A clinical Jack Marriott double condemned Notts County to a 2-0 defeat at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on Saturday. The result extends a difficult start to the League One season for the Magpies, who now sit 16th in the standings with just seven points from their opening six matches.
Marriott broke the deadlock just four minutes after the restart, finishing from close range after a move involving Haydon Roberts. The striker then sealed the points for the hosts in the 72nd minute, latching onto a lofted pass from Kyreece Lisbie to double Reading's advantage. The home side's victory was their third consecutive league win on their own ground.
A familiar pattern
For Notts County, the performance followed a familiar and frustrating pattern. Having seen their unbeaten start ended by a 1-0 home loss to Bradford City in midweek, they arrived in Berkshire hoping to stabilise. Their recent form now shows they have failed to win 17 of their last 19 matches in League One. Manager Martin Paterson had set his side up in an expected 3-4-2-1 shape, but they struggled to create clear chances before falling behind. Once Marriott scored his first, the visitors were forced to come out of their half more, leaving spaces that Reading exploited for the killer second goal.
With seven goals scored and seven conceded this campaign, finding a cutting edge remains a clear issue for a team that will need to check its stats for solutions.
Reading's control
Reading managed the game effectively after taking the lead. Technical area staff member Leam Richardson was seen instructing winger Kyreece Lisbie to 'track back', a tactical tweak that helped nullify any Notts County threat. The hosts' player ratings reflected their dominance, with Marriott earning a man-of-the-match mark of 8 for his decisive contribution. Lisbie and midfielder Andy Rinomhota also received high scores of 7 for their influential displays.
In contrast, Notts County's goalkeeper had a quiet first half but was involved in a concerning moment, taking a nasty fall that created what was described as "an actual genuine goalkeeper injury timeout," adding to the club's injuries concerns.
The focus for Paterson and his squad now turns immediately to halting this slide. They return to Meadow Lane next Saturday, September 26, to face a Blackpool side currently positioned 10th in the table, a key match in the upcoming fixtures. With just one league win so far, the importance of that home fixture has been amplified by this latest setback on the road.
First reported at The Tilehurst End
Reading manager Leam Richardson criticised his side's start but praised their in-game improvement in the 2-0 win. "I didn't think we started the game very well," Richardson told reporters. "But then I thought we finished the first half really strongly and took that into the second half." The result moved Reading up to eighth in League One. For Notts County, the defeat leaves them 20th in the table with seven points from seven games.
