Reading YMCA and Theale shared the spoils in a game high on incident but short on quality.
YM were missing a host of players including striker Sam Jennings who was making his kickboxing debut that evening in Wokingham. Theale were able to field a strong line up and the Young Men were anticipating a tough battle.
YM looked sluggish in the opening exchanges but did force the ball into the net when Jon Finnieston flicked on a free-kick only for the offside Tristam Dennis to tap in on the goaline when in an offside position. Theale were well on top though with Chris Bark impressive in the lone striker role and Rieo Francis was also a threat down the left hand side.
Both Bark and Francis hit the post before a harmless looking cross was missed by Dennis allowing Bark to pivot and slam a shot into the roof of the net. Gradually YM began to get a grip of the Theale attacks but Theale continued to pass the ball more precisely and look the more threatening. Then, against the run of play, wide man Rob Lee made space and delivered a superb cross into the box leaving top scorer Johnny Adey to head into the net.
The teams looked to be going into the break on level terms but Bark managed to get past Dennis only for covering defender Mark Lemm to scythe him down on the corner of the box and conceeding a penalty. Skipper Dan Donegan cooly slotted home.
YM switched to 4-4-2 after the break with Mandeep Nangla coming on to make his 1st team debut after the withdrawal of flu victim Lee. Nangla made an immediate impression and was twice brought down on the edge of the box after mazy runs. At the other end Theale's Koroma was proving a real handful and would have put his team out of sight if he could have finished some excellent individual runs.
YM then managed to string together a decent move that ended with Adey drilling in a cross that was dummied by Drew Tipper allowing Finnieston to side foot home.
Both sides were taking turns to attack with both defences having an uncomfortable afternoon the rare exception being YM keeper Chris Rackley who was having an inspired afternoon saving several times at the feet of Koroma and then flying full length to tip over a Bark volley destined for the top corner. It was as good a goalkeeping display as you will see at this level and certainly a level above anything else on display.
The game then appeared to have swung in YM's favour when another Nangla run was thwarted by Dan Dudman who was shown a second yellow card and from the resulting free-kick Tipper thundered home a shot past keeper Compton to give his side a 3-2 lead.
With 15 minutes left and Theale down to 10 men, YM were clear favourites but Theale showed tremendous resolve and battered the YM goal for the remainder of the match with only Rackley and the woodwork denying Theale 3 points but they were able to snatch an equalizer when Koroma headed into the net from a corner.
LEMMY'S MOM: CHRIS RACKLEY |
