U23s REPORT: READING 2

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U23s REPORT: READING 2 - 1 BURNLEY

Clarets suffer defeat at Select Car Leasing Stadium to Royals

2022-03-14T20:58:04.658Z

U23s REPORT: READING 2 - 1 BURNLEY

Clarets suffer defeat at Select Car Leasing Stadium to Royals

2022-03-14T20:58:04.658Z

Clarets suffer defeat at Select Car Leasing Stadium to Royals

Burnley suffered disappointment in their first Premier League 2 Division 2 action for nearly two months with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Reading.

Goals for Mamadi Camara and Rashawn Scott gave the Royals their win with Dara Costelloe continuing his fine scoring run for the Clarets.

Joel Connolly made his first start for the development squad in over 18 months after a long injury lay-off. Midfielder Anthony Gomez Mancini also returned with his first start since December. Defender Dan Sassi made his first league start for the U23s.

Seven of the Royals starting line up have featured in the Reading first team including Croatian international Alen Halilovic who was at Birmingham City last season.

After a tight opening quarter of the game, Guinea-Bissau-born striker Camara got the first goal after 25 minutes when he picked up the ball and ran towards the Burnley box before firing low past Lukas Jensen.

Burnley were level a minute before the break. With the Reading defence badly exposed, Gomez Mancini broke away on the right wing and slid the ball inside for Costelloe, who calmly took a touch, swivelled and fired the ball past James Holden in the Reading goal. It was the seventh goal of the season for the former Galway United forward.

Lewis Richardson had a chance to give Burnley the lead eight minutes into the second half but his fierce shot went narrowly wide.

Ten minutes into the second half Reading were back in the lead when Connolly was adjudged to have fouled Kian Leavy when he was through on goal. Scott clinically converted from the penalty spot”sending the ball down the middle.

Burnley were close to an equaliser when Costelloe’s excellent cross just evaded Richardson’s head eight yards from goal. Almost immediately Burnley had an appeal for a penalty turned down when Ben Woods looked to be clipped in the box when he was ideally placed to finish Richardson’s fine cut back.

Burnley committed men forward in the search for an equaliser and Nahum Melvin-Lambert hit the post with six minutes left.

Ne-Jai Tucker went close with a late free-kick from 30 yards that was just too high. Burnley’s search for their first league win of 2022 continues. Reading’s win allowed them to climb off the bottom of the table.

Next up for the young Clarets is a trip to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland next Monday (7pm)

Reading: Holden, Sackey, Thomas, Abbey (Holzman), Samuels: Halilovic, Senga, Leavy (Ashcroft), Scott, Melvin-Lambert, Camara.

Subs: Boyce-Clarke, Talent-Aryeetey, Purcell.

Burnley:** Jensen: Connolly (H.Williams), Sassi, Nartey, Armstrong: Gomez Mancini, Helm, Woods, Tucker: Richardson (Unwin), Costelloe.

Subs: L.Thomas, Gallagher-Allison.