Shut out HUNT’S ROYALS MAKE POINT

By Colin Millar

READING interim boss Noel Hunt admitted his emotions almost got the better of him ahead of his first game in charge of the club as the Royals held Championship leaders Burnley to a goalless draw.

The club’s Under-21s coach was elevated into the hotseat last week after the dismissal of Paul Ince.

Hunt was given the task of maintaining the club’s status in the second tier – starting the matchday two points from safety with five rounds of action remaining.

Taking in his surroundings on the pitch before fans started arriving, Hunt said: “I got quite emotional in that moment.

“Those few minutes when the stadium was empty and I could take everything in by myself was powerful.

“That was a really proud moment for me. It gave me that little adrenaline rush to get going.”

Reading, without a clean sheet in their previous 21 outings, shut out Burnley – who managed just one shot on target. “The boys’ shape and discipline was amazing,” said Hunt.

“We did the hard yards, tracking runners, making blocks, keeping our shape and doing the unglamorous side of the game really well. We have a lot of injuries and the boys that came in stepped up. The players did everything we asked of them today.”

Vincent Kompany – whose Burnley side have already secured promotion – made six changes to the side who beat Sheffield United last time out on Easter Monday and insisted he was proud of the performance.

“The biggest challenge was for the team to have the same identity,” said the Belgian.

“We defended well, kept a clean sheet and looked after the ball, but we were not dangerous enough in the final third. Reading defended strongly and put their bodies on the line. This is not a bad result.”

Lumley 7; Yiadom 7, Holmes 7, Sarr 8, Guinness-walker 7 (Mbengue (74) 6); Fornah 6 (Abrefa (67) 7), Casadei 7, Hendrick 6, Azeez 6 (Camara (73) 5); Joao 6, Ehibhatiomhan 7 (Carroll (62) 6) Peacock-farrell 7; Roberts 8, Al-dakhil 7, Beyer 7, Taylor 7; Cullen 7, Gudmundsson 6 (Cork (64) 6); Tella 6 (Churlinov (18) 7), Twine 7 (Barnes (81) 5), Benson 7; Foster 6 (Zaroury (81) 5) Naby Sarr – Marshalled defence to a first clean sheet in 22 matches against the league leaders. Oliver Langford 7