Frustration for Hunt as Carl nets at both ends

By Stephen Serpent

READING 1

Piergianni 49 (og)

Pereira 7, Abrefa 6, Yiadom 6 (Holzman 76, 6), Bindon 6, Garcia 6 (Rushesha 75, 6), Knibbs 6, Wing 6, Savage 6 (Carroll 90+7), Campbell 6 (Akande 88), Wareham 6 (Camara 76, 6), Ehibhatiomhan 6. Subs not used: Button, Bodin.

STEVENAGE 1

Piergianni 60

Cooper 6, Freeman 6 (Freestone 44, 6), Goode 6, Piergianni 7, Butler 6, Thompson 6 (White 85, 6), King 7, Roberts 7 (Appere 90+6), Kemp 7, Reid 6 (List 90+6), Hanlan 6 (Young 84, 6). Subs not used: Ashby-Hammond, Sweeney.

Att: 13,984 Rating: ★★★★★ Ref: Lee Swabey 6/10

NOEL Hunt admitted to being frustrated at what he perceived were Stevenage’s time-wasting tactics in this tame draw.

Boro skipper Carl Piergianni scored for both sides with headers, giving Reading the lead in the 49th minute but then atoning for his error in similar style 11 minutes later. Reading, two points outside the play-off places, are unbeaten in ten matches, but manager Hunt said: “From our point of view, it was a really frustrating match.

“Stevenage came here to just slow the game down. That got us frustrated, the game was stop-start and we never really got into any rhythm throughout.

“Everything seemed to take an age to do. To be fair, Stevenage are probably happy to go away with a point.”

Neither side impressed in a scrappy opening, but Brandon Hanlan wasted a good opportunity for the visitors, racing through alone only to slice his attempt woefully wide.

Boro top scorer Dan Kemp could have notched his 11th goal of the season from a deep Jordan Roberts cross, but his firm volley was superbly saved by Reading keeper Joel Pereira.

Reading’s attacking threat in the first period had proved non-existent but they gratefully accepted Piergianni’s gift in the 49th minute, when he inexplicably nodded home at the near post from a Charlie Savage corner.

On the hour, though, Piergianni made amends, meeting a fine cross from Kemp with a header that crept in past a scrambling Pereira. Jordan Roberts almost won it for Stevenage but his fierce 20-yard drive late on flashed just wide.

Hunt added: “Our boys put in a real shift with plenty of grafting and grinding, and we can never fault that.”

Stevenage are 13th in the table, and Boro manager Alex Revell said. “To come here and be disappointed with a draw probably says everything about our performance.

“We had 19 shots away from home compared to Reading’s seven and I thought that we had enough chances to win the game.

“We conceded a poor goal that we shouldn’t have allowed to happen but we had some really good bits of play.

“Once I get home and reflect on it, it was a really good performance.

“But after they’d scored, we dominated the game. I’m disappointed because these are the types of games you want to be competing in and we want to be in that top group.”