90 more minutes and Reading City will return to the FA Youth Cup First Round after beating neighbours Thatcham Town 2-0 at Waterside Park on Monday night.
Goals from captain Luke Butcher and Jakub Zmijewski sealed passage for Reading who play their league football as JMA Reading in the National Football Youth League.
The Cityzens have twice made the FA Youth Cup First Round Proper, in 2019/20 and 2021/22. In 21/22 they went on to the Second Round, eventually being knocked out by Oxford United, the same side that beat them in 19/20.
Reading will be looking to make up for lost time, last season they were removed from the competition for fielding an ineligible player in their game against Cove.
At the time, manager Michael Butcher said: “We’re devastated for the second years because some of those boys will now never get to play in the FA Youth Cup again.”
One huge carrot for the Cityzens this season will surely be the possibility of a First Round meeting with their professional counterparts Reading FC, who will come into the tournament at that stage following the men’s first team’s drop into EFL League One.
There are still Berkshire representatives yet to play in the FA Youth Cup Second Qualifying Round with Hungerford Town playing host to Basingstoke Town, Slough Town at Berkhamstead and Maidenhead United at Tring Athletic.
FA Youth Cup Third Round Qualifying matches are due to be played on the week of Monday 16th October 2023.
