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March was a month of two halves for Reading. The Royals were stuck in a rut at the start of it, with Paul Ince appearing to make little to no difference as the team were beaten 1-0 at home by Millwall and then capitulated in the second half of a 4-0 defeat away at Nottingham Forest.
With Reading’s relegation odds increasing, Ince and co then pulled four points out of the bag against two top six sides. A 1-1 draw away at Bournemouth arguably flattered the promotion-chasing Cherries and then a hard-fought 1-0 win at home against Blackburn moved the Royals five points above the bottom three.
So some good, some bad throughout the month and it’s now time for you to pick your best performer. We’ve got four nominees for you to choose from in alphabetical order...
Tom Holmes
Average rating: 6.00 / Man of the match awards: 3rd (Blackburn H)
It’s not been the easiest of seasons for Holmes but he began to look more assured in March amid competition from the returning Scott Dann. He put in arguably his best performance of the campaign as he helped Reading keep a clean sheet against Blackburn and was not involved in the 4-0 defeat to Forest so there’s no black mark against his name there.
Tom Ince
Average rating: 5.75 / Man of the match awards: 1st (Bournemouth A)
Amid claims of nepotism aimed at his dad, Ince has quietly become one of Reading’s most dangerous attacking outlets. He works hard and looks to make things happen, a proper out and out winger that the team lacked before his arrival. Needs to improve his end product, but we know he has it in him after a belting equaliser from the edge of the box against Bournemouth.
Josh Laurent
Average rating: 6.67 / Man of the match awards: 1st (Blackburn H), 3rd (Bournemouth A)
Laurent returned to the team in March after a month on the sidelines and added an energy and drive that few others in the team can replicate. The midfielder may be out of contract in the summer, but his clear passion and determination to get Reading over the line to safety is inspiring to see. Then there was THAT goal to win the game against Blackburn. Just wow.
Andy Yiadom
Average rating: 6.25 / Man of the match awards: 1st (Nottingham Forest A), 2nd (Bournemouth A)
You’ll find many of Laurent’s best qualities in Yiadom too and the right-back is becoming a leader in this Reading side just when they need him most. He continues to be reliable defensively with the occasional spark going forward, but it’s Yiadom’s character and attitude that sets him apart from the rest of the squad. You truly believe he’ll do anything to achieve safety.
Who is your Player of the Month for March? Vote in the poll below or, if it doesn’t show up on your device, click this link.
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