Reading battled hard with ten men to edge past a resilient Harborough Town in the Emirates FA Cup second round, securing a dramatic 5-3 victory after extra time against their seventh-tier opponents.
The game kicked off at the Select Car Leasing Stadium with both sets of fans in full voice. Harborough started brightly, and within two minutes, Riley O’Sullivan spun and fired a shot wide, though the offside flag had already gone up. Moments later, Reading’s Ben Elliott had a chance, but his mis-hit effort was cleared for a corner.
The Royals’ first real chance came in the 8th minute when Lewis Wing unleashed a powerful strike from 12 yards, forcing Harborough goalkeeper Elliott Taylor into a crucial save. Wing continued to threaten, testing Taylor again with a deflected long-range effort, which the keeper acrobatically tipped over the bar. However, Reading couldn’t capitalize on the resulting corners.
Harborough stunned the home crowd in the 18th minute when Freddie Robinson rose highest to head in from a corner, giving the visitors a shock lead. But Reading responded almost immediately, with Mamadi Camara equalizing two minutes later after excellent buildup play by Wing. The game took another twist as O’Sullivan restored Harborough’s lead in the 22nd minute, pouncing at the back post to fire past David Button.
Reading pushed for an equalizer, with Wing coming close again from distance, but Taylor stood firm. Despite dominating possession as the half wore on, the Royals lacked a cutting edge and went into the break trailing 2-1.
Half-time: Reading 1-2 Harborough Town
Reading made changes at half-time, bringing on Charlie Savage and Michael Craig to inject fresh energy. The Royals nearly equalized straight away as Jayden Wareham headed an Andre Garcia cross straight at Taylor. Savage then tested the Harborough keeper twice with powerful strikes from long range, the second forcing a corner.
In the 59th minute, Savage finally made it count, curling a precise shot into the bottom corner from outside the box to level the game. Minutes later, Adrian Akande put Reading ahead for the first time, cutting in from the right and slotting home on his second attempt.
The Royals’ joy was short-lived as Abraham Kanu received a second yellow card for a late tackle in the 75th minute, reducing Reading to ten men. Harborough took advantage of the extra player, equalizing in the 86th minute through Kai Tonge, who tapped in from close range after Reading failed to clear a cross.
In stoppage time, Harborough nearly snatched a winner, but Paul Malone’s header hit the side netting. Wareham had a late chance for Reading, but Taylor denied him, sending the match to extra time.
Full-time: Reading 3-3 Harborough Town
Extra time began with Reading having a goal disallowed for offside, but they quickly regained the lead in the 92nd minute through Chem Campbell, whose powerful strike beat Taylor at the near post. Just three minutes later, Campbell added his second, weaving past defenders and calmly slotting into the far corner to make it 5-3.
Harborough pushed hard in the second half of extra time, but Reading’s tired ten men held firm, repelling waves of attacks. Despite their best efforts, Harborough couldn’t find a way back, and the final whistle confirmed Reading’s hard-fought victory.
Full-time after extra time: Reading 5-3 Harborough Town
Player Highlights
•Reading: Goals from Camara, Savage, Akande, and Campbell (2) helped seal the win. Wing and Savage were instrumental in midfield, while Button made some crucial saves.
•Harborough Town: Robinson and O’Sullivan were standout performers, each scoring in an impressive team effort.
Both teams showed incredible determination, but Reading’s quality shone through in the end. Best of luck to Harborough Town for the rest of their season!
Reading: Button, Elliott (Savage 46′), Wareham, Tuma (Dorsett 72′), Camara (Craig 46′), Wing © (Campbell 59′), Garcia, Kanu, Holzman, Akande (Dean 76′), Ahmed
Subs: Rhone, Smith, Bindon, Sackey
Goals: Camara (20′), Savage (59′), Akande (65′), Campbell (92′, 96′)
Yellow: Kanu (16′ & 75′), Garcia (80′)
Red: Kanu (75′)
Harborough Town: Taylor, Cooper (Sandhu 74′), Walsh, Malone, Williams ©, Morris, Robinson (Forbes 74′), O’Sullivan (Tonge 66′), Stephens (Rose 66′), Starkie, Sandro (Carta 46′)
Subs: Burgess, Daire, Dolman, Mulligan
Goals: Robinson (18′), O’Sullivan (22′)
Yellows: Sandro (28′), Malone (108′)
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