A FIRST half Andy Carroll goal was enough to earn Reading FC a point against Hull City on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors went ahead in the 26th minute, after Regan Slater was played in behind the Royals’ back line and fired past Joe Lumley.
With half-time on the horizon, Andy Carroll pounced on a moment of uncertainty between Hull’s centre-halfs, slotting home from 10 yards out.
Joe Lumley 6: Was not overly troubled, but claimed everything that came his way calmly.
Andy Yiadom 5: Was the more positive outlet out of the two wing-backs. Failed to clear inside his box in the opening minute, but Allahyar couldn’t steer home.
Liam Moore 5: Stepped off the pitch after just 15 minutes and was replaced by Scott Dann. Was visibly upset after what has been a torrid year for the former Royals skipper.
Tom Holmes 6: Got forward on occasion and put in some good deliveries. Was largely untroubled at the back.
Naby Sarr 6: Could have tracked Slater’s run a little more closely for Hull’s goal. Dived in for a few challenges early on but timed them well. Generally marshalled the back line well.
Tom McIntyre 5: Hull looked to play balls in behind the stand-in left-back. Struggled and came off before half-time after picking up an injury.
Jeff Hendrick 6: Quietly assured. Didn’t have a huge impact on the game, but did a lot of the simple things well and kept things ticking over in midfield.
Tom Ince 6: Just didn’t seem himself. Came close with . Allowed Traore to get away from him far too easily to set up Hull’s opener.
Cesare Casadei 7: A growing influence in games. Some tidy touches and seemed to be everywhere. Had chances to get on the scoresheet with his head and through a free-kick.
Andy Carroll 6: Took his goal well. Won his fair share of flick-ons but wasn’t able to play in Casadei or Joao with any real conviction. Useful on defensive set pieces.
Lucas Joao 6: A good showing. Held the ball up as well as he could, often dropping very deep to retain possession. Turned down a golden opportunity to pull the trigger in the box with minutes left on the clock.
Substitutes:
Scott Dann 6: A solid performance from the veteran, who was called upon after just a quarter of an hour. Put his body on the line on numerous occasions.
Nesta Guinness-Walker 7: Positive. Looked to get forward and attack Coyle. A much-improved performance defensively too.
Tyrese Fornah: N/A
Femi Azeez: N/A
