Reading’s final home game of the season ended in defeat at the hands of a Brentford side with an outside chance of reaching the play-offs. Having conceded a sloppy goal early in the game the Royals huffed and puffed but once again could not convert any of their numerous chances in goals. To make matters worse the visitors added a second goal from a routine set piece midway through the second half. Reading have now only won one of their last nine home league games scoring a mere three goals whilst conceding twelve.

In spite a recent of poor results at home, the recent memory of a stirring performance at Wembley and confirmed Championship status generated a positive mood at the Madjeski. A large contingent of Brentford fans helped to create a good atmosphere with both sets of fans in good voice. The latest experiment with personnel saw Reading line up in a 4-1-4-1 with Norwood returning to play in front of the back four and Robson-Kanu as a lone striker. Reading started brightly creating at least half a dozen clear chances in the opening fifteen minutes. McCleary shot straight at Button. Chalobah glanced a header just wide and struck a shot over without any conviction. Robson-Kanu swung his leg at a cross and missed the ball completely, and when the ball fell to McCleary he lashed his shot over the bar with his weaker left foot. In the middle of all this action Brentford worked their way up field and were allowed to cross to the near post where Judge outwitted Hector to score from close range. Undeterred Reading pressed forward urged on by the home fans. A good ball found Mackie cutting in from the right with a clear sight of goal but, in going for power, lost accuracy and sliced his shot wide. With hindsight he might have played the ball across the goal, but Mackie is always direct and positive and not blighted with his colleagues’ reluctance to shoot.

The game became tedious and scrappy as Brentford tried to slow the game down with some absurdly blatant time-wasting for which Button was finally booked. Hector continued his run of good form looking very composed on the ball and winning the ball with relative ease, but this did not help Reading to find the elusive equaliser.

Brentford came out in more positive mood for the second half and put Reading on the back foot. Gray went past Pearce and Hector through the middle and it required a good save with his feet by Federici to keep Reading in the game. Chalobah poked the ball in a minute later but everyone knew it was offside. With so much swapping around between Mackie and McCleary the attack often lacked width and Gunter found himself alone wide on the right. He produced a good cross on the hour but it was well defended as Robson-Kanu stretched to meet it. Bretford were much sharper in the attacking third with and Reading’ defending was desperate at times resulting both Obita and McCleary receiving a yellow card for crudely grabbing their man as they were left trailing in their wake. From the resulting free form McCleary’s foul Reading were punished with a second Brentford goal. A good ball knocked in was poorly defended and Tarkowski headed past Federici. Cox and Stacey replaced McCleary and Chalobah. Both had chances to score. Stacey’s heavy touch saw the ball run away from him and Cox dispossessed a Brentford centre back but hit his shot straight at Button. It seemed unlikely Reading were going to end their dismal run of scoreless games. In fact if could have been far worse as Toral’s shot was touched onto the post by Federici and a final save from Judge in stoppage time.

It was too much for the majority of Reading fans who had left long before Federici came out to receive his well-deserved Player of the Season award and see the team lap the pitch with their youngsters to thank everyone for their loyal support. I suppose the few that remained deserved their thanks and may well be the few likely to immediately renew their season tickets.

It has not been a good season for a squad which has clearly under-achieved. Brentford providing an excellent example of what can be achieved with relatively limited resources in their first season back in the Championship. There have been far too many changes this season. Adkins did not know what he was doing and Steve Clarke has spent half the season trying (unsuccessfully) to find the best permutation of his squad. The inability for Robson-Kanu to fulfil a role he clearly is not suited to this afternoon underlines the desperate need for a genuine goalscorer to give the team a chance of winning games. There will probably be several changes this summer. Surely things can only get better.
John Wells

We looked fine between both boxes but awful in front of both goals. To be fair to the defenders there is a lot of pressure on them when the strikers can't give us goals to relieve that pressure.

Baffling how we can be brave enough to play 4-4-2 against Arsenal at Wembley but so afraid of Brentford at home that we play one up front (and when the one is HRK that might as well be none).

Federici and Williams did well, we need to forget about Guthrie/Norwood type midfielders because they just disrupt our flow so much. Cox crying out for a start and then totally messing up the chance he got just sums this entitled squad, who think far too much of themselves, up.
Sandman

Pearce returning to form with his lack of pace,decision making and flat footed behaviour-not exactly doing himself favours in the contract renegotiating stakes.

Hector has moments of real class and is clearly one to watch but still gets himself in tangles when clearing it, just head it out!

McCleary an absolute shadow of his former self, a player I really admire but approaching 29 have we seen his peak here given his injuries? Williams and feds by far the stand out players, hrk needs to be let go as does Blackman - the most fake wingers/strikers I have seen at RFC, embarrassing.

Gunter is ridulously safety first and has almost withdrawn himself on the pitch in the last ten or so league games I have seen him play-good idea to sign him up again?!

Obita clearly found out at left back. ,never gets tight to his man and first goal his fault. I feel for him as his natural position is left wing but his confidence has Been severely dented. Chalobah v disappointing and I can't see Norwood forcing his way into next seasons plans....

So many holes to plug but where to start, especially if we can't even get rid of those still under contract who clearly aren't up to it.
holsgrove breaks a leg

This game and the Birmingham game were similar in the that we we played some decent football at times with no end product.

Sign up the Brentford manager is what I say, as I think he would be a great fit for us.

I like Clarke and he hasn't been given enough time but his experience is with stop quality youngsters at Chelsea and Liverpool etc.

With the budget we are likely to have in the summer, we need a manager who knows the Championship and can gel a side together with what we have, maybe some of the Brentford players, and with a couple of premiership youngsters on loan.
blythspartan