The Tilehurst End - Bolton Wanderers 1-1 Reading FC: Full CoverageReading FC blog run by fans, for fans.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52568/tte_fav.png2015-03-05T13:00:02+00:00http://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/rss/stream/78994442015-03-05T13:00:02+00:002015-03-05T13:00:02+00:00Bolton 1-1 Reading: Four Corners
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<p>Our embryonic Four Corners feature started with a loss, now we have a draw, so hopefully one of the guys is doing the win on Saturday! For the time being, @davemc_exile is here with his look at the draw with Bolton.</p> <h4>
<span>Jordan Obita</span>, Time For A Break</h4>
<p>I have been thinking about this for a while. I think most fans will agree that—considering he got Player of the Year last season—this year has been a massive disappointment. If ever you have seen a player look shorn of confidence then it's Obita. I am not sure if this is because he isn't getting the protection or support from <span>Hal Robson-Kanu</span> et all or that he is really missing—dare I say it—<span>Jobi McAnuff</span> (for me it was criminal we allowed him to depart). Either way he is a shadow of the player he was last year and his ratings this season have been distinctly average.</p>
<p>Maybe it's time to give him a breather and bring in Jure Travner for a run, otherwise really what was the point of signing him, as we haven't exactly got money to burn? I really liked Obita last season and the way he broke though and made the left back position his own. I just think that maybe he needs a little time off to recharge and work out where his game is.</p>
<h4><b>Hoof It Football</b></h4>
<p>I very nearly titled this section '<i>Mills v Pearce who would you rather have?', </i>but settled on <i>hoof it football</i>. It baffled me—especially in the conditions—that we are still doing 50-70 yard balls down the pitch for people to chase.</p>
<p>I haven't seen the stats and I could be wrong, but it does seem that we have an ever-increasing reliance on <span>Michael Hector</span> or <span>Alex Pearce</span> banging a ball 50 yards down the pitch for someone to chase.</p>
<p>How many times this season have we seen a pass from Pearce to Hector, he runs five yards then kicks it hopefully downfield? Last night our "style" seemed to be hack it down the pitch and try and pick up the scraps. When we did pass if through midfield we actually played half decent football and caused Bolton a few questions, however this was the exception rather than the rule.</p>
<h4><b>Federici Back On His Game</b></h4>
<p><span>Adam Federici</span> is the epitome of "class is permanent, form is temporary". After a couple of dodgy games, he was back to his best with a bang last night, making some stunning saves.</p>
<p>Since Marcus Hahnemann left the Madejski Stadium we have been crying out for a replacement, Federici has now shown that he has the ability and self-belief to be our first choice keeper for some time to come, despite the emergence of Alex McCarthy for a period.</p>
<p>The only slight snag is that we have delayed all contract talks to the end of the season when he will be out of contract. We could potentially lose him for nothing and that would be a disastrous position for the club to be in. Sign him up! Now!</p>
<h4><b>We Scored A Goal But The Off-The-Ball Movement Sucks</b></h4>
<p>For the first time since Nov 4—and stretching five games—Reading managed to score a goal in a midweek game. It's mind boggling that we can have semi-good form at weekends and look awful midweek. The really frustrating thing is that when you actually look at the teams we have played (Millwall, Wigan, Huddersfield, Leeds and Bolton) to come away with just two points from is a diabolical return.</p>
<p>When you then take a look at my second point, looking at these games and last night in even more detail, when we had the ball it's like a game of musical statues; there is precious little off the ball running and players look like they are waiting for the ball to come to them—which is easy to defend against. Maybe a little more running and off the ball movement and we may have had a nine point return from those games and adding that to our total now would put us in 10th place. So come on boys, move!</p>
https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2015/3/5/8145413/bolton-wanderers-1-1-reading-fc-four-cornersdavemc_exile2015-03-05T07:00:03+00:002015-03-05T07:00:03+00:00Bolton 1-1 Reading: Stats Insight
