Match preview: Reading FC v Fleetwood Town

24 October 2023

Fleetwood Town travel to the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Tuesday night in Sky Bet League One action as they face Reading in what is Town’s first ever meeting with the Royals, in this preview we tell you everything you need to know ahead of the match.

Fixture: Reading FC v Fleetwood Town

Competition: Sky Bet League One

Date: Tuesday 24 October 2023

Kick-off: 20:00 (BST)

Venue: Select Car Leasing Stadium, Berkshire, RG2 0FL

Reading FC

Tuesday’s hosts sit just below Fleetwood in the table in 23^rd position, and would be desperate to shake off their winless run with a positive result against Town. The Royals - who are winless in five league games - are coming off the back of a 4-0 defeat to Charlton at The Valley only a few days ago, however, they come into the first of four consecutive home games in all competitions where all their three wins of this campaign have come at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

With Premier League experience in their manager Ruben Selles who was appointed as manager of the Berkshire side in early July, the Royals will be eager to climb the table and to revitalise the club in what has been a challenging period since their relegation from the Sky Bet Championship last Summer. Results haven’t been so kind to Reading so far in their new division, but with a 60% win percentage at home and ten points out of a possible 15 - they will welcome Lee Johnson’s side as a fair challenge.

In 2015, Reading faced Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in an FA Cup semi-final clash, but cruelly lost out on a FA Cup final due to an Alexis Sanchez brace, the second coming in the 106^th minute. the then Championship side would have no idea during that season that eight years later They would host Fleetwood Town, who were just getting comfortable in the third division following the Cods promotion from Sky Bet League Two.

THOSE WHO HAVE PLAYED FOR BOTH

There hasn’t been a plethora of players who have played at Highbury and the Select Car Leasing Stadium but there has been a handful who have represented the blue and white stripes of the hosts and also the red and white of Fleetwood.

Lewis Gibson: The most recent on this list is Lewis Gibson, the then Everton loanee joined the Cods on a temporary basis in January 2020 as he joined up with Joey Barton’s side where Gibson was part of a solid defensive unit alongside Harry Souttar and Callum Connolly and was part of Town’s play-off finishing side who unfortunately lost out to Wycombe 6-3 on aggregate.

Zak Jules: A product of Reading’s academy, Jules never broke into the Royal’s first team as he may of liked with three loans to Hemel Hempstead, Braintree and Motherwell before a permanent move to Shrewsbury Town in 2017 – no first team appearances for the Salop side meant five more loans between the leagues meant moving back south to MK Dons, who then loaned Jules to the Cods in 2022 under Simon Grayson – Jules made 20 appearances for the Cod Army and now plays for fellow League One side Exeter City.

Tarique Fosu: Fosu, another former member of Reading’s academy, came to the Fylde Coast for his first loan move of his senior career from Reading as he made his debut for Fleetwood in 2015 away to Peterborough United – the tricky forward would then score his first senior goal in a 5-1 win over Swindon Town. With a solid CV behind his back including 50 appearances for Brentford, 57 for Charlton and 20 for Stoke City, Fosu has had a taste of senior international football as he was capped for Ghana four times.

THE GAFFER'S THOUGHT ON THE MATCH

“I do believe massively in the squad and the talent, but if you haven’t got those dark arts to earn the yards then it’s going to be tough, any lost points are a missed opportunity, there’s no doubts about that - it’s not a million miles away, there are short comings and we must try to address them, can we go and beat Reading? Absolutely that is possible so that’s our next focus.

“We’re honest with ourselves, we’ll be honest in terms of reviewing our previous performance, there was shoots of positivity, particularly in the way we have controlled games but there needs to be more action, there needs to be more forward play – we’re just looking for that final piece of quality in the final third.”

KEY TICKETING DETAILS FOR READING FC

Prices for Onward Card holders both online and at the ticket office at Highbury:

Adults: £22

Seniors: £16

Under-25s: £13

Under-18s: £8

Under-13s: £6

Prices for non-Onward Card holders both online and at the ticket office at Highbury:

Adults: £27

Seniors: £19

Under-25s: £16

Under-18s: £11

Under-13s: £9

Travel/Coach information:

Coaches will be departing Highbury at 1pm on the day of the game, costing only £10 for Onward Card holders and £25 for non-Onward Card holders to make the journey down south.

Please note tickets go off-sale at 12pm on Tuesday the day of the game, but those who buy at Reading FC will pay the non-Onward Card holder price on the day.

WATCH TOWN LIVE ON IFOLLOW!

If you’re wanting a mid-week football fix and want to watch Lee Johnson’s side play in a 24,161 seated stadium, a few thousand short of the population of the whole of Fleetwood itself then there is a few ways to be part of the action as Town tick off a new stadium to play in with coverage from iFollow and BBC Radio Lancashire.

