Rampant Royals sweep to 4-0 victory over Millwall in EFL Cup opener.
The EFL Cup began this week. Typically, there were some big score lines and upsets across the board. One such instance, was Reading’s shock 4-0 victory over hosts Millwall.
Match Report
Two goals from Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan either side of the break; and goals from Charlie Savage and Mamadi Camara were enough to see off the Lions in their own backyard.
The result came as even more of a surprise to both sets of fans as Reading named a youthful team with an average age of 21, while Millwall named a much stronger starting XI full of Championship stars.
Having not tasted victory since February, this result for the Royals fans was a long overdue and they will be hoping they can now kick on under Ruben Selles in League One, starting with an away trip to Port Vale on Saturday afternoon.
The game itself got off to the best possible start for Reading, who took the lead within one minute after academy graduate Caylan Vickers slipped in strike partner Ehibhatiomhan who was waiting in the the six yard box, where the striker smartly chipped the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper to give his side the lead.
The rest of the first half played out with Reading being the protagonists as they looked to press high and then counter quickly through the likes of Harvey Knibbs and Camara. This led to Millwall having very few opportunities for themselves.
The second half continued in the same manner with Reading winning the ball in the middle third then countering at frightening speed through Vickers. The ball eventually found its way to Ehibhatiomhan who managed to squeeze the ball home after Bartosz Bialkowski could only flap his hands at Vickers’ effort.
New boy Charlie Savage then came off the bench and made the perfect entrance with a superb freekick finding the top right hand corner after beautifully curling over the hapless Millwall wall.
To cap off this five star performance, Camara raced onto Basil Tuma’s deflected effort and fired into the empty Millwall net to cap off what was his best performance in a Reading shirt to date. Cue celebrations with the travelling support.
Aftermath
Although Millwall will feel embarrassed by this result, they should not worry too much. An opening day victory against Middlesbrough suggests this was just an anomaly in an otherwise upwards looking season for the Championship side.
After a couple of disastrous campaigns for the Reading, Selles looks a welcome appointment as he likes his side to play on the front foot and press their opponents high up the pitch. This is the polar opposite of what we saw last season under Paul Ince, where long balls forward were the norm.
On the back of a 1-0 home defeat on the opening day of League One against Peterborough, there is still a lot of work to be done and what better way to start than giving some of these younger players a chance in the first team.
Central defenders Nelson Abbey and Tyler Bindon were excellent in their quest for a clean sheet, and looked to progress the ball as quickly as possible while also having a calming presence at the back. Although Tom Holmes and Tom Mclntyre have been consistent in the last couple of years, it might be worth changing something at the back in the need to stop conceding so many goals.
Further forward, both Camara and Vickers gave the Royals’ midfield and attack some pace and trickery, which can not be underestimated when playing against sides who deploy a deep block. Starting berths surely await the pair.
With Reading fans going through uncertain times at the moment, due to financial issues and transfer embargos, this result proves they have a manager who wants to play entertaining football and youngsters who are eager to step up. An exciting mix indeed.
Twitter – @Dubsportss @muzzachart