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<figcaption>Michael Steele/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>In recent weeks Reading's lack of ability to break teams down has caught them out. Jamie Mackie saved them against Bolton but @WilliamOwain thinks this could be a long term problem.</p> <p>Take away Jamie Mackie's late, late equaliser and Tuesday's night's long trip up North had a familiar feeling for Reading fans. A bright first half saw the Royals get the better of the game without really creating any clear cut chances. At half time they lost the impetus and before the hour mark they went behind.</p>
<p>This was not a major surprise. Reading's record in the first 15 minutes after the break is quite simply shocking: four goals for and 14 against. Only three teams in the Championship (Blackpool, Leeds and Wigan) have managed less goals and no team has conceded more.</p>
<h4>The Royals going behind usually signals defeat</h4>
<p>This is something Steve Clarke is going to have deal with. Might it be time to have quick warm up before the second half like Derby do? Whatever Clarke does it can't come soon enough as the Royals going behind usually signals defeat. Reading have only managed to pick up five points from the 19 games where they have conceded the first goal. They have also only scored 11 times.</p>
<p>By contrast the Royals have only failed to win on two of the 10 occasions when they have got the first goal and they were both draws. This record makes Reading the fourth best team in the league at protecting a lead.</p>
<p>None of these stats are probably that surprising for Reading fans. This team's lack of ability to come from behind has been a well known problem for a long time. Perhaps surprisingly the team's ability to hold onto leads has also been a long term habit. This may not be a coincidence.</p>
<h4>Bad passing, good results</h4>
<p>Take a look at the table below. It shows Reading's passing accuracy per game and is sorted from high to low. It is striking how Reading's results get better as their passing accuracy gets worse.</p>
<p><a href="http://i.imgur.com/RPrwxAx.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/RPrwxAx.png"></a></p>
<p>The same pattern emerges with the possession statistics. Once again the Royals' results improve as their possession figures get smaller.</p>
<p><a href="http://i.imgur.com/nFmL5jc.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/nFmL5jc.png"></a></p>
<p>Some fans will point to this as evidence that Reading are a team, maybe even a football club, where the passing ethos just does not work. Some may even argue that is where Nigel Adkins went wrong. After all, weren't we told by Anton Zingarevich that Adkins was appointed on the basis of the passing football he got Southampton playing.</p>
<p>There was a noticeable improvement in Reading's passing in their final few games in the Premier League under Adkins. It seemed that a new passing Reading team might be emerging. Yet in the Championship this never materialised. The stats prove that under Nigel Adkins Reading were not a possession based team.</p>
<p><a href="http://i.imgur.com/0IvC9Yd.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/0IvC9Yd.png"></a></p>
<p>The graph above clearly shows that, at least in terms of passes per game, there was never a clear style of play under Adkins. Reading weren't trying to play tiki-taka but neither were they trying to sit deep and counter attack. Like so many England teams in my life, Reading since 2013 have not had a clear identity or strategy. Again like England this is starting to catch up with Reading.</p>
<h4>Sitting deep</h4>
<p>Clarke has alluded to this problem in the last month. We all knew he was a defensive minded coach and with Reading's lack of clear style this has brought both good and poor results. Ask the Royals to sit deep protecting a lead then we're actually a pretty decent team. The problem is getting into that position.</p>
<p>If Reading fall behind then they become flummoxed. The opposition know they can simply sit deep and watch Reading panic. Sitting deep stops Reading being able to play the long ball and forces them to try and pass the ball. As the Stats Desk have often mentioned, this usually results in the ball played out wide and an endless unsuccessful stream of crosses.</p>
<p>If though the Royals go in front then it is another story. It will be Reading who can sit deep and not bother about possession. Instead long counter attacking balls and clearances will, so far this season, help Reading see out the game.</p>
<h4>Homer Simpson as a boxer</h4>
<p>These stats seem to point to one thing: it's time to recognise our shortcomings and admit we're a limited team that should go defence first. A bit like McDermott's team. Except as we all know that is only a short, though potentially glorious, term fix. Reading under McDermott were like Homer Simpson as a boxer: our hard head meant we could cope with the punches of hobos and with one punch get a knock out win. Against Premier League titans like Drederick Tatum, such tactics only serve to get you brain damage. Unlike Homer, we didn't have Fanman to come to our rescue!</p>
