Bolton Wanderers 5-2 Reading: Masters Of Our Own Downfall

Harry’s take as a first half full of mistakes cost Reading dearly.

It’s been very easy this week to forget that we support a football team which plays football matches. With things in such dire straits off the pitch, on-the-pitch matters have become a secondary concern, rather trivial in fact. But nonetheless, it was a trip to Bolton Wanderers today.

Having been so engulfed in all things Reading FC, I hadn’t quite realised how difficult the hosts’ start to the season had been until I saw during the week that Ian Evatt was genuinely close to losing his job.

They got to the playoff final last season, and were the best team I saw us play by a long stretch - had it really got that bad?

Anyway, when you’re playing a team in that kind of situation, you know that an early goal, or at least starting positively, can get the home fans angsty. And as opponents you can capitalise on that - we only know that because we’ve been on the receiving end of it so many times.

However, instead of that, what we decided to do was the complete opposite. Adeboyejo charging down Mbengue’s attempted punt upfield from kick off was an omen for what was to come. Four or five 50/50 wins and countless sloppy losses of possession from Reading and the home crowd were right behind their team, and we were under the cosh.

This was a team that conceded four at home last time out, with pressure rising on the manager. You can’t let them start the game like we did.

The remainder of the first half was just littered with poor, schoolboy-standard defending. Whether or not it was a foul for the free kick that led to the opener doesn't really matter in my mind since Kelvin had about three chances to get the ball clear beforehand. The defending for the third was embarrassingly bad - like really bad. And then of course the two penalties, which were really needless fouls by the usually ever-reliant Bindon and Mbengue.

Bindon’s in particular was a huge kick in the teeth, after Elliott’s acrobatics had given us a way back into the game. The striker was going nowhere, and Bindon gave the referee a decision to make when there really was no need to - it was naive and effectively killed us off.

I’m not saying we didn’t deserve to be 4-1 down, because we absolutely did. But outside of those mistakes we actually didn't look horrendous. Campbell worked himself a couple of nice opportunities which he should’ve done better with, and we got the ball into some promising areas at times. But when you make mistakes like we did, you deserve to get punished.

For most teams, that late penalty in the first half would’ve been the final nail in the coffin. But we came out strongly in the second 45, and were the better team for large spells. Look, it’s easier to play with a bit of freedom when you’re losing heavily and I’m sure Bolton fans will come out say the game was won, they were just seeing out the win.

But, credit where it’s due. We stuck to our guns, continued playing the way we want to play, and kept Bolton honest. We even grabbed one back through yet another penalty, dispatched by Sam Smith.

Unfortunately it just wasn't enough, and the damage was already done. There were elements of it just not being our day as well: a few pinball moments in Bolton’s box that, on another day when things are going for you, fall to the right person - but today they just didn’t.

But we didn’t deserve to win today - not even close to it. It just always rankles that little bit more when the goals you concede are so avoidable. Don’t get me wrong Bolton are a better team than us. And in that first half the demonstrated that - but I have a feeling it was more of a case of us being all over the place, rather than them being all over us.

It’s weird coming away from a game where you’ve shipped five goals thinking that there was something out there for us if we just had a bit more calmness and maturity. But I genuinely believe there was. All four first half goals are avoidable - all of them. That’s the bit that stings the most.