Reading 1-1 Nottingham Forest (EFL Championship) 20.11.21

It was honours even in the Royal County of Berkshire yesterday afternoon as Nottingham Forest continued their solid start under Head Coach Steve Cooper with a third draw in their last four games which also included victory against Preston last time out prior to the international break.

The Reds in their ‘fans favourite’ third kit of yellow and amber got off to a flying start when on loan Watford winger Philip Zinckernagel danced his way through the Reading defence to fire home right footed a rocket from just inside the area.

Reading however pressed their opponents goal and Brice Samba was called into action twice before the break, saving with his feet from Rahman on the half hour before denying Puskas who raced through, Forest in the lead at half time but still with work to do.

In the second half, Lewis Grabban did brilliantly to cut in from the by-line and race through into a shooting position only to be denied off the line by a Reading defender on 52, that saving clearance as the ball looked to be flying past goalkeeper Luke Southwood for a second, all important for the homeside as twelve minutes later, Scott Dann equalised from a low driven corner which caught out the Reds defence.

Forest again went close to re-taking the lead when Grabban was brilliantly sent through by Garner, the 33-year-old striker again rounding the goalkeeper only to see his effort hit the side netting.

Reading might have had a penalty late on before Ejaria blazed over, Johnson forcing a late save from Southwood at the other end with a further effort from Grabban blocked and Figueiredo heading over from a corner, but in all a point gained on the road, in reflection, that would have been taken ahead of the game, the Reds now unbeaten in four with just one defeat in eleven.

Head Coach Steve Cooper summing up “It’s certainly a game we could’ve won based on the chances. I thought our game management and control was a bit off at times. But we’re looking confident, positive and looking like we want to win games away from home.”

Reading: Southwood, Holmes, Moore (Carroll 61), Dann, Baba, Drinkwater (Dele-Bashiru 73), Yiadom, Swift, Laurent, Ejaria, Puskas.

Nottingham Forest: Samba, Spence, McKenna, Worrall, Lowe (Bong 31), Yates, Colback, Lolley (Figueiredo 67), Zinckernagel (Garner 74), Johnson, Grabban.

Venue: Madejski Stadium

*Main image @NFFC James Garner in action for Forest.