<p>At some point Reading need a manager to decide on a clear strategy and identity. Sitting deep and being defensive is fine, but you have to be deadly on the counter attack and able to change your tactics if you go behind. It's going to be a hard job for Clarke. We'll need to be patient.</p>
<p><i>Statistics taken from SoccerSTATS and WhoScored.</i></p>
https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2015/3/5/8150191/bolton-wanderers-1-1-reading-fc-stats-insightWilliamOwain2015-03-04T15:08:52+00:002015-03-04T15:08:52+00:00Bolton Wanderers 1-1 Reading FC: Video Highlights<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/55__xYlRklk" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>The best of the action from Reading's 1-1 draw away to Bolton on Tuesday night, as Eidur Gudjohnsen put the hosts in front before Jamie Mackie's late leveller.</p></p></div>
https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2015/3/4/8147633/video-highlights-bolton-wanderers-1-1-reading-fcMarc Mayo2015-03-04T14:13:21+00:002015-03-04T14:13:21+00:00Bolton 1-1 Reading: Player Ratings
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<figcaption>Michael Steele/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>@Jacobpotter95 is here to bring you the player ratings after the 1-1 draw with Bolton.</p> <h5><b>Adam Federici - 8</b></h5>
<p>Kept Reading well and truly in the game with some brilliant point blank stops especially the one from former Reading striker Adam Le Fondre from six yards out after Reading failed to clear from a corner. Made a couple of good claims from corners and always looked to start a quick counter attack when he had the ball in his hands. Very impressive performance form the Aussie keeper.</p>
<h5><b>Chris Gunter - 8</b></h5>
<p>As I mentioned in the match report I didn't really agree with Kelly being dropped but Gunter has proved to me why he's back in the side. Although he was caught out of position sometimes on the counter attack, he supported the attacks well and was a constant threat with McCleary down the right hand side. Might not be able to get forward as much on a poor Bradford pitch where set pieces are going to be key but a solid performance from Chris.</p>
<h5><b>Michael Hector - 6</b></h5>
<p>Had a very quiet game, didn't really do anything wrong but wasn't really a threat from the set pieces we had but did what was needed of him.</p>
<h5><b>Alex Pearce - 5</b></h5>
<p>As we all know Pearce isn't the strongest of players when the ball is at his feet but he did struggle today with Le Fondre posing a threat to him most of the evening. Could have done a lot better with the goal conceded as well had he been first to the ball which Le Fondre ended up nicking off him.</p>
<h5><b>Jordan Obita - 6</b></h5>
<p>Like Hector, he was very quiet during the game but was caught the odd time on the Bolton counter attack with Saidy Janko looking a threat. Got forward well to support the attack but most of the attacking was done down the right hand side with Gunter so opportunities were limited for him but an okay performance from Obita.</p>
<h5><b>Garath McCleary - 7</b></h5>
<p>Subbed after 68 minutes presumably to save him for Bradford. Looks like he's starting to get back to his best but his end product still could do with some work. Linked up well with Gunter once again which is something they'll look to do more of in the future.</p>
<h5><b>Oliver Norwood - 5</b></h5>
<p>Just needs a bit of confidence if I'm honest. Was booked for a poor tackle. Couple of passes astray and lost possession in the middle of the pitch but like I said just needs that extra boost of confidence to improve his performance levels but an okay performance from Norwood.</p>
<h5><b>Nathaniel Chalobah - 6</b></h5>
<p>He is exactly the same as Norwood. Needs that extra boost of confidence to drive his performances forward. Had bright moments and will be looking to build on those!</p>
<h5><b>Hal Robson-Kanu - 4</b></h5>
<p>I really want him to put in some consistently brilliant performances every week! (How many times have we all said that!) I think I remember him touching the ball about five times from left midfield because he was drifting into the more central role again but no doubt this weekend he'll have a excellent game!</p>
<h5><b>Jamie Mackie - 8</b></h5>
<p>Played just behind/alongside Pogrebnyak and looked very impressive. Looked to beat his man whenever he had the ball. One of the best performances I've seen from him in a Reading shirt and if he plays like that every week we should definitely be looking at getting him to sign permanently in the summer.</p>
