Reading FC made a positive return to Championship football, defeating Coventry 1-0 on a bitterly cold afternoon at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
Yakou Meite had the best chance of a first-half devoid of any moments of genuine quality when his glanced header was turned past the post by Ben Wilson.
The Royals scored the decider in the 57th minute through a header from Amadou Mbengue. The defender rose to meet a corner which had been won by McIntyre, floating his effort over the keeper.
Joe Lumley 7: Made an important save to deny O’Hare in the first half and did well to clear his lines under pressure on a number of occasions.
Junior Hoilett 6: Seemed laboured, which was understandable given his exploits in Qatar. Would like to have seen a little more quality with his final ball.
Andy Yiadom 6: Had a lot on his plate dealing with Gyokeres, Allen and late runs from Hamer, but was up to the task. Made a critical last-ditch challenge to deny the Swede early on.
Tom Holmes 5: Took an early knock. Tried to continue but was eventually replaced by McIntyre.
Amadou Mbengue 9: Picked up his first Reading goal with a tidy header from a corner. A fantastic performance from the youngster who used his pace to great effect on both ends of the pitch.
Baba Rahman 6: Could have been adventurous but offered Mbengue a good amount of protection in what was one his better defensive performances.
Tyrese Fornah 5: A quiet afternoon for the midfielder who seemed a little off the pace. Did the simple things well however and continued to show for the ball.
Jeff Hendrick 6: A steady display from the Irishman, marshalling the midfield well to prevent Coventry’s attacking midfielders adopting dangerous positions between the lines.
Tom Ince 7: Had a few forays through the middle, but it was his defensive work which stood out. Made a crucial intervention to deny Coventry a clear goalscoring chance soon after the restart.
Yakou Meite 7: Was the Royals’ brightest spark in the first half, getting forward well and had a header turned past the post by Wilson. Tired in the second 45.
Andy Carroll 5: Was cut a frustrated figure for large parts of the game and wasn’t really able to play his teammates in.
Tom McIntyre 6: Seemed to have trouble sorting out his feet on multiple occasions when clearing the ball. In fairness to him, would not have expected to feature so early on, if at all.
Mamadou Loum: 5
Shane Long: 6
Lucas Joao: N/A
Naby Sarr: N/A
Subs: Bouzanis, Guinness-Walker
