Reading FC's Jersey Mike Trophy campaign ended with a 2-0 home defeat to Chelsea Under-21s on Tuesday night. A first-half double from Chizaram Ezenwata settled the tie at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, where 1,667 spectators watched a frustrating evening for Leam Richardson's side.
The visitors took control with two goals in four minutes. Ezenwata opened the scoring after 21 minutes, capitalising on a defensive miscue, and added a second just four minutes later, finishing an attack assisted by Leo Black. Reading responded with a series of first-half chances. Daniel Kyerewaa drove into the box and forced a save from Chelsea goalkeeper Freddy Bernal after 35 minutes, while Charlie Savage saw a curling effort drift wide just before the break. Jeriel Dorsett also went close from a corner.
Defensive lapses prove costly
Reading attempted to force their way back after half-time but struggled to trouble the scoreboard. The team was fortunate not to fall further behind when Josh Knight produced an outstanding recovery block to deny Ezenwata a hat-trick, with the offside flag also ruling out another Chelsea effort. At the other end, Jack Stevens made a strong save to push away a powerful Leo Black strike late on, ensuring the margin of defeat was not greater.
Manager Leam Richardson used the fixture to rotate his squad, handing a first start to Portsmouth loanee Josh Knight and a professional debut to David Hicks. Several changes were made in the second half, with Boyd Beacroft, Reece Evans, Emmanuel Osho, Luke Howard and Jerae Jones all entering the fray. The performance highlighted an ongoing issue with converting chances, a concern as the team sits sixth in League One with 15 points from nine games. Their recent form in the league, however, has been strong, with three wins and a draw in their last five matches, including the 5-1 victory over Milton Keynes Dons.
Looking ahead to Wigan
The result means Reading's focus now shifts entirely to league action. Their next match is a key trip to face bottom-placed Wigan Athletic on Saturday. Richardson will hope his side can rediscover the scoring touch shown in their last league outing, a 5-1 thrashing of Milton Keynes Dons. The full schedule ahead is available on our fixtures list. The defeat serves as a reminder of the work required to maintain their promotion push, which currently sees them four points behind leaders Plymouth Argyle. The team has scored an average of 1.8 goals per game in the league this season, but their failure to find the net in this Trophy tie, despite opportunities, shows a recurring challenge in cup competitions.
The report in full is at readingchronicle.co.uk