<h5><b>Pavel Pogrebnyak - 6</b></h5>
<p>Held the ball up well and looked to find the wingers when he had the ball at his feet so did what was needed from him. The only criticism I would have from his performance would be that he really struggled to win any headers against Matt Mills.</p>
<h3><b>Substitutes </b></h3>
<h5><b>Nick Blackman - 6 </b></h5>
<p>Played a part in the late equaliser with a good pass through to Simon Cox, held the ball up relatively well and looked to move into the space whenever possible. Promising.</p>
<h5><b>Simon Cox - 6</b></h5>
<p>Typical Simon Cox performance. Chased every single ball down whenever he could to put pressure on Bolton's back four and grabbed a nice assist for Mackie at the death. All he needs now is that morale boosting goal to get his confidence up again!</p>
<h5><b>Danny Williams - N/A </b></h5>
<p>Not enough time to make an impact on the game.</p>
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<p><i>Who was your man of the match? Vote in our poll at the bottom of the page, and leave your thoughts in the comments section.</i></p>
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<p><span><b>Season Ratings (click for a larger version):</b></span></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://i.imgur.com/c1a8Tbc.png"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/c1a8Tbc.png"></a></p>
https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2015/3/4/8147049/player-ratings-vs-boltonjacobpotter952015-03-04T13:28:33+00:002015-03-04T13:28:33+00:00Bolton 1-1 Reading: Vital Goal
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<figcaption>Michael Steele/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Jamie Mackie's last gasp goal gives the Royals a vital point. </p> <p>On a freezing cold night at the Macron Stadium, Jamie Mackie's late strike saw the Royals earn a hard fought point which could be the confidence booster that the Royals need before their vital FA Cup Quarter Final clash against Bradford this Saturday.</p>
<h3><b>First Half</b></h3>
<p>Just over 200 Royals fans made the long trip up to Bolton and they would have been impressed with the first half, with opportunities being created mainly down the right hand side with Garath McCleary and the impressive <span>Chris Gunter</span> proving a constant threat when going forward. They did, however, seem to have a lack of shots with Jamie Mackie's tame effort being the only shot on target that we could register. There was a clear cut chance for Bolton in the first half that fell to former Reading man <span>Adam Le Fondre</span> who was denied a goal by a brilliant save from <span>Adam Federici</span> at point blank range mid-way through the first half.</p>
<p>I felt that the signs of the first half were encouraging with us creating chances but we did struggle to get that all-important goal at the end of each move. Boos rang out the stadium from the Wanderer's fans as they had been frustrated by a few decisions given by Mark Haywood during the first half. Bolton also had used all three of their substitutions during the first half with <span>Zach Clough</span>, <span>David Wheater</span> and Kevin McNaughton all picking up injuries that they couldn't shake off.</p>
<h3><b>Second Half</b></h3>
<p>The second half was totally different to the first, with Bolton having a lot of the ball and always looking dangerous through wingers Saidy Janko and Liam Feeney who had the opportunity to counter with pace when either Gunter or Jordan Obita had pushed forward to support the attack.</p>
<p>Right on the hour mark <span>Alex Pearce</span> was beaten to the ball by Le Fondre and the former Reading man's persistence was rewarded as he pulled the ball directly back across the box to veteran Icelandic striker Eidur Gudjohnsen who had the simple job of hitting the target—which he obviously did with ease.</p>
<p>The last half an hour of the game was one of few chances with Pearce the only one with a real clear cut chance which he should have finished. Bolton failed to clear the corner and it dropped to Pearce who struggled to rearrange his footing and get a clean strike off and when he did it was cleared off the line.</p>
<p>Steve Clarke then made three changes with Simon Cox, <span>Nick Blackman</span> and Danny Williams all coming on—and it was Blackman and Cox who had a helping hand in Mackie's last-gasp equaliser. Blackman's pass found Cox who neatly flicked it on to Mackie, whose left footed strike found the bottom corner to send the travelling fans into wild celebrations.</p>
