[themaclad]

Reading boss Paul Ince told BBC Radio Berkshire:

"[We were] lethargic, knackered, tired. There was not much between the two teams, it was a dour game, boring to be honest. Half-time it was 0-0 and I thought one goal was going to win it.

"I told the players 'it's our last game at home for four weeks, we're losing balls unopposed in the middle of the park with sloppy passing', our decision making was horrendous. That wasn't the team we saw on Tuesday.

"Are they tired? Of course they're tired, they've had three games in six days and it's the same players being asked to do that. Is that an excuse? Yes, it can be."

Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"It was fantastic. I think the lads were fantastic in everything they did. The first half, I thought we gave the ball away but we addressed that at half-time and the lads were on the same page and knew they'd have to keep the ball better.

"I'm pleased for Ched Evans, it's been a while but two have come along. I thought his performance on Tuesday and today was fantastic.

"He's a solid pro and I'm pleased for him getting those goals. As a former striker, when you haven't scored for a while it's a burden on you."

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READING 1 Joao pen PRESTON NORTH END 2 Evans 2

Reading line-up: Lumley; Yiadom, Holmes, McIntyre; Hoilett, Loum (Fornah, 59), Hendrick, Rahman; Ince, Meite (Long, 59); Carroll (Joao, 59), Subs not used: Bouzanis, Ejaria, Guinness-Walker, Mbengue.

PNE line-up: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Potts, Ledson, Browne (McCann, 81), Johnson (Woodburn, 64), Brady; Riis (Maguire, 74), Evans. Subs not used: Cornell, Fernández, Cunningham, Diaby.

Attendance: TBC.

Referee: Mr D Webb.

A double from Ched Evans secured a third successive victory for PNE in the Championship as they left Reading with a 2-1 win.

The Welsh striker opened the scoring for his side in the 51st minute as he headed a Brady cross into the far corner, but substitute Joao equalised for the hosts 20 minutes later from the spot.

Evans got his second of the evening with just more than ten minutes left on the clock to seal three points for North End, firing across goal and into the far corner.



Ryan Lowe made two changes from the midweek victory over Swansea City, with Ryan Ledson and Daniel Johnson coming into the starting XI.

It was a relatively quiet opening to the game as far as chances were concerned, with Yakou Meite’s header wide from 18 yards and a wild Andy Carroll volley – which went over the bar – about all the action in either box in the opening half hour.

PNE could have found themselves ahead in the 31st minute, though, when Robbie Brady sent a fantastic cross to his opposite wing back Brad Potts, who couldn’t quite make the necessary contact at the far post from just outside the six-yard box.

Brady then came close himself with the final touch of the first half, doing well to beat his man and cut inside onto his right foot, before sending a powerful effort towards the near post, but Lumley was there to parry wide.

The goalkeeper then did well to deny Riis from close range five minutes into the second period, after the Dane had capitalised on a short header back to the goalkeeper by Tom McIntyre.

He was beaten a minute later, though, as Evans rose highest to flick on Brady’s brilliant cross from the right and he found the far corner to open the scoring.

Reading found their equaliser on 71 minutes from the penalty spot after Brady was adjudged to have fouled Andy Yiadom in the area, and Joao slammed past Woodman from the spot.

North End were quick to do something about that, though, as Evans doubled his tally for the evening and the season on 79 minutes, firing low across goal and into the far corner.

From that point, PNE managed the game well to secure a third consecutive victory and in doing so they moved into the Championship Play-Off places.

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We got suckered into Preston's appalling tactics. Preston are the most boring team I've seen us play in a very long time and have no idea how they're 5th. Continuous time wasting, strutting back after scoring both goals and their goalkeepers antics as bad as Lumley. They scored from our mistakes and didn't really create anything and although they are a stubborn side, they are limited.

So limited we are 5th