News and Views
Reading Snatch Late And Unlikely Victory
28 February 2026
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Energised by late substitutions Reading snatched a dramatic and unlikely victory after going into stoppage time a goal down to top six opponents Bradford City. After dropping points to stoppage time goals in their previous two games, and losing leading scorer Jack Marriott to injury, Reading seemed destined to slide further down the table and out of contention for a top six finish with a disappointing display.
As in previous games recently, Reading struggled to play their way out from the back against high pressing opponents. There were rare flashes of creativity from Doyle, and the back four coped well with City's attempts to create scoring opportunities. Reading's attacking threat was significantly diminished by the absence of the prolific Marriott. Ehibhatiomhan was willing and eager to fill the role, but he simply does not look cut out to lead the attack as the main striker. He failed to hit the target when given his first clear sight of goal, seeming to delay getting his shot away, and curling the ball wide from the edge of the box. He was not alone in his reluctance to shoot, there was general lack of conviction and energy going forward throughout the team.
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Match Report: Reading 2 Bradford City 1
Marriott Hattrick Rescues Reading
14 February 2026
By Hob Nob Anyone?
Jack Marriott's finishing has transformed Reading's season, and today he gave an exemplary lesson in the
art of finishing which deprived Wycombe of a deserved victory with a stunning hat-trick. Like all great
finishers, his anticipation and awareness allowed him to react faster than everyone around him. He struck
the ball with remarkable power and unerring accuracy giving Wycombe 'keeper Norris absolutely no chance
of making a save.
This result leaves Reading just three points behind sixth placed Huddersfield with a game in hand, with
fifteen matches remaining. That said, they are not yet playing the quality of football to be considered
serious contenders for promotion, although with Marriott in his current form, anything seems possible!
Wycombe, consider themselves to be credible play-off candidates, and dominate dpossession (65%) from
start to finish. Reading won their only corner of the match on the hour and only managed four attempts on
goal compared to Wycombe's twenty-four. It was a statistical massacre. I have rarely seen such a disjointed
Reading performance.
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Match Report: Reading 3 Wycome Wanderers 2
Garcia Out And Young In
02 February 2026
By Hob Nob Anyone?
The final days of the January transfer window have seen talented youngester Andre Garcia leave the club and Kadan Young arrive on loan from Premier League side Aston Villa.
It is disappointing to see another very bright prospect leave the club after making their way through the youth system and graduate from the academy to the first team. Garcia, who is still only 18 years old, made his first team debut in August 2024 and went on to make 43 appearances last season. He started the new season even brighter, scoring two goals, his first for the first team, during August to secure an away win at Portsmouth in the League Cup and a 1-1 draw at Bolton in the League. Garcia leaves after making 56 appearances in total and will now be playing for Club Brugge in Belgium.
Meanwhile Kadan Young has joined on a loan deal until the end of the current season from Aston Villa. The twenty year old winger has made one appearance for Aston Villa this season - which came in last week's 3-2 home victory in the Europa League against Salzburg. It was his third of a total of 3 first team appearances after playing two league cup games at the start of last season. He also played 7 times for Royal Antwerp last season and comes to Reading looking to get some valuable first team experience.
Another Disappointing Draw
28 January 2026
By Hob Nob Anyone?
This week, although the teams shared four goals, there was a strong resemblance to the
mood of last season's encounter. Since only six of the players in City's squad remained from
last year, and the recent arrival of a new manager at Reading and significant changes in
their squad, it seems extremely likely the only constant remaining significant factor
influencing tactics would appear to be the leadership of City manager Gary Caldwell.
Referee Brakespear was incredibly lenient with City's time-wasting and blatant foul play
throughout. His management of the stoppages for injuries, and the treatment (or lack of it),
was extremely poor as indicated by the eleven minutes of added stoppage time in a match
where no serious injuries were sustained.
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Match Report: Reading 2 Exeter City 2