Our under-21s made it back-to-back wins with an impressive victory over Reading F.C. at Select Car Leasing Stadium on Monday night.
Goals from Evan Mooney, Andre Harriman-Annous, Ceadach O’Neill and an own goal sealed a commanding performance on the road.
WHAT HAPPENED
We started brightly and almost took the lead after five minutes when some brilliant play between Ceadach O’Neill and Evan Mooney led to the latter getting a shot away, but Harrison Rhone produced a sharp save down to his right.
Chances continued to come our way around the half-hour mark, with Andre Harriman-Annous seeing an effort well parried by Rhone after some neat build-up play.
The breakthrough arrived in spectacular fashion as Mooney, who recently joined from St Mirren, spotted the goalkeeper off his line and, from just beyond the halfway line, sent an audacious strike into the back of the net to score his first goal in Arsenal colours.
Our lead was doubled shortly after the restart when Harriman-Annous picked up possession on the left, shifted inside onto his right foot and bent a superb finish into the far corner.
It was three moments later, with Marcell Washington delivering an inviting cross that O’Neill met sweetly on the volley, guiding his effort into the far corner.
Reading pulled one back when Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan played in Jerae Jones, who fired into the roof of the net.
However, we quickly restored our three-goal cushion, as Demiane Agustien’s free-kick was inadvertently headed into his own net by Reading captain Philip Duah, which sealed a top performance away from home.
WHAT IT MEANS
The victory lifts us to eighth place in Premier League 2, with 25 points from 14 games.
WHAT’S NEXT
We return to Mangata Developments Stadium on Friday, February 27, when we host Ipswich Town.
Kick-off is scheduled for 7pm (UK time).
TEAM NEWS
Reading XI: Rhone, Osho, Abrefa, Rinomhota (Bowdery, 82), Duah, Sackey, Jones (Barough, 82), Howard (Harrison, 65). Ehibhatiomhan, Hicks, Coke-Miles-Smith (Evans, 65)
Subs not used: Welland
Arsenal XI: Porter, Dixon (Ogunnaike, 83), Clarke, Salmon, Washington, Ibrahim, Julienne, Agustien (Stevens, 79,), Mooney, O’Neill (Bailey-Joseph, 87), Harriman-Annous (Marciniak, 79)
Subs not used: Ranson
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