Clement hopes win will kick start season
Reading 2 Birmingham City 0
PAUL CLEMENT said it was “just a matter of time” before Reading picked up their first win of the season.
The Royals are still without a point in the Championship after losing their opening two games, but they got back on the victory trail on Tuesday night with a League Cup victory over Birmingham.
Brilliant strikes from Yakou
Meite and John Swift did the job for the hosts to book a spot in Thursday evening’s second round draw and hopefully kick-start Reading’s season.
“I didn’t think a win was far away because of our performances in the last two games,” said Clement.
“We had two very difficult games and anybody that saw the Derby game would say we were arguably the better side.
“Against Forest, a decent away performance but we didn’t get anything from that.
“But the performances were not bad so if you keep putting in the performances it’s just a matter of time before the result comes and it did.”
Clement made five changes to his side from the weekend defeat in Nottingham, but still named a strong team with Liam Moore brought back in as captain for the first time since he handed in a transfer request.
Sam Walker made his debut in goal while Leandro Bacuna, Swift and Marc McNulty were also all handed starts.
Birmingham, who like Reading have lost their opening two league games of the season, changed all 11 men from the weekend ahead of their Friday night Championship clash against Swansea City.
Reading’s new-look strike pair of McNulty and Sam Baldock looked lively from the off and the latter was the first to try his luck with a shot blocked from just inside the box.
Chances were at a premium for both sides so the quality of the opening goal certainly came out of the blue.
McNulty clipped a perfectlyweighted through ball to Meite, who burst beyond his man and lashed in right-footed from the edge of the box for just his second ever Royals goal.
But the home side’s joy was dashed just before the half hour mark when key winger Mo Barrow was forced off injured after an innocuous fall off the ball.
Mahoney was the biggest threat for the Blues, twice going close but the hosts went in at the break 1-0 up.
And it could have got even better minutes after the restart when Swift picked out Meite on the right. The winger cut inside but his shot deflected just past the post with Lee Camp stranded.
At the other end, Bournemouth loanee Mahoney went close again as he drifted in from the left but his shot flashed just wide of Walker’s upright.
The visitors soon carved out an even better chance when a cross flashed across to Viv Solomon-Otabor in the middle, but he headed over the bar.
Incredibly Reading quickly squandered and even more glaring opportunity moments later after McNulty teed up Baldock, but he somehow failed to tap it in from six yards.
But it mattered little as Clement’s men doubled their advantage with 20 minutes to play. After Baldock had been fouled just outside the box, Swift stepped up and powerfully swerved a free-kick into the top right-hand corner, out of reach of goalkeeper Camp.
It was not all plain sailing for the Royals from there with goalscorer Meite also forced off injured with eight minutes to play, allowing a debut for John O’Shea in his place.
And the veteran Irishman proved his worth minutes after coming on, producing a vital last-ditch challenge to deny Che Adams after the forward had already been thwarted by Walker.
Reading’s new keeper was called into action again before the night was out, getting down low to thwart Beryly Lubala and preserve his clean sheet and give his club just a fifth win in 32 competitive games stretching back to December.
“I thought by half-time we should’ve been further ahead if we’d had been a bit more clinical, more ruthless,” said Clement.
“When the score-line is 1-0 you always think there is going to be a chance coming and they did have a couple of good chances.
“But the set play put us in a really good position. I think both goals were fantastic for different reasons.”
With the Royals now up and running, heads turn to Saturday’s league clash against Bolton Wanderers at the Mad Stad (3pm).
And Clement knows his side need to climb the table quickly.
“We’ve got to put in another performance at the weekend, get points on the board and get us up and running in the league,” said the boss.
“We have a great opportunity to do that because we are at home again.
“The support of our fans has been great. I think the fans can start to see the identity of the team and I get the impression that they quite like it, which is good.”
He added: “The Championship is interesting.
“All the tests are different. Bolton have had a decent start.
“They had a great win in their first game and backed it up with other positive result in the next game.
“It’ll be a good test and obviously their manager, Phil Parkinson, was a bit of a cult hero here.”
READING: Walker; Yiadom, Ilori, Moore
(c), Blackett; Meite (O’Shea 82), Bacuna (Rinomhota 73), Swift, Barrow (Clement 27); McNulty, Baldock.
Subs not used: Mannone, Richards, Kelly, Bodvarsson.
Goals: Meite (11), Swift (72)
Yellow card: Rinomhota (78)
BIRMINGHAM: Camp; Harding, Roberts, Scarr, Dacres-Cogley; Mahoney (Jota 66), G. Gardner (Lakin 73), Kieftenbeld (c), SolomonOtabor; Lubala, Bogle (Adams 66).
Subs not used: Trueman, Seddon, N’Doye, Maghoma.
Yellow cards: Gardner (18), Dacres-Cogley (29) Referee: Dean Whitestone
Attendance: 6,934 (including 1,021 away)