Reading v Sheffield United FA Youth Cup Matchday

[Sharrowblade]

Long drive home. Thanks for tunin in.

 

[DazBlade88]

Thanks for this Sharrowblade - safe journey home mate.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

Long drive home. Thanks for tunin in.

I've never met you, but you must be a thoroughly decent bloke.
Cheers and safe journey back home.

 

[Foxy]

Safe journey home pal, thanks for the updates

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Thanks Sharrowblade hope you made it home safely

 

[Northyorksblade]

Thanks for the updates, above and beyond. A good foxy stand in.

 

[Cyprus Blade]

Thanks for commentary Sharrowblade - shame you didn't get to see a win.

 

[Balham]

Found this on the game last night (I've taken some bits out for brevity):

Reading FC's under 18s team saw off Sheffield United in the FA Youth Cup last night to earn themselves an away tie at Fulham in the next round.

Here are five things we learned from the game.

They have loads of heart
...

They're playing proper football
Against a side most charitably described as physical, Reading got the ball down and played.
A wet surface ensured their passes zipped across the surface and they enjoyed some good moments with clever one-twos around United's box.
...

Josh Barrett is a talent
...He took his penalty well too, given what was riding on the result, the face it was in extra time and the long delay after the United goalkeeper was sent off.

Osho is a beast
...It's easy to forget how young these lads are at times - shown by this picture of four of last night's team picking up their GCSE results in 2014! ...

Still positive
A former Reading manager was at the Mad Stad last night - but not the one people were expecting to see.
While the Brian McDermott saga continues to drag on and on, Nigel Adkins was back on his old stomping ground. The Sheffield United manager was there to watch his under 18s team - one year to the day after he was sacked as Royals boss.

Of more concern to him that the unfortunate anniversary would have been the absence of quality from his young side.

They had one break of the ball in the game and scored from it, producing little else apart from a couple of long shots.

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/reading-u18s-3-sheffield-utd-10607910?

It's annoying that the same old shit views of 'dirty', 'physical' Sheffield United still pervade at every level. Reading have one of the best academies outside the top flight; should we have just rolled over and let them win 5-0? In addition, this is the U18s cup so is it really surprising that 4 of Reading's players collected their GSCE results in 2014...making them at least 17 now.

 

[Sharrowblade]

Thanks for the comments lads, and yes made it back around 1.20am.

With regards to the match last night

The current U18s do lack that bit of quality, there's no Long, or Whitehouse, Kennedy, Reed, Khan or Diego that they've had in recent seasons, but they worked hard as a team, a team that had gone with a game plan and stuck to it.

We weren't over physical, only one challenge warranted a yellow which was issued.

Whoever wrote that blog has a touch of Houllier Wenger Syndrome. (Please don't tackle us, its not allowed)

Yes we rode our luck at times, but Shea Gordon came within 6 inches of finishing the game with 10 minutes to go.

Reading lie second in the Premier Southern section, all in all only Chelsea and Manchester City and Everton in the Northern section have more points then them this season.
It would have been a big upset if the Blades had won, .....if the tie had gone to penalties, I think we would have won, because young Ramsdale is a far better keeper than Reading's Southwood.

The relief among the home support was evident when they equalized in added time, it wasn't the formality that many thought it would be and credit should be given where due.

Reading were the better side, good in patches but poor in others. United were gutsy and workmanlike, had one foot in the next round, but football can be a cruel mistress at times and she deserted United at the death last night.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

Found this on the game last night (I've taken some bits out for brevity):



http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/reading-u18s-3-sheffield-utd-10607910?

I like the reader comment at the bottom of that page.