Emmanuel Osho scored a late winner as Reading inflicted a third consecutive defeat on Fulham under 18s this afternoon.
The narrow defeat was particularly harsh on Fulham goalkeeper Dino Kaiser, who had pulled off several outstanding saves despite his defence coming under unrelenting pressure from the Royals – especially in the second half. Fulham’s number one began his busy afternoon with good save at his near post to keep out an effort from Ashqar Ahmed.
The home side should have taken the lead shortly afterwards but an unmarked Philip Duah headed wide from four yards out despite being in acres of space at the back post. Kaiser then improvised quickly – utilising his feet to block a low effort from Kiyan Coke Miles Smith.
Fulham sprung into life just before the break when their best outfield player, Scottish striker Brodie Dair, fashioned two openings for himself. James Sharlott raced off his line to narrow the angle when Dair found himself through after a defensive mistake and the former St. Johnstone star was inches away from nodding Fulham into an undeserved half time lead when his glancing header from the ensuing corner flew fractionally wide.
Tom Wingate spurned the visitors’ best opportunity of the afternoon in the final minute of the first half – shooting wide after being one-on-one with Sharlott having been played in by a perceptive pass of play from Macaulay Zepa. The Reading goalkeeper easily dealt with a deflected shot from Farhaan Ali-Wahid fifteen minutes into the second half, but the rest of the afternoon saw the hosts pile the pressure on the Fulham defence.
Reading dominated possession and territory but it looked for a long time as if they wouldn’t be able to find a way past Kaiser. Verrell George failed to get any kind of useful connection to a flick on from a free-kick right in front of goal, but the Fulham number one then excelled himself by diving full length to tip over a venomous strike from Tyler Sackey that seemed destined for the top corner.
Osho eventually came up with the winner seven minutes from time when he lashed a lovely finish past the stranded Fulham keeper from Kai Source’s unselfish pass after the Royals had patiently worked the ball across the visitors’ eighteen yard area.
The young Whites will look to bounce back from their miserable run of form when they visit West Ham United on Saturday.
READING UNDER 18s:Â Sharlott; Neptune (George 68), Source, Duah, Harrison; Booth (Bowdery 90+1), Howard, Coke-Miles-Smith (Saint-Louis 76), Sackey, Ahmed, Osho. Subs (not used): Zie, Welland.
BOOKED: Source.
FULHAM UNDER 18s (4-2-3-1): Kaiser; Walters, Picotto (Hall 87), Schutter (Taylor 77), Cooke; Chingwaro, Khan; Zepa, Ali-Wahid (Grant 63), Wingate; Dair. Subs (not used): Mayer.
BOOKED: Zepa, Cooke.
REFEREE: Jordan McRitchie.