All audio and video passes available for UK and overseas fans – click HERE to buy your pass!

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Match Previews

Match Reports

Report: Town's first meeting with Reading ends in a dramatic win

24 October 2023

Fleetwood Town’s first-ever meeting with Reading ended in a 2-1 win at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Tuesday evening.

A strike you can only dream off kicked off the clash by defender Bosun Lawal opened the scoring, with Dom Ballard netting from two yards to cancel that in the second half, but the action wasn’t done there as an added time winner was found by Town skipper Josh Vela.

It was the start of dreams for Lee Johnson’s side as they found themselves a goal up less than two minutes into the game when Lawal decided to try his luck from range and the strike rifled into the bottom corner, marking his first professional goal in style.

It was almost two with the next chance of the game, which came in the 20^th minute when Josh Earl cut back onto his weaker foot but didn’t show that in the quality of the cross to Promise Omochere, whose diving header unluckily struck the outside of the post.

Not long after, the tension could have been cut with a knife as David Button was forced into a brilliant save to stop a deflected corner beating him at his far post. The clearance, however, only made its way to Earl on the edge whose shot was hit straight at the Royals’ stopper.

Further efforts from Jack Marriott – which stung the palms of the goalkeeper – and Danny Mayor were taken before the break with the Cods looking to extend their lead away from home, but they had had to stick with the one-goal lead come the referee’s whistle.

Jay Lynch’s only bits of action during the first half included an easy save after a shot from range, before having to stop a powerful effort from substitute Femi Azeez from inside the area in added time.

Town continued to look good after the break with Earl, Lawal, and Quitirna having chancers, but the hosts were left wondering how they weren’t level in the 50^th minute as a cross was put on a plate for Ballard five yards out, but he stepped on the ball instead of striking it.

The equaliser did come before the hour mark though and it was Ballard who made up for his earlier error as Smith dodged a challenge on the right, his cross was deflected into the path of Reading’s number nine two yards out, who poked the ball past Lynch to make it 1-1.

Some heroics were needed at the back ten minutes later, and Lawal felt the full force of a close-range strike as he blocked the effort with his face, the rebound was another issue as well as it fell to Charlie Savage, who struck the inside of the post from range.

After a barrage of changes from Johnson, the Cods went on the attack once again with Shaun Rooney’s looped effort going just over, Jayden Stockley’s shot flying wide of the mark, and Scott Robertson’s strike having to be blocked from the edge – all three players from the bench.

It looked destined to be a draw, with chances falling for both sides before the final whistle, but Vela came up trumps in added time as he smashed home an effort from inside the area – assisted by Kabongo Tshimanga and Stockley – to earn Town all three points!

Royals XI: Button (GK), Dean, Knibbs, Savage (Craig 86’), Ballard (Ehibatiomhan 71’), Smith, Guinness-Walker (Carson 86’), Bindon, Camara (Azeez 29’), Wing, Abbey (C).

Unused subs: Pereira (GK), Elliott, Rushesha.

Town XI: Lynch (GK), Wiredu, Lawal (Tshimanga 75’), Vela (C), Mayor (Rooney 60’), Marriott (Robertson 75’), Quitirna (Broom 60’), Heneghan, Omochere (Stockley 68’), Teale, Earl.

Unused subs: McMullan (GK), Patterson.

Match Reports

Ticket News

Last chance to grab your match ticket and coach travel to Reading

23 October 2023

Fleetwood Town will be making their way down to Berkshire on Tuesday evening for their first ever meeting with Reading FC.

The match against the Royals will kick-off at 8pm on Tuesday 24 October, and after both sides suffered a defeat in the league at the weekend, both bosses Ruben Selles and Lee Johnson will be hoping for a better result in down in Berkshire.

Town lost 1-0 at home to Lincoln on Saturday, with Reading losing 4-0 away at Charlton. Both currently sit in the bottom four with some calling it a six-pointer already at this stage of the season.

TICKET INFORMATION FOR READING FC

Supporters will be located in the South Stand on the evening of the game.

Price you'll pay if you show your Onward Card at the Ticket Office or online:

Adults - £22

Seniors - £16

Under-25s - £13

Under-18s – £8

Under-13s - £6

This is the price you'll pay without an Onward Card:

Adults - £27

Seniors - £19

Under-25s - £16

Under-18s – £11

Under-13s - £9

FULL COACH DETAILS

Coaches will be departing Highbury at 1pm, costing only £10 for Onward Card Holders and £25 for non-Onward Card Holders.

If you would like any more information regarding the ticket sales prices, or any other general enquiries, you can contact our ticket office at Highbury Stadium by ringing 01253 775080 or you can email info@fleetwoodtownfc.com. We will be open from 9am-5pm.