U18s gain Royals draw
AFC Bournemouth
- Attendance:
- 0
The under-18s levelled late on to claim a 2-2 draw in a topsy turvy pre-season friendly with Reading on Saturday.
Lewis Brown netted after half an hour with a left-footed strike from the edge of the box, Marcus Daws also hitting the crossbar as the Cherries came close to extending their lead.
Reading pulled level from the penalty spot with 20 minutes to go and took the lead with what looked likely to be a winner in the 86th minute through a header from a cross.
However, the Cherries struck back even later and equalised when Daws finished from a Daniel Adu-Adjei cut back in the 90th minute.
Speaking to afcb.co.uk, Alan Connell spoke about a range of positives from the match as well as where he's looking for his players to continue their development.
"I was very pleased with the first half performance, we had a real intensity and aggression about our play, in possession I thought we controlled the game and created some really good openings and took a well-deserved lead.
"In the second half Reading grew into the game and started to gain more possession. We defended quite well generally but in those moments when we were under pressure I still want more from the players to withstand those moments, but that will come with continued work.
"When we went 2-1 behind so late in the game it looked like we would rue the missed opportunities that we'd had at 1-0 up.
"The boys' character and fitness levels shone through with Daniel pressing high to win the ball and eventually finding Marcus with a composed pass, Marcus continuing his goalscoring form with three in three.
"It was good for Owen Bevan to get 90 minutes back with us. As captain he performed well and showed maturity, we saw the benefit he's had in recent times from training and playing with the first team during pre-season.
"It was a really good day, against high quality opposition and we look forward now to Crystal Palace away on Tuesday."