Carlisle United 1-3 Reading: Three Little Goals, Three Little Points

A Sam Smith goal and Harvey Knibbs brace earned the Royals a vital win in Cumbria.

Away days in the north aren’t supposed to be fun.

Coming into today, no Reading fan had seen their team win a match beyond Birmingham - or even beyond Banbury - since November 12 2022, when (somewhat aptly) Big Geordie Andy Carroll struck late on to secure a 2-1 victory at Hull City. Until November 2023, that was our last away win of any kind (it’d be a stretch to describe High Wycombe as being “in the north”).

Narrow it down to also include impressive all-round performances in the north and you’ll have to go back to the heroic 2-1 at Bramall Lane in April of the same year. If you factor out narrow wins - those by just one goal - back to February 2020 you go: also a trip to the Steel City (3-0 against Sheffield Wednesday).

So Reading rarely win in the north and even more rarely do it convincingly.

Until today that is.

Reading weren’t absolutely perfect in this vital 3-1 victory at Carlisle United - there are aspects of the performance to nitpick about - but I don’t much care. This was a fun, deserved win played out in front of a bumper away end. Every little thing is gonna be alright, the 1,400 travelling fans belted out at various points today, and on today’s evidence it most certainly will. So don’t worry about a thing.

In the face of absolutely everything that’s been thrown at them - by Dai Yongge, by the EFL - this side keeps going. It hits back harder. And they have fun while doing so, playing - and winning - with a defiant swagger. I love this team, I really do.

The afternoon started with Ruben Selles making one change to the team that lost 3-2 to Shrewsbury Town, swapping Charlie Savage for Michael Craig. Although that particular alteration has typically meant the Royals going 4-1-4-1 rather than 4-2-3-1 (Craig can operate as a sole holding midfielder), on this occasion he was joined by Lewis Wing a double pivot.

Reading (4-2-3-1): Button; Yiadom, Mbengue, Bindon, Mola; Wing, Craig; Azeez, Knibbs, Ehibhatiomhan; Smith

Subs: Pereira, Abrefa, Dean (making a surprise reappearance after being out in the cold for so long), Savage, Elliott, Mukairu, Wareham

Reading were a little slow out of the traps, not playing badly in the first quarter of an hour or but without really firing on all cylinders. That changed soon after though. First Wing snatched the ball back in midfield and Harvey Knibbs played Sam Smith through, his finish agonisingly beating the ‘keeper but not the post.

A few minutes later, Smith had his goal. This time he was played in behind directly by Wing, artfully dinking the ball into space on the left. It was a fairly narrow angle but not too narrow for Smith, who slotted home with composure to put the Royals 1-0 up.

At this point Reading could have really done with putting their foot down, imposing themselves on the game properly to build on that opener. It didn’t quite happen though, until 20 minutes later when Andy Yiadom decided to take matters into his own hands.

It was vintage Yiadom. The Royals’ skipper surged down the right flank, burst into the box and then to the byline, before pulling the ball for Knibbs to convert from six yards out. A second incisive, well worked open-play goal of the afternoon.

Reading haven’t had enough of those in recent weeks and haven’t had enough involvement in them from Yiadom for a while, who before today hadn’t registered an assist of any kind since December 2022. More of the same again soon please, Andy.

The Royals had a few other sights of goal before the break, the clearest of them coming just moments before the referee blew his whistle for the interval. Knibbs turned provider once more, this time setting Azeez free in the left-side channel; Azeez’ left-footed finish eluded the goalkeeper but also the far post.

At half-time it was a matter of ‘so far, so good’. Reading had played fairly well and been ruthless in front of goal, and it was more than enough to start pulling clear of a poor Carlisle side that didn’t convincingly threaten. With 45 played, it looked an awful lot like there were more goals up for grabs in the second half. The game was there to be killed off.

And shortly before the hour mark, that’s pretty much what happened. Azeez got the ball back after his original corner was cleared, this time whipping in a particularly dangerous cross to the near post, met by Knibbs, who tucked it home for 3-0. Right in front of an absolutely delighted away end. Lovely stuff.

At that point you fancied Reading to grab a couple more goals, but beyond Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan cutting in and forcing a stop from the ‘keeper which squirmed agonisingly the wrong side of the post for a corner, the visitors’ momentum started to stall.

Carlisle on the other hand were gradually growing into the contest - too little, too late of course. Or rather three little, three late. They got particular joy down Reading’s right-hand side, putting in some crosses for the Royals to deal with, including one that was headed just wide.

It was a delivery from the other flank that spoiled David Button’s clean sheet though. He had no chance of stopping a close-range bullet header, set up by a free-kick delivery from the right wing.

Was a late comeback on? Hard evidence said no: Reading’s lead was still solid, the hosts hadn’t shown the required quality to amend the situation and anxiety didn’t set in for the Royals on the pitch. It did seem to in the away end though, with the atmosphere growing somewhat cagey for the 5-10 minutes or so after the goal.

Reading revived themselves after that however, gradually adding more control and attacking threat back into their play. Smith went close a couple of times: first a header (just wide) from Azeez’ cross, later a longer-range effort which was deflected for a corner. And, pleasingly, there wasn’t much more to be said about the game after that. Reading saw the contest out fairly comfortably, bar the odd semi-scare.

I never particularly enjoy looking at any game as a must-win, but this certainly was one. Reading simply had to get three points against the league’s bottom side, despite everything that’s happened recently, despite yet another points deduction. But the Royals got the job done, in style too, and as a reward are five clear of the relegation zone.

A great afternoon all round, and one that was particularly sweet as so many were there to see it. Reading’s travelling support has been terrific all season, but 1,400 or so fans heading up to the furthest-possible away ground to follow a team in a relegation battle, one that doesn’t often win away, was next level. Some stayed overnight, some flew up, some had a mega day of going there and back on the day (I left the flat at 7.30am and should be back in South London after 10pm, Avanti permitting).

Yes, a decent amount of that backing will have been driven by the unique nature of this fixture: a rare chance to do a particularly long away-day journey. But while there’s a clear pride and defiance among the players, the same must be said of the supporters too, those intent on putting the miles in to play their part.