Reading FC boss on ‘two points dropped’ in Crawley Town tie.

Reading manager Noel Hunt saw the 1-1 draw with Crawley Town as ‘two points dropped’. The Royals drew 1-1 with Crawley after conceding an 89th-minute goal, squandering two crucial points in the play-off battle. The Royals extended their unbeaten run to eight games, but they failed to trouble the Red Devils in the second half, despite Rob Elliott’s side seeming destined for relegation to League Two. “We felt it was going to be a scrappy game,” Hunt stated after the tie. “I think we handled them effectively, keeping them out of the box until the last minute. We dropped too deep and were a little loose in terms of the first and second ball, allowing the cross come in. We’ve been so good in the last seven or eight games so I’m disappointed to not have the three points.

“We had moments in the second half from Billy, Mamadi, and Harvey with Jayden’s flick. Those pieces didn’t work for us, and in the end, with a youthful back four that was fantastic, they broke at the last minute.”

The lone obvious chance of the second half fell to Billy Bodin when custodian Joe Wollacott gifted the attacker the ball on the outskirts of the Crawley box, but the decision-making was poor, and the opportunity passed them by. “We’ve been doing well in two-v-ones and three-v-twos, moving the ball quickly. Hunt said, “It wasn’t there today.” With Wrexham coming up on Tuesday, the Royals may be six points out of the play-offs entering the last 11 games. “We’ll take the run, but it felt like two points were dropped. I think we accomplished enough to finish the game. We looked great defensively, but this was one of those instances when the subtleties matter. We got the structure right, but the cross comes in and he gets a touch in the box.”

Read more on sportupdates.co.uk