Southampton 1-1 Reading: Royals win on penalties to progress in Checkatrade Trophy

Reading progressed to the last 16 of the Checkatrade Trophy with a win on penalties over Southampton's under-23s.

A first-half strike from Lloyd Isgrove gave Saints the lead, but the visitors fought back through Niall Keown to take the game to a penalty shootout, which the Royals won 4-3.

It took just five minutes for Yan Valery to create the first meaningful chance of the evening for the hosts. Bursting forward from inside his own half the full-back eased past two Reading players before hitting his effort straight at goalkeeper Anssi Jaakkola from the edge of penalty area.

Saints had another chance to take the lead just five minutes later. A slip across the visiting backline gifted Jonathan Afolabi the ball 30 yards out. The striker bore down one on one with the goalkeeper, but was dispossessed just as he looked to cut back and strike at goal.

Martin Hunter's men did eventually break the deadlock on the half-an-hour mark. Isgrove drove from distance with a superb run and then rifled into Jaakkola's far post to ensure Saints went into the break with the advantage.

It didn't take the visitors long to level after the interval, as Josh Barrett's in-swinging corner was headed in from close range by Keown to level proceedings just five minutes after the restart. 

The visitors flew to an early lead in the shoot-out, with captain Jake Cooper and Sandro Wieser dispatching their