Reading 2 - 3 Coventry City

[dutchman]

Coventry City win five-goal thriller at Reading



Coventry City claimed a 3-2 victory away to Reading in an entertaining Sky Bet Championship clash at the SCL Stadium.

Relegation-threatened Reading marked their 150th club anniversary with another defeat. It was Royals’ seventh successive league loss and they ended the game with 10 men after the dismissal of winger Junior Hoilett.

Reading went ahead midway through the first half through a Lucas Joao header but Coventry equalised on the stroke of half-time through Dominic Hyam.

Michael Rose made it 2-1 to City shortly after half-time and, though Andy Yiadom levelled it at 2-2, the hosts had Hoilett sent off in the 63rd minute for a second yellow card.

Two minutes later, Ian Maatsen grabbed what proved to be the Coventry winner.

Founded in 1871, Reading had been due to mark their 150th year against Luton on December 18 – but the fixture was postponed after a Covid outbreak in the home camp.

Since then, they have failed to win – losing seven of their eight league and FA Cup fixtures.

About 200 Reading supporters protested outside the stadium before kick off, their anger aimed at manager Veljko Paunovic and Dai Yongge, the club’s Chinese owner.

The fans chanted “We want Pauno out” and “We want our Reading back”. And some displayed a banner that read: “150 years history but how many more?”

Coventry began at a frantic pace, with Gustavo Hamer and Maatsen both squandering early half-chances.

The visitors should have gone ahead soon after, when Callum O’Hare released Viktor Gyokeres on a quick break.

Coventry’s 12-goal top scorer unleashed a fierce shot but home goalkeeper Karl Hein made an excellent one-handed save.

Reading gradually settled but Junior Hoilett’s tame header, from a Tom Ince cross, barely troubled City keeper Simon Moore.

However, they were better rewarded in the 23rd minute when Hoilett slung over a precise cross from the left and Joao rose unchallenged to nod home from close range.

Reading almost doubled their lead, with John Swift and Ince going close through well-struck efforts from distance.

But Coventry levelled in the second minute of first-half stoppage time when Hyam, a former Reading academy product, drilled a low shot through a mass of bodies and past the unsighted Hein.

Two minutes into the second period, City were ahead. Hamer sent over a corner from the left and Rose nodded home easily.

Reading were back on terms eight minutes later, when an Ince corner from the right was bundled in by defender Yiadom.

But Hoilett was dismissed for two fouls in six minutes – on O’Hare and then Gyokeres – and Maatsen struck with a deflected attempt that looped in over the backtracking Hein.

Ten-man Reading tried to get back into it but Coventry held on to win with relative ease.

[dutchman]

Coventry comeback sinks struggling Reading



Reading's winless run stretched to 11 games as Coventry came from behind to beat the 10-man Royals in the Championship.

Lucas Joao headed the hosts in front, with Sky Blues captain Dominic Hyam equalising from close range on the stroke of half-time.

Michael Rose then put Coventry ahead from a corner, only for Andy Yiadom to level through the same method before his team-mate Junior Hoilett was sent off.

Ian Maatsen's deflected effort sealed three points for the away side, who ensured Reading remain two points above the drop zone.

Coventry looked the more confident side early on and could have taken the lead when Viktor Gyokeres' low shot across goal was pushed away by Reading keeper Karl Hein.

The Royals responded well when Tom Ince whipped in a dangerous cross from the right, but Junior Hoilett was unable to get the power he needed on a looping header.

But the home supporters could feel their team getting closer as Josh Laurent struck a 25-yard drive from midfield that went inches past the post, before the breakthrough came when Hoilett delivered a superb ball which the unmarked Joao headed home.

The hosts' hard work was undone right before the half-time whistle when a corner was cleared to Gustavo Hamer, who hit a hopeful volley which Hyam smartly poked in.

Just two minutes after the restart, Rose headed into the net from Hamer's corner, but the Sky Blues again showed their defensive vulnerabilities when Ince's corner was powered home by the head of Yiadom.

Yet the game unravelled for Reading when Hoilett mistimed a tackle on Gyokeres on half-way and was shown a second yellow card. The Sweden striker found Maatsen a moment later, whose shot agonisingly looped in via a deflection.

With little to lose, Royals substitute Yakou Meite pressed forward, but his square pass to pick out Ince was blazed over as Coventry held on to move up one place to 12th in the table.

The result led some Reading supporters - who had staged a protest against the club's owners and boss Veljko Paunovic before the game - to try to confront the manager, who headed straight down the tunnel.

Reading manager Veljko Paunovic:

"The whole year has been difficult for the club. It has been very frustrating for the fans and we share that with them.

"Everyone has a right to express their opinion. We mustn't feel sorry for ourselves. We have to regroup and move forward.

"It was a very good first-half performance from us, the first time for a long time. I was just so upset that we conceded the equaliser just before half-time.

"We didn't start the second half well, we had to be alert and more focused. But we didn't keep the ball well enough."

Coventry City manager Mark Robins told BBC CWR:

"I think we ground it out. They are finding it really difficult in terms of the run that they are on.

"When you are coming up against a team like that, they are always dangerous.

"It's an emotional day for them, there was a bigger turnout because there was a demonstration. Their coach handles things with dignity.

"His team had a right go for him, they were on the front foot. We got three goals away from home, which is difficult to do, and we haven't done that very often."