Reading rounded off a truly miserable week with a 5-2 defeat at Bolton Wanderers.
Coming just days after the demoralising news that Rob Couhig’s takeover of the club collapsed, very few connected to the club felt ‘up’ for the football.
Ruben Selles’ side were trailing 4-1 at the break, Josh Sheehan converting a free-kick before Dion Charles completed a hattrick, two of which came from penalties. Ben Elliott netted for the visitors in a chastening first half.
Reading were much-improved in the second half and found the net through Sam Smith before Kelvin Ehibhtiomhan hit the crossbar. Kyle Dempsey rounded off the scoring with only minutes left on the clock.
A fast and furious start with both teams desperate to end miserable weeks with a win, both sides knocked on the door in what was a frantic opening.
That was until the 12th minute at least, when the hosts took the lead. Lewis Wing was booked as the referee awarded a free kick on the edge of the box and Sheehan beat Button on his near side to give the Trotters lift-off.
Within eight minutes, that lead was doubled, and official Seb Stocksbridge was at the heart of the action again, this time awarding a penalty after Amadou Mbengue was deemed to have shoved his man over. Charles converted and it looked a long way back despite 70 minutes of action remaining. Knibbs and the Reading midfield continued to attempt to get the visitors going, but the Royals were forced to feed off scraps as the hosts hustled and harried.
Charles grabbed his brace with 10 minutes of the half remaining, beating Jeriel Dorsett to the ball and slotting between Button’s legs to seal the game up. Dorsett hobbled off shortly after following a heavy collision and his replacement, Kelvin Abrefa, played a pivotal role in a glimmer of hope for Reading as Elliott’s shot beat Nathan Baxter in the Wanderers goal, even clipping off the post and surprising the 500 travelling fans who had a delayed and muted celebration.
The Royals pushed hard at the end of the half and perhaps should have gone into the break trailing by just one, Mbengue forcing Baxter into a smart save as a short corner was recycled and hung up to the back post. Instead, they went into the break three behind. Tyler Bindon dragged his man back in the box and Charles completed a first-half hattrick to extinguish any small glimmer of Royal comeback.
With little to lose, Reading came out fighting and made a real game of it in the second half. Smith should have got on the scoresheet within 10 minutes as Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan drilled a cross into the six-yard box. However, terrific defending from George Johnston ensured the forward could not tap into the net.
The Mancunian need not worry though as within three minutes he did pull one back for the visitors. Taken out in the penalty box, the striker stepped up and converted from the spot himself to reduce the deficit. Bolton always carried a threat, but the home crowd were jittery and certainly did not seem at ease.
The lead was nearly reduced again with 20 minutes remaining, Ehibhatiomhan cutting in and curling a powerful strike over Baxter but onto the crossbar. The home crowd, of nearly 20,000, could relax with five minutes remaining as Dempsey powered a header past Button from a corner to end any faint hopes of an unlikely comeback.
Reading host Huddersfield Town next Saturday live on Sky Sports, with supporters determined to show their worries over the ownership crisis to the rest of the country.
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