Bristol City 0-2 Reading FC: Player Ratings

Jonathan Bond - 6

A very quiet afternoon for Bond. Hard for him to earn anything higher than a 6 on a day when he was barely tested by Bristol City.

Chris Gunter - 7

Solid at the back, but also didn't come up against much of a threat down his flank. Got forward well, supporting fellow ex-Forest man Garath McCleary well. Added in a few of his trademark overlapping runs, but not enough to be a constant menace.

Michael Hector - 8

Impressive Hector was back to his best. Barely gave Kodija a sniff in the final third, and recovered brilliantly on the one occasion that he did - an excellent block to deny the Ivorian.

Paul McShane - 8

Like Hector, a dominating performance made sure that City's attack couldn't get a foothold in the game. Played most of the game with a bandaged head - showing the tough commitment we've come to expect of him. His experience and composure shines through, fully justifying Steve Clarke's choice to name him skipper. Quickly becoming a fan favourite.

Jordan Obita - 7

Tasked with guarding Reading's defence against Luke Freeman, who was one of City's more threatening players. Obita kept him quiet all afternoon, showing the composure he developed so quickly in his breakout 2013/14 season.

Garath McCleary - 7

An encouraging display from the winger, making his first start of the season. With that in mind, he was always going to be a little rusty, and he isn't back to his sparkling best just yet. Gave Reading width and pace going forwards, but didn't add a decisive end product. That's obviously excluding a great strike from distance which gave Reading their second goal of the afternoon. It was vintage McCleary, and should hopefully kickstart his season.

Danny Williams - 6

Quiet but efficient, I can't really remember seeing much of Williams in the game. Slotted alongside Norwood well in the centre of the park, and will be hoping to wrestle his place in the side back from Tshibola.

Oliver Norwood - 7

His usual busy self in the middle of the park, Norwood also added a fine range of passing throughout the game to keep Reading ticking. That meant the away side could quickly switch play across the pitch at will. Went close in the first half with a whipped free kick that just cleared the bar.

Stephen Quinn - 8

It's becoming increasingly clear why Stephen Quinn has started every single league match this season. The Irishman's energy yesterday was impressive as it has been since day one - both in attack and defence. Clever footwork gave Reading something extra going forwards, and he protected Jordan Obita well.

Nick Blackman - 7

Solid but not spectacular, this was a good performance from Blackman that would have been better had Orlando Sa also been playing. Gave Bristol City plenty of problems with his movement, capped off with a well-taken strike early on. That said, he again struggled to add presence when up front on his own, and typically drifted out wide. Could have given Reading even more breathing room with two second half chances that he took on slightly selfishly rather than laying off.

Matej Vydra - 6

In an attacking sense, Vydra looked a little lost at points - and, like Blackman, he clearly needed to play off a target man like Sa. Nonetheless, his work-rate and movement was notable, stretching Bristol City well. Needed to be more involved as an attacking threat to score higher than a 6.

Subs

Lucas Piazon - 6

Came on for Matej Vydra and, somewhat surprisingly, he lined up as a striker rather than an attacking midfielder. Tracked back well enough during his time on the pitch, and had a shot deflected behind for a corner.

Pablo Hurtado - N/A

Made his first Reading appearance as a substitute for Garath McCleary, but was too late to the party to register a mark.

Aaron Tshibola - N/A

Replaced Stephen Quinn at the death, leaving him no time to make an impression on the game.

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Season's Ratings (click for a larger version):