Reading Fight Back to Draw with Stevenage

It was an exciting afternoon as Reading battled back to earn a 1-1 draw against Stevenage! In the final ten minutes, Harvey Knibbs scored to secure us a valuable point.

Before the match kicked off, both teams and all the fans observed a minute of silence to honor the soldiers who have fallen and those still serving. It was a touching moment that set a respectful tone for the game.

Stevenage started the match attacking toward their own fans in a change from the usual. Just 20 seconds in, their player Dan Kemp weaved through our defense but couldn’t get a shot off. The first ten minutes didn’t see many chances, but we were playing confidently despite the gray skies.

Around the 15-minute mark, Chem Campbell made an amazing run from the right wing into their box. He tried to set up Harvey Knibbs, but there were too many defenders, and Knibbs’s shot ended up safely in the goalkeeper’s hands. Not long after, Ben Elliott got our first shot on target. We pressed them hard, with Mamadi Camara winning the ball in a dangerous spot before passing to Campbell, who found Elliott. His shot was deflected but still had to be saved by their keeper.

Our goalie, Pereira, made a great save at 25 minutes when Kemp had a close-range shot. But five minutes later, Kemp managed to score for them. He volleyed in a cross from Nick Freeman, and suddenly we were down 1-0. It was tough because we’d been playing well up to that point.

We didn’t let the goal shake us. Charlie Savage forced their keeper into a smart save after Lewis Wing set him up. Just before halftime, Campbell sent in a tricky cross. Their keeper punched it high into the air, and Savage was quick to get the ball to Elliott, but his shot went wide. We went into halftime trailing but determined to turn things around.

At the start of the second half, we brought on Jeriel Dorsett for Andre Garcia at left-back. We came out strong, controlling possession and earning a free kick on the right side. Lewis Wing’s cross was cleared for a corner, but we couldn’t make it count.

At 52 minutes, Savage had a chance after good work from Elliott, but his shot was blocked. A minute later, Elliott had a go himself, but the keeper was there to save it. We kept pushing forward, and Michael Craig had a shot blocked after linking up with Camara.

Stevenage tried to catch us on the counter-attack, but our defenders Bindon and Mbengue did a fantastic job stopping them. In the 58th minute, we brought on Jayden Wareham for Camara to add more energy up front.

We continued to search for an equalizer. Around the 60th minute, Lewis Wing had a free-kick opportunity, but their keeper caught it easily. Elliott received a yellow card for a late challenge, but we stayed focused. Wareham nearly connected with a Savage cross, but the defense cleared it just in time.

With 15 minutes left, Ahmed Ashqar came on for Craig and quickly won a corner. Our efforts finally paid off in the 82nd minute! Campbell showed incredible determination on the right wing, staying on his feet despite being fouled. He managed to pass the ball to Knibbs, who fired it into the net! The score was level at 1-1, and our fans went wild.

In the closing moments, we almost grabbed a winner. Elliott’s shot made their keeper work hard, and in added time, Campbell had a deflected shot that the keeper just managed to save. Knibbs nearly scored again in injury time, but his shot went over the bar.

After five minutes of added time, the referee blew the final whistle. It was a spirited performance from our team, and we were thrilled to come away with a point after being behind. We showed great character and can’t wait for the next match! A point on the road is great, however, showing no disrespect to Stevenage, its a game we should have been looking to win.

Full-time: Stevenage 1-1 Reading