Contrary to Reading manager Brian McDermott’s assertions that this wasn’t a big match, this game was huge to both teams. Time is running out and if you are in the bottom 3 as these two were at the start of play it is going to get harder and harder to climb out. These were 3 valuable points up for grabs.
As such, both sides started out at a frenetic pace. Reading got a header at goal after Lowton lost his mark and Guzan put the ball around the post. Then Benteke had a couple of headers, 1 that thumped the crossbar, but it was Reading looking the more dangerous side in the early stages as Villa’s defence looked less than solid.
Throughout the game Villa looked shaky at the back and Lowton, who has had some really good games of late, looking the shakiest. Vlaar, back from injury, was less than stellar also,
The game settled down, with Villa starting to grow into the game for a patch, then Reading getting a decent spell which culminated into a goal.
A tricky cross was deflected into Bakers path and the young defender sliced the ball into his own net for a horrific goal and the second game running a terrible defensive error gave a cheap goal away.
What left me scratching my head and perhaps it does other Villa fans too, was the seemingly “don’t worry we’ll get it back for you”, attitude the other Villa players seemed to show. They pinned Reading back for a full 3 minutes, taking Reading into a choke-hold before Weimann got to the bye line cut back for BENTEKE whose shot deflected in sending Stuart Taylor, in goal, the wrong way. Villa then went exactly back to the way they were playing before the opening goal. It is totally exasperating.
Just before the break, Villa finally got free of its own half and in a maturing display played keep away from Reading in midfield. You could tell the commentary team, though complimentary of Villa’s passing spell, were getting exasperated that there was a lack of movement from the forwards or probing passes by the midfielders. But, suddenly, when the time was right, Lowton, Scylla and Westwood combined well; Weimann made a great run down the right channel and was found. Next thing you know, the ball is in the box and the furthest forward player is Bannan and he is clipping a perfect shot into the corner of the net, except it didn’t! The ball bounced off the post instead and former Villan Taylor, showing why he never really made it better than a back up keeper scooped the ball into AGBONLAHORs’ path and the Villa man struck into the roof of the net like a true striker should.
No prizes to guess what the game plan would be in the second half! More patient build up and get behind the defence. However, early on Agbonlahor rushed a through ball when a bit more keep ball would have been the more prudent course.
Weimann missed good chances to extend Villa’s lead, while Reading was cutting through Villa’s defence with ease, but the finishing was woeful. Scylla hit a screamer of a shot, muck like Raphael’s goal vs QPR recently, but the shot was always rising. But, Villa was now playing the keep away fairly well and Reading didn't seem to realize that people have been saying all season if you give Villa time they can hurt you.
PL reversed his previous matches by not starting N’Zogbia and subbing him, but bringing him on as a sub instead and he played well in his time on the field, but missed a super chance to extend the lead and also wasted a decent free kick.
Villa held out though and Reading who have done well in the final 15 minutes of games became less effective as the match wore on.
Decent games by Guzan, Clark, Westwood, Scylla on his full debut, Bannan and Benteke. Pretty good by Baker, despite the own goal, Agbonlahor and Wemann and N’Zogbia, need better defensive performances by Vlaar and Lowton.