A stunning top corner equaliser from Tom Ince deservedly earned the Royals a come-from-behind point after a fine performance against high-flying Bournemouth this evening.
The cut and thrust of the Championship was evident from the off – Jordan Zemura upending Morrison with a late challenge at one end, Drinkwater bustling his way into the Bournemouth box at the other only to overrun it and allow Travers to gather the ball in without too much alarm.
But the hosts had the lead with a very well worked goal eight minutes in. Zemura beat Ince’s sliding tackle, fed Solanke who ran onto a neat one two with Lerma to pass the pass wide of Nyland for 1-0.
Reading were so close to levelling moment later. Ejaria fed Ince on the right and dinked a lovely cross into the middle where Joao and Travers’ right glove met the ball at the same time, six yards out. The keeper got enough on it to send the ball away from danger and the Cherries survived a scare.
Stacey tested Nyland at his near post when he was found by Christie on the overlap down the right and the full-back drilled it goalwards from a tight angle only to see the debutant parry it away with his body.
At the other end, Yiadom fizzed a cross in from the right and Ince then delivered a free kick that needed heading behind for a corner. But Nyland was needed again to shovel away a shot from Christie as the hosts came close to a second through more neat passing play in the final third.
Reading put together a very nice move of their own, involving Ejaria, Ince and Yiadom who cut the ball back for Rinomhota who shot first time, only for Travers to leap to his left and save well.
With seven minutes of the first half remaining, Joao won a free kick 30 yards out which Ince fizzed out wide of Ejaria. But his cross was deflected into the arms of Travers.
Reading were threatening and a deep Ince corner was headed behind by a Bournemouth head only for a goal kick to be given by the referee to the away side’s amazement.
But after one minute of injury time elapsed, the half-time whistle sounded and the home side had a goal’s lead to hold onto.
HALF-TIME: BOURNEMOUTH 1-0 READING
Half time substitute Jamal Lowe’s first contribution was to slide a well-weighted pass into the path of Christie inside the box and his right-footed angled effort was gathered in low by a well-positioned Nyland.
At the other end, Laurent took aim and tested Travers’ handling – the Cherries keeper was down well low to his right to save.
Ten minutes played in the second period and Ince arced a lovely cross into the box with Joao waiting to pounce, but Phillips got a stretched out a leg to toe it behind for a corner before it could get to the Royals striker.
The Royals were giving it a real go and Laurent won a free kick which Ince swung in on the hour. The ball dopped to Drinkwater who controlled with his first touch and then arrowed over with his left foot with the second.
Drinkwater was nudged next and another good Ince delivery was nodded behind for a corner this time. An outswinger in front of the travelling fans found the head of Morrison but the ball fell kindly for a Bournemouth defender to clear.
Reading were enjoying some sustained pressure and Laurent won the ball on the right to burst in behind, but his low centre was behind Joao in the middle and the chance evaporated.
The Royals were defending their lines well, seeing off the threat of successive corners from either side. And when Ince swept a deep ball towards Ejaria and the midfielder brought it down beautifully, appeals for a penalty when he went to ground were waved away.
Yakou Meite was brought on for the final quarter of an hour as Reading pressed for a goal that would get them back into the encounter, but Yiadom did well to charge down a Christie effort as the Cherries looked to find a second on the counter.
Into the final ten minutes and Travers flapped an Ince corner behind for another dead ball. And from that, the Royals deservedly levelled. Ejaria delivered the corner, it was cleared only as far as Ince who hammered a wonderful left-footed effort into the top right corner to make it 1-1.
Scott Parker's side raised the tempo and Lerma won a header from a corner that was straight down the throat of Nyland to the Royals' relief.
But Reading ended the game on the attack, looking for the winner.
It never came. But the Royals had come from behind to earn a point against a very impressive Bournemouth side. The performance warranted at least a point.
FULL-TIME: BOURNEMOUTH 1-1 READING
Bournemouth: Travers, Phillips, Kelly, Stacey, Zemura, Cook (Pearson 76), Lerma, Christie, Cantwell (Lowe HT), Solanke, Anthony (Dembele 86).
Unused subs: Woodman, Cahill, Laird, Marcondes.
Yellow: Cantwell
Goals: Solanke 8
Reading: Nyland, Yiadom, McIntyre, Morrison (c), Holmes, Drinkwater, Laurent, Rinomhota, Ejaria (Hoilett 90), Ince, Joao (Meite 76).
Unused subs: Southwood, Abrefa, Dann, Barker, Dele-Bashiru.
Yellow: Laurent
Goals: Ince 83
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