<p>On the balance of the whole game it was a deserved point and as Steve Clarke said in his post-match interview it is a vital goal. It will give the whole team confidence going into the Bradford game and even if we go behind, we have the belief to get back into the game and get more goals.</p>
<h3><b>Frustrating</b></h3>
<p>Reading struggled to get forward quickly when we had the ball because there wasn't a lot of movement at all in the final third of the pitch, with only Gunter making some worthwhile runs all the way from right back. So this problem will need to be addressed before the Bradford game.</p>
<h3><b>Positives</b></h3>
<p>When Gunter came back into the team I felt it was harsh on <span>Stephen Kelly</span> who had been performing very well under Clarke but Gunter has definitely improved his chances of keeping his starting spot in the team with two impressive performances in two games.</p>
<p>So it was a good point but the performance will need to be better against a Bradford side who are going to be up for it on Saturday but with over 4,000 fans making the long trip up north I can see the Royals grabbing a vital win.</p>
<p><b>Read my player ratings for the game </b><a href="http://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2015/3/4/8147049/player-ratings-vs-bolton?_ga=1.179704356.1450366466.1424684550" target="_blank">here</a><b>.</b></p>
https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2015/3/4/8146961/bolton-wanderers-1-1-reading-vital-goaljacobpotter952015-03-03T23:00:36+00:002015-03-03T23:00:36+00:00Bolton 1-1 Reading: Instant Reaction
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<figcaption>Michael Steele/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>An injury time equaliser saw the Royals end their recent dire midweek form.</p> <p>Just when it looked like Reading were set for a third straight defeat, and a fourth straight midweek defeat, up stepped Jamie Mackie with practically the last kick of the game to give the loyal 209 away fans something to travel home with.</p>
<p>An encouraging first half for the visitors was most noticeable for Bolton having to use all three substitutes before half time.</p>
<p>One of them was to have an impact when on the hour the home side took the lead. Former Royal Adam Le Fondre won the ball back and played in Eidur Gudjonsen for the opening goal.</p>
<p>Steve Clarke tried to add some impetus to Reading's attempts at getting an equaliser by brining on Nick Blackman, Simon Cox and Danny Williams, perhaps surprisingly overlooking Yakubu, but it all looked in vain until Mackie's late strike.</p>
<p>The relief at avoiding another defeat is perhaps best shown by the photo below.</p>
<p><b>Keep an eye out for our match report, player ratings and analysis in the next couple of days.</b></p>
<p><span><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>PHOTO: The manager called this a &quot;massive goal&quot; for his side. Reaction to follow <a href="http://t.co/iulp47wsdO">pic.twitter.com/iulp47wsdO</a></p>&mdash; Reading FC (@ReadingFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReadingFC/status/572891439518130176">March 3, 2015</a></blockquote></span></p>
<p><span><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></span></p>
https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2015/3/3/8144945/bolton-wanderers-1-1-reading-fc-instant-reactionThe Tilehurst End News Desk2015-03-03T11:07:35+00:002015-03-03T11:07:35+00:00View From The Town End: Bolton
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<figcaption>Bryn Lennon/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>A midweek away game for Reading FC....what could possibly go wrong? We get the Bolton view on tonight's match.</p> <p><i>Big thanks to Mark Yesilevskiy former editior of <a href="http://lionofviennasuite.sbnation.com/" target="new">Lion of Vienna Suite</a> for answering the questions.</i></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>How would you sum up Bolton's season so far?</b></p>
<p dir="ltr">Bolton's season thus far has had a lot of ups and downs. Neil Lennon's arrival has been fantastic for us but a constant stream of injuries to key players really seemed to halt any table climbing progress that we could have made. Still, we've seen interesting signings that have made a difference, the best of some of our youth players, and some good results backed by solid performances, all things that were missing under the previous manager.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Last time we spoke Neil Lennon was pretty new in the job, a couple of months on how do you view his management skills?</b></p>
