple of defensive mix-ups could have allowed Barnsley to extend the lead. The first one led to a left-foot shot that went just wide and in the second opportunity two forwards, with only Cox to beat, contrived not to get a shot in before the ball was cleared. Inbetween, Reading had a chance starting from a move in midfield when Simieon Howell fed Andre Boucaud. His outswinging cross was missed by Soares on the penalty spot and just too far ahead for Awbery to latch onto coming in at the far post. A similar dangerous cross from the left, this time from Chris Davies, came later in the half, but on that occasion Awbery got too faint a touch with his header and the ball went wide.
At half-time we were one goal down but there had been chances and so the game was by no means beyond the Reading team. However, Barnsley came out far stronger after the break, and things looked bleak fairly quickly. There were too many times when our side looked too timid, or failed to chase when there was a chance to win a loose ball. The away players seemed more fired-up and quicker.
It was no great surprise when Barnsley did get the second. A long ball was headed over the top of the defence for their forward to run onto (this time onside, incidentally) and he clinically struck the ball into the bottom corner.
Nathan Bailey was brought on in place of Howell and went up-front, with Stephen Laidler moving to the right of midfield. Bailey put himself about more than our other players, and for a few minutes there was some hope that we could get back into the game. With 18 minutes left, we should have been three down when Cox fumbled a long shot over his head and into the net - however, the linesman (the same one who made the key mistake in the first half) had flagged for offside against a player who didn't touch the ball and couldn't really have been interfering with play. Some small measure of justice, I suppose.
The third goal came only two minutes after that let-off when a bad back-pass put our keeper under pressure. He tried to smother the ball but somehow missed it, leaving an easy tap-in.
Obviously the game was over as a contest, and neither side really threatened again. For some of our players, there is always next year. The older ones will have to concentrate on other tournaments.
Match notes:
Before the match, Nathan Tyson was presented to the crowd, with the announcement that he had just signed an extension to his contract.
The Reading starting line-up included five players who are Under-18 and six who are Under-17. Of the five substitutes, two are Under-17 and three Under-16.
Match preview:
The FA Youth Cup is for Under-18s and often represents the first time that the club's young players get to play in Football League standard stadiums. Although, like any knockout tournament, progress is dependent on luck as well as skill, it's a competition which is often used to measure the quality of the youth set-up at a club.
Because the competition is Under-18, an age group at which there is no league, teams tend to be mixtures of Under-18 players and Under-17s, with often a few younger players as well. That also means that the sides often have players with experience of the competition in the previous season.
Looking at the Academy league tables, Barnsley's Under-19 side are not having a particularly good season whilst their Under-17s are doing well. To get to this stage, Barnsley have played only one game (a 3-1 win away to Derby County) whilst Reading have beaten Woking (6-0 at home), Southend United (2-0 away) and Halifax Town (2-1 away).
Looking at Barnsley's recent games at Academy level, and their round 3 win at Derby, it looks like Reading are in for a tough game tonight. That means it will be an excellent test for our players, and a good opportunity to shine in front of a home crowd.
Reading have spared me the potential embarassment
of trying to predict who's going to play by announcing the
following team for the game:
Simon Cox (senior), Nathan Stamp, Callum Earl, Andre Boucaud,
Alex Stanley, Adam Theo, Chris Davies, Simieon Howell, Steven
Laidler, Louie Soares, Jason Awbery
Substitutes: Gary Middleton, Jamie Young, Nathan Bailey, Leon
Bird, Darren Campbell
Most of the starting line-up have at least some reserve experience this season, and I think that the centre of midfield looks strong.
New rules for the competition this year mean that all games are played to a finish on the night, so there may possibly be extra time or a penalty shootout. The winners will be at home in Round 5 to Wycombe Wanderers or Norwich City who also meet tonight at 7pm, their game being at Adams Park.
Reading's best performance in the Youth Cup was in 1987/88 when we went out in a quarter-final replay. This season the quarter-finals are round 6 whilst this game is in round 4, so Reading certainly have a chance to emulate the side of 13 years ago.
Ticket information:
The game is to be played at Madejski Stadium.
Only the Lower West Stand will be open, seats are only available
on the day, and prices are:
Adults - £3
Seniors - £2
Juniors - £1
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