NOTTINGHAM FOREST HISTORY
23 August, 2014

Antonio double routs Reading

On this day in 2014 Michail Antonio scores twice as Forest rout Reading at the City Ground.

Iconic match memories

Well remembered match for any historically notable reason
Michail Antonio, former Forest player.
Michail Antonio, former Forest player. Image: Egghead06, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Michail Antonio led a dominant Forest performance as Reading were beaten 4-0 at the City Ground.

The win came during Stuart Pearce’s strong early run as manager, when optimism around Forest was still building. Reading arrived as a serious Championship opponent, but Forest quickly made the afternoon their own.

Michail Antonio, former Forest player.
Michail Antonio, former Forest player. Image: Egghead06, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Antonio scored twice, giving the home side power and pace from wide areas. His first came with a header from Chris Burke’s cross, before he added a second after half-time with a right-footed finish from Jack Hunt’s delivery.

Matty Fryatt then headed in from Antonio’s cross, and Britt Assombalonga added the fourth from close range after Reading struggled to clear. Forest had turned pressure into a heavy scoreline with three of their summer attacking signings on target.

The result kept Forest high in the early Championship table and strengthened the belief that Pearce’s team could challenge. The season later became more uneven, but this Reading rout remained one of the sharpest performances from that opening burst.

Sources

ESPN; The Guardian; 11v11

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