READING FC played out an entertaining 1-1 draw against West Ham on Saturday afternoon.
Paul Ince’s side fell behind to a second half Nikola Vlasic header, but were able to draw level after Yakou Meite fired home.
The Royals could have claimed victory after Meite found the back of the net again, but it was chalked off by the linesman.
Fans will take plenty of positives from the performance, especially against a proven Premier League outfit.
Joe Lumley 7: Made fantastic saves to keep out Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals. Displayed his game awareness, notably sprinting off his line to cut off a threatening ball in behind.
Tom McIntyre 6: Looked assured. Carried the ball well, breaking past West Ham’s front line on multiple occasions. Got the assist for Reading’s goal, with a pin-point cross from the left.
Sam Hutchinson 8: Commanding and composed. Used his voice to organise a defensive line he has joined only recently. Was not afraid to put in a block and compete for his aerial duels. Solid with the ball at his feet. Reading should certainly look to sign the versatile centre-back. At 32-years-old, he could offer the experience required this season.
Tom Holmes 5: A quiet display from the youngster. Definitely seemed to benefit from Hutchinson’s presence.
Junior Hoilett 5: Could have done better with West Ham’s goal; Jarrod Bowen jinked past him before putting in a sumptuous cross. Positive with the ball albeit with little end product.
Tyrese Fornah 7: Impressive. Was assured with and without the ball. Constantly showed for the ball and demonstrated his ability to play out from the press. Seemed to gel with Hendrick in what could be a blossoming partnership.
Jeff Hendrick 6: Worked hard. Primary goal was to nullify West Ham’s midfield, which became harder after Rice and Fornals came on at halftime. Will definitely improve with more minutes on the field.
Andy Yiadom 6: Largely contained Said Benrahma and Ben Johnson. Started positively, finding himself in advanced positions early on. Turned down a potential opportunity from long-range as Fabianski momentarily vacated the Hammers’ goal.
Tom Ince 6: Created a golden chance for Joao, propping up a sumptuous cross from the left which the Angolan failed to capitalise on. Became increasingly frustrated as the match wore on, regularly dropping deep in search of the ball.
Ovie Ejaria 5: Quiet. Showed some positive signs, notably playing a teasing through ball which only just evaded an on-rushing Ince. Made way at the hour mark.
Lucas Joao 4: To be fair to the front man, he did not have an awful lot to work off. Did his best to hold the ball up and played his teammates in on occasion.
Femi Azeez 5: Started on the right side of defence, before moving to an advanced left position. Worked hard and showed his versatility.
Kian Leavy 5: Grew into the game and was not afraid to show for the ball. Looked more comfortable as the quality of opposition waned in the later stages.
Guinness-Walker 4: The trialist was caught out by balls into the channel. Probably won’t be the answer to Reading’s left-back crisis, but with the start of the season fast-approaching, the lack of cover will worry Ince.
Dejan Tetek 6: Added solidity to the midfield after Hendrick and Fornah came off.
Shane Long 5: Worked off scraps and managed to win some aerial duels. Broke free late in the piece, but was denied the fairytale comeback getting brought down just outside the box. Was nice to see him back in a Reading shirt.
Yakou Meite 7: Finished both of his chances with aplomb, albeit from an offside position for the second. Worked hard to offer protection to the young defenders who came on in the second half.
Kelvin Abrefa 5: Looked lively in the 20 minutes he was given.
Louie Holzman 5: Worked well alongside Clarke as the youngsters negotiated the final period of the match.
Jahmari Clarke 5: Solid as the left-sided centre-back. Used his body well to protect the ball, shielding off a potentially dangerous attack late on.
El-Mhanni 4: The third of three trialists on show this afternoon. Was probably not given enough time to showcase his talents.
Subs: Bouzanis, Abbey, Ehibhatiomhan, Scott.
