NOONECHRONICLESTHEACTIONBETTERTHANUS AS RELEGATION FIGHT PERSISTS BUMPER CROWD EXPECTED WITH SCHOOLS GIVEAWAY

READING FC will welcome thousands of young fans to the Select Car Leasing Stadium this weekend in the club’s latest schools and grassroots ticket giveaway.

The Royals will be hoping to host a bumper crowd in what will be Noel Hunt’s first game in charge of the team after taking charge until the end of the campaign with the side in vital need of points.

The club has run the campaign all throughout the season to give young children from schools and teams across the county the chance to watch live football.

The scheme has been a resounding success and has cheered the team on to three wins from three with victories over Huddersfield Town in October, Coventry City in December and Blackpool in February.

Tyrese Fornah tackles Tahith Chong earn three points on Friday Pictures: Steve

The final scheme of the campaign will see 11 groups offered the chance to win prizes.

The lucky winners will be given a batch of tickets for Reading v Wigan, a mascot place at a future match and a signed Reading FC football.

The 11 winners will be announced at halftime during the Burnley game on Saturday.

Mbengue quickly after the restart, but weren’t able to convert it into a chance as Hendrick was unable to make a connection.

Carroll tried his luck with an optimistic effort from 25 yards that drifted low and was a simple enough take for Ruddy.

Some excellent work on the right from Meite to beat his marker and send a drilled cross to the back post ended with the chance going begging with no Royals player in the box to profit.

The Blues had their own penalty appeals denied by the referee when Jutkiewicz went down under the challenge of Mbengue after Fornah

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had given the ball away cheaply. Lumley came to his team’s rescue to prevent Birmingham from snatching the lead after Chong sped past the Royals backline with the Royals keeper needing to stay firm at his front post to keep him out.

Ince’s first switch of the game with 20 minutes to go saw Femi Azeez replace Fornah on the left. With results going against Reading, they dropped down into the relegation places after being overtaken by Cardiff City and Huddersfield Town.

Next up for Reading is an Easter Monday trip away at Preston North End with the Royals needing points to try and overtake 21st place QPR. After a change in referee which saw Jeremy Simpson replace the injured Scott Oldham, there were also changes among the players as Nesta Guinness-Walker took Meite’s place.

After a goalmouth scramble following a corner kick, Carroll was unable to keep his shot on target and smacked wide with a whole host of bodies in the way.

Substitute Azeez came a matter of inches from giving Reading the lead when his volley dropped a couple of inches past Ruddy’s far post, but time was up and the points shared.

Hunt Takes Reins As Royals Host League Leaders

READING FC face a precarious task when they host league leaders and champions elect Burnley on Saturday.

The Royals, who are in 22nd place in the Championship, are in desperate need of points to try and drag themselves out of the mire in the final five games of the campaign.

A last minute loss to Preston leaves the side one point from safety after relegation rivals Huddersfield Town and QPR picked up a point each on Monday.

The game will be Noel Hunt’s first in charge after Paul Ince’s contract as manager was terminated on Tuesday.

Reading face one of the trickiest tasks of the season when they take on already promoted Burnley this weekend.

Vincent Kompany’s team ensured they made an instant return to the Premier League after last season’s relegation when they confirmed promotion last week with a win over Middlesbrough.

The Clarets have been in scintillating form all season and dispatched of closest challengers Sheffield United on Monday night with a 2-0 victory.

They lead the Championship by 14 points and have six games left to play having accumulated 90 points in 40 games.

Burnley will have their sights set on taking Reading’s Championship record of 106 points which they achieved in the 2005/06 season.

Kompany’s men will need to pick up 17 points from a possible 18 in their remaining matches to surpass Reading’s total.

Burnley have lost just two games all season on their way to achieving promotion back to the top flight.

However, when the team’s met at Turf Moor in October, it was a much closer contest than many might have expected. n For more information, visit: https://www. readingfc.co.uk/news/2023/april/11/schoolsgrassroots-competition-11-prizes-burnley/ Reading FC fans

Tom Ince scored in the 56th minute to put Reading in front before Manuel Benson levelled the game 10 minutes later.

Paul Ince was left fuming with the referee after he denied Reading what looked like a clear penalty in the dying moments of the game when Tom Ince was tripped in the box.

To compound Reading’s misery, Burnley went down the other end and snatched a 94th minute winner through Anass Zaroury.

Heading into a tense final five games of the season, the Royals will need all of the support they can possibly muster to try and escape from relegation trouble.

Reading sit in 22nd position, a point behind both Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City with their future in the Championship in major doubt.

After the club decided to terminate Paul Ince’s contract after the late defeat at Preston, Royals fan favourite and former striker Hunt has been tasked with the job of trying to keep the team in the league.

Hunt now prepares his team to face a Burnley side who are at the top of the table having already won promotion back to the Premier League.

The Clarets now need just four more points to confirm their status as league champions and are also hunting down Reading’s record of 106 points in a season that was achieved in 2005/06.