Following today’s clash between Reading and Derby County, here are the instant reactions from both managers.
Reading hosted Derby County at the Madejski Stadium for a 3pm kick off on Saturday February 24, with both sides playing out a three all draw.
Derby opened the scoring through Kasey Palmer in the six minute of the game, but Reading levelled through Liam Kelly. Reading took advantage through Mo Barrow just after the half hour mark, but Richard Keogh quickly had the visitors back on level terms.
Minute 46 saw Derby seize advantage as Tom Lawrence found the net, but ten minutes from time Jon Dadi Bodvarsson again tied the scores up and that was where the game ended.
A historical fifth league loss in a row for the first time in their history was suitably avoided.
Teams:
Reading:
Mannone, Gunter, Ilori, Moore, Richards, Bacuna, Kelly (McCleary 81), Aluko, Clement (Swift 70), Barrow (Edwards 90+4), Bodvarsson.
Substitutes:
van den Berg, Blackett, Jaakkola, Smith.
Derby:
Carson, Baird, Keogh, Davies, Olsson, Huddlestone, Ledley, Weimann, Palmer (Johnson 78), Lawrence (Wisdom 88), Jerome (Nugent 81).
Substitutes:
Anya, Pearce, Roos, Thorne.
Speaking to the BBC’s cameras a short time after match day referee Tony Harrington blew the final whistle, Reading head coach Jaap Stam explained.
‘We gave away cheap goals and that’s not the first time we’re saying that. We wanted to keep the score at 2-1 and then maybe go forward and go for a third goal. You knew that Derby had to score and you know that maybe opens them up. But then they score a goal from a set-piece. We kept on pushing to get back into the game again and we got a deserved equaliser. So that’s a good point.’
Derby County manager Gary Rowett in his comparative interview explained.
‘It was a good game for the neutral bystander, a good spectacle. But for a manager, you don’t want the game to be full of so many swings. We started well, but a few things frustrated me today, especially our decision-making defensively. That’s cost us a chance to win the game. I had a real go at the players at half-time. It’s the first time I’d done that probably all season, but we responded well. The referee saw the Baird tackle as two-footed and reckless from behind. I won’t appeal, because it won’t look to be obviously not a red card.’
