Eastleigh 2-4 Reading XI

EASTLEIGH v READING XI
Saturday 11th August 2012

Pre-Season Friendly

Match report by Jamie Montigue

Just a week before the new league season gets under way, Eastleigh closed their pre-season preparations with a friendly at home to a Reading XI featuring experienced Premier League left-back Nicky Shorey and midfielder Jem Karacan.

The Spitfires made just one change from the side that beat Oxford United 2-0 in midweek with Glen Southam replacing the injured Mark Hughes in midfield.

Eastleigh led by captain Daryl McMahon, made a bright start to the game with the first chance of note seeing Craig McAllister's attempted shot on goal sail comfortably over the bar.

With less than ten minutes played, MOSES ADEMOLA put the Spitfires 1-0 ahead to score his third goal of the summer. Ademola pounced on a defensive error from young defender Jake Cooper, who slipped up; before firing into the net despite Sean Morrison's best efforts to clear off the line.

Two minutes after the goal an excellent cross from the left by Southam was met by a fine downward header from Tom Jordan that went just the wrong side of the post as Eastleigh threatened to double their lead early in the game.

The impressive goal scorer Ademola had an excellent afternoon showing trickery on the ball, strength and pace in a good all-round performance from the ex-Woking forward. His ball over the top of the Reading defence so nearly fell for McAllister, but Cooper made an important interception to bring the attack to a halt.

In an opening half that Eastleigh controlled for the majority, McMahon’s lofted cross-shot then had to be dealt with in the air by goalkeeper Joe Henly.

Ian Baird's side troubled Henly's goal once more and there was still only 17 minutes on the clock when Ademola and Marvin Williams combined to tee up a shot for Southam on the edge of the area. Southam's powerful first time strike flew narrowly wide of the post.

Daryl McMahon then dragged a shot wide of goal before TOM JORDAN found the net in the 24th minute to give Eastleigh a healthy two-goal lead. Jai Reason's quickly taken free-kick saw the ball chipped delicately into the path of Jordan, who had made an excellent run to free himself of any marker. The towering centre half showed all the guile and prowess of a striker with a lovely flick towards goal to beat the keeper.

Marvin Williams’ pace saw him get to a loose ball in a dangerous position ahead of the Reading defence, where he beat the keeper by lifting the ball over the advancing Henly, only to see his effort go behind for a goal kick.

As the half wore on, McAllister had the ball in the back of the net for Eastleigh but the flag was already up for offside.

Eleven minutes before the break, a cross from the left by Michael Green found Reason unmarked - though his free header went off target.

Despite Eastleigh seemingly in control and having a spell of numerous corners in the closing minutes of the first half, it was Reading who struck on the stroke of half time to put the game in the balance.

Charlie Losasso set up JAKE TAYLOR who worked room for a shot and slammed the ball past Jack Dovey from 18 yards to find the corner of the goal.

HALF TIME: Eastleigh 2-1 Reading XI

Eastleigh's first change of the game saw Adam Everitt replace Andy Forbes in the centre of defence. Forbes had another good game winning a lot of headers and aerial battles throughout the first half.

It was a slow start to the second half for both sides and wasn't until the 59th minute that either keeper was troubled.

AARON TSHIBOLA, a second half substitute for Reading, popped up with a well struck equaliser to fire an unstoppable shot past Dovey from outside the area to level things up at 2-2, after Karacan's path to goal was blocked.

A double substitution from Eastleigh followed with Moses Ademola and Craig McAllister being replaced by Chris Flood and Lee Peacock just past the hour mark.

Mitchell Nelson saw his shot deflected through to the Reading keeper Henly in the 64th minute, whilst an excellent save from Jack Dovey denied Charlie Losasso from point blank range on 70 minutes.

The visitors finished the game strongly with Sean Morrison heading over the bar from a Nicky Shorey corner. Reading had been the better side during the second half and took a 73rd minute lead having come from two goals behind to go 3-2 ahead.

CRAIG TANNER got himself in between Dovey and Adam Everitt and punished a moment of hesitancy between the Eastleigh pair by getting to the ball first to the left of goal before squeezing a shot inside the post and into the unguarded goal.

Within a matter of minutes CRAIG TANNER was on hand to scramble the ball over the line for his second and Reading’s fourth goal of the game after Losasso's shot was too hot to handle and parried by Dovey.

A couple of defensive mistakes in a spell of five minutes left Eastleigh in disarray and there was to be no way back from the 2-4 score line.

Corey King came on for Marvin Williams with a quarter of an hour or so to play.

Tshibola fired comfortably over the bar with ten minutes remaining and two-goal Tanner was the the next to come close for the visitors as the clock ran down.

Eastleigh’s man of the match was Moses Ademola who put in a strong performance in attack for the Spitfires.

Eastleigh will take heart from their first half display which was full of positives and take those into next week's Blue Square Bet South season opener away at Boreham Wood.

FULL TIME: Eastleigh 2-4 Reading XI

Eastleigh v Reading - 11.08.12