<p dir="ltr">Lennon has been good for us, both home and away. While we haven't made significant progress in moving up the table (though a win against Reading could see us climb a maximum of five spots), Lennon's impact can be seen. Wanderers are playing a nicer brand of football that has been made possible by signings like Barry Bannan and by getting the best out of existing players like Liam Feeney, among others.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><iframe width="1280" height="720" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yc-dsgxepsc" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Former Reading striker <span>Adam Le Fondre</span> joined on loan in the January window, what have you made of Alfie so far?</b></p>
<p dir="ltr">I am a big fan of Le Fondre and think that he will do well for us. His movement is great and he is superb at finding opportunities. His three goals in seven appearances is a decent enough record but he could easily have doubled his total with some better finishing, especially in one-on-one scenarios with opposition goalkeepers.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Any Bolton player we should be especially concerned with on Tuesday?</b></p>
<p dir="ltr">Keep an eye on Zach Clough. The 19-year-old is a revelation. He is pacy, clever on the ball, and knows how to find the back of the net. It's a shame that the previous manager could not see his talent but Clough's five goals in seven league appearances this season really do speak volumes.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Any Reading player you're not looking forward to facing?</b></p>
<p dir="ltr">I'm honestly not sure because I'm scared of everyone all of the time. It's usually forwards that terrify me and while the 7-1 seems so far away with Le Fondre now on our books, it's a scoreline that will haunt Bolton for some time.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span><b>Score prediction?</b></span></p>
<p dir="ltr">I'll say 2-0 to us. We have been strong at home under Lennon and the defense will look to build on a very strong showing against Brighton over the weekend. Look for Clough to add another goal to his record.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Finally any tips for fans heading to the Macron?</b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://lionofviennasuite.sbnation.com/2015/3/1/8126607/five-things-bolton-wanderers-1-0-brighton." target="_blank">Be wary of the concessions stands.</a><i>hanks again to Mark and you can follow him on Twitter <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/MarkWhyy" data-ref-index="8">@Markwhyy</a> meanwhile we answered some questions for the Lion of Vienna Suite, </i><a style="background-color: #ffffff;" target="_blank" href="http://lionofviennasuite.sbnation.com/2015/3/3/8130241/question-time-bolton-wanderers-v-reading">which you can find here.</a></p>
https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/2015/3/3/8139857/view-from-the-town-end-bolton-wanderersThe Tilehurst End Guest Writer2015-03-03T09:00:03+00:002015-03-03T09:00:03+00:00Bolton v Reading: Match Preview
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<p>Reading are on the road again searching for a Tuesday night win that has eluded them in their four most recent attempts. Phil Owtram previews the Royals' trip to Bolton.</p> <p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span>Bolton FC v <a href="https://thetilehurstend.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Reading FC</a><br> </span></b><span>League Championship<br></span><span>Tuesday 3rd February, KO 8PM<br></span><span>Macron Stadium<br></span><span>Referee: Mark Haywood</span></p>
<p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span>Reading (18<sup>th</sup>)<br></span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span>Form (all comps): LLWLW<br></span></b><span>Reading v <a href="https://www.inthetopone.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Nottingham Forest</a>: 0-3<br></span><span>Huddersfield v Reading: 3-0<br></span><span>Ipswich v Reading: 0-1<br></span><span>Reading v Wigan: 0-1<br></span><span>Derby v Reading (FA Cup): 1-2<br></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span></span></b></p>
<p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span>Manager: </span></b><span>Steve Clarke</span></p>
<p><span>Reading slipped to back-to-back defeats as they conceded 3 goals at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon. A wonder strike from Ben Osborne and a 30-yard effort from Gary Gardner either side of a Matty Fryatt goal were enough to make sure Reading ended February without scoring a goal at home. The result was also their third home defeat on the trot and leaves Reading fans longing for next Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Bradford to give them something to get excited for. Before that they travel to the Macron Stadium to face 17<sup>th</sup> placed Bolton on Tuesday night - a team they failed to beat when the teams met at Madejski Stadium in December.<br></span><span> </span></p>
