Birmingham City 0-2 Reading FC: 60 Second Report

Reading go into the international break in the top of half of the Championship after a 2-0 win at Birmingham City thanks to goals from Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and George Evans.

A goalless first half followed the trend of Reading matches so far this season by being relatively boring on the whole with a couple of half chances every now and again. It was though the Royals who came closest to scoring, with Tyler Blackett forcing a superb stop from David Stockdale after good work from Paul McShane and Liam Kelly.

Moreover, Mo Barrow had the ball in the back of the net but the offside flag was raised to deny him a second goal in Reading colours. At the other end, Vito Mannone was pretty untroubled until stoppage time when he made a fingertip save to prevent Arsenal loanee Cohen Bramall scoring from 25 yards on his Blues debut.

Jaap Stam’s side began the second half on the front foot and Liam Kelly really should have made it 1-0 after Jon Dadi Bodvarsson dummied Chris Gunter’s cross, but the academy graduate’s shot was straight at Stockdale. But if Kelly should have scored, Barrow HAD to score ten minutes later but he somehow skewed an effort wide from just yards out.

Fortunately the Gambian’s miss did not prove costly as on the hour mark the winning goal came courtesy of Jon Dadi Bodvarsson. The Royals looked to have over-complicated things with a succession of passes, but the ball was played out wide to Blackett who delivered a great cross that was met by the Icelandic striker who headed home his first goal for the club.

That left the visitors half an hour to hang on and not only did they they do that, but they also managed to get a second goal late on as George Evans tucked the ball away after substitute Garath McCleary cut the ball back. Three. Points. Secured.

Reading line-up: Mannone, Gunter, Moore, McShane, Ilori, Blackett, van den Berg (Evans 70’), Bacuna, Kelly, Barrow (McCleary 76’), Bodvarsson (Smith 88’)