Reading City's Mo Ceesay came off the bench to score the winner as they beat Tring Athletic 1-0 in the Emirates FA Cup last Saturday. The Cityzens were made to work hard for their victory over the Spartan South Midlands League visitors, who had won both of their opening games, scoring seven goals in the process, and it needed shrewd changes by manager Simon Johnson to get them across the line at Rivermoor Stadium.
What happened?
With 20 minutes remaining, Johnson made a triple substitution to freshen up his attack with Mo Ceesay, Lucas Taplin, and Riley Denny taking over from Henry Paxford, Shane Cooper-Clark, and Ollie Harris. They made an immediate impact, with Denny making ground down the middle and feeding Taplin, who found space before picking out Ceesay on the edge of the area. Ceesay unleashed a superb strike past keeper Jake Alley into the net, sealing the win for Reading City.
Why it matters for Reading
The win is a crucial boost for Reading City, who are currently 10th in League One, 62 points, 16W-14D-13L from 43 games, recent form LLDWL. They are 31 points behind leaders Lincoln in the title race. The team has scored 62 goals this season, conceding 55, with a +7 goal difference.
What comes next?
Reading City will be home to Fairford Town in the preliminary round of the FA Cup. They are also scheduled to host North Leigh tomorrow (Friday, 7.45pm ko) in their next fixture, where they will face Blackpool (away, 2027-02-13) in the league. The team is looking to build on their recent win and continue their push up the league table.