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<p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span>Bolton <span> </span>(17th)<br></span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span>Form (all comps): WLLLW<br></span></b><span>Bolton v Brighton: 1-0<br></span><span><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/football-league-championship/teams/middlesbrough-fc" class="sbn-auto-link">Middlesbrough</a> v Bolton: 1-0<br></span><span>Nottingham Forest v Bolton: 4-1<br></span><span>Bolton v Watford: 3-4<br></span><span>Bolton v <a href="https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Fulham</a>: 3-1<br></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span> </span></b></p>
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<p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span>Manager:</span></b><span> Neil Lennon</span></p>
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<p><span>Bolton come into this one having avoided a fourth consecutive league defeat after they beat Brighton at the Macron Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Academy product <span>Zach Clough</span> grabbed the only goal of the game, his sixth in nine games. Saturday’s win ended Neil Lennon’s worst ever run as a manager; never before had he lost three successive matches - which Bolton did when they lost their third game in a row 1-0 to Middlesbrough a week ago.<br> </span><span> </span></p>
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<p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span>Last five meetings<br> </span></u></b><span>06 Dec 2014<span> </span>Reading v Bolton<span> </span>D<span> </span>0-0<span> </span>League Championship<br></span><span>18 Jan 2014<span> </span>Reading v Bolton<span> </span>W<span> </span>7-1<span> </span>League Championship<br></span><span>10 Aug 2013<span> </span>Bolton v Reading<span> </span>D<span> </span>1-1<span> </span>League Championship<br></span><span>02 Feb 2008<span> </span>Reading v Bolton<span> </span>L<span> </span>0-2<span> </span>Premier League<br></span><span>25 Aug 2007<span> </span>Bolton v Reading<span> </span>L<span> </span>3-0<span> </span>Premier League<br></span><span> </span></p>
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<p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span>Head to Head<br></span></u></b><span>In total these teams have met 30 times before in league and cup and it is Bolton that hold the superior record with 13 wins to Reading’s 11 with 6 ending in a draw. Reading’s biggest win over the Trotters came in January 2014 when the Royals put 7 past a hapless Bolton side with <span>Adam Le Fondre</span> bagging a first half hat-trick. When the teams met at Madejski Stadium in December, neither side could find the breakthrough and they played out their first ever 0-0 draw in 30 meetings.<br></span><span> </span></p>
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<p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span>Team News</span></u></b></p>
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<p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span></span></u></b><b>Reading:</b> Yakubu could be recalled to the starting line up, as Reading search for some much needed firepower up front after scoring just once in their last 5 games. Steve Clarke has no new injury concerns but <span>Anton Ferdinand</span> and <span>Jem Karacan</span> are both still out while <span>Chris Gunter</span> made his return to the starting line-up after injury against Forest.</p>
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<p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span>Bolton:</span></b><span> Ben Amos could retain his spot in goal despite <span>Andy Lonergan</span>’s recovery from concussion. The 24-year-old extended his loan from Manchester United on Monday and kept a clean sheet in Bolton’s match against Brighton at the weekend. Manager Neil Lennon will hope that Liam Feeney recovers from a knee injury that forced him off with 25 minutes left against Brighton. </span><span>Kevin McNaughton (hamstring) returned against Brighton but this game comes too soon for striker <span>Craig Davies</span> (hamstring) while <span>Mark Davies</span> (knee) is on course for a return to action but not until later in the month. <span>Darren Pratley</span> (hamstring), <span>Adam Bogdan</span> (ankle), Max Clayton (knee) and Liam Trotter (thigh) are still sidelined.<br> </span></p>
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<p><b>Prediction:</b> Bolton 1-1 Reading</p>
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