Stevenage 0-0 Reading FC: Player Ratings

Anssi Jaakkola: 6

A clean sheet for the flying Finn, who produced a string of good saves to keep the scoreline goalless. His painfully laboured distribution was grating for both sets of fans, but attributing all blame to him would be harsh, given the lack of movement ahead of him and the difficult brief he’s no doubt been given.

Leandro Bacuna: 5

Fairly anonymous throughout, the Curacao international had little joy down the right flank. No doubt a talented player, but he was forced inside continually by a very accomplished left-back. A ‘jack of all trades’, but is he too versatile for his own good?

Paul McShane: 6

A relatively solid, yet unspectacular performance from Reading’s captain.

Tiago Ilori: 6

An assured display from the Portuguese centre-back, but he does need to cut out the heart-in-mouth moments. Dispossessed in his own final third, Ilori nearly had egg on his face early on, but he recovered well and contributed to a clean sheet. There’s a strong case for starting him at the KCOM next weekend.

Joey van den Berg: 6

Joey prevented a one-on-one opportunity with a phenomenal last-ditch slide tackle and his physicality suited the nature of the game. However, his trademark ‘Hollywood passes’ were misfiring once more today.

Omar Richards: 7

A beacon of light in the darkness! The academy product looked totally unfazed by first-team involvement and, at times, offered a legitimate threat going forwards. He nearly registered an assist, but Kermorgant spurned the chance. Promising, but far from the finished article.

George Evans: 5

This wasn’t George’s best game. He didn’t ‘boss’ the midfield how I’d hoped and offered little by way of creativity. Much needed minutes though after a long spell on the sidelines and surely there’s more to come.

Dave Edwards: 5

The Welshman certainly ‘put himself about’, never shirking a challenge. His header nearly broke the deadlock at the end of the first period but, like his midfield partner, he didn’t control the midfield as desired.

Liam Kelly: 5

This is a tricky spell for the diminutive midfielder. I admire his persistence, as he continues to look for that penetrating through-ball without ever shirking responsibility, but too many are going astray at the moment. He sliced two half-chances off-target towards the end of the game.

Modou Barrow: 5

This was not Mo’s sort of game. Barrow struggled against a physical and well-drilled Stevenage defence. A couple of neat passes forced openings late on but, ultimately, an unintentional bicycle-kick skewed away from the opposition goal epitomised a difficult afternoon.

Garath McCleary: 5

Didn’t influence the game a great deal and was substituted midway through the second-half. We all know what G-Mac is capable of at full fitness, but after another injury lay-off, he looks some way off the pace.

Subs

Yann Kermorgant: 5

Gave Reading more of a focal point up front, but creativity and supply was lacking behind him. He blazed his one chance over the bar but, in truth, never looked like scoring.

John Swift: N/A

Hardly touched the ball, so I have little to say.

Chris Gunter - N/A

Subbed on deep into added time for an injured Bacuna and didn’t put a foot wrong.

Average: 5.5

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