Stoke draw at Reading to stretch unbeaten run - 7M sport

Stoke draw at Reading to stretch unbeaten run



Posted Sunday, December 02, 2018 by PA

Stoke draw at Reading to stretch unbeaten run

Play-off hopefuls Stoke stretched their unbeaten Championship run to seven matches after a 2-2 draw at struggling Reading.

Reading made the breakthrough in the 42nd minute, when striker Marc McNulty was allowed to nod in from close range.

But Stoke improved after a sluggish first-half display, with Benik Afobe guiding home a 48th-minute equaliser.

Tom Ince gave Stoke the lead in the 69th minute with a superb volley that thundered in via the crossbar, but home substitute Mo Barrow slid in Reading’s leveller deep into stoppage time.

Stoke had not lost in six matches, drawing four of them, and were also unbeaten in six away outings – not losing on their travels since early September.

They defeated Derby 2-1 at home in an ill-tempered clash on Wednesday evening.

Reading had won only twice in 10 fixtures and lost 1-0 at Leeds on Tuesday night, when McNulty missed an 89th-minute penalty.

Reading began brightly, with John Swift collecting a half-clearance only to send his subsequent effort high over the bar.

However, Stoke were quick to reply and should have gone ahead. Joe Allen cut the ball back from the right-hand byline but Afobe, with the goal at his mercy, headed carelessly wide.

Afobe forced home goalkeeper Anssi Jaakkola into a smart save from close range soon after and, from the rebound, Sam Clucas blazed over.

Reading responded positively, mainly through the forward thrusts of midfielder Swift.

A 20-yard shot from him deflected safely into the arms of Stoke keeper Jack Butland. He then tried again from a similar distance but, this time, was wide of the target.

Stoke were rather laborious in their build-up play, with Ince eventually firing a tame shot at Jaakkola.

Reading twice worked good openings, with McNulty narrowly missing a clever near-post cross from Andy Yiadom and 18-year-old forward Danny Loader shooting wide.

But the hosts went in front three minutes before the break.

Andy Rinomhota’s deflected cross from the right fell nicely for an unmarked McNulty to head in his first goal for the club at the far post.

Stoke regrouped during the interval and were back level within three minutes of the restart.

Clucas lifted a precise pass over the home defence and Afobe ran on to it to coolly slot past Jaakkola for his sixth goal of the season.

Stoke swarmed forward in droves thereafter, with left back Erik Pieters forcing a fine save from Jaakkola from his 30-yard piledriver.

Allen and Afobe also had chances to edge Stoke in front but Ince got it spot on in the 69th minute, with a spectacular volley from James McClean’s excellent cross.

Reading refused to give up, however, and after an intricate move on the edge of the Stoke area late on, Barrow pounced to salvage the draw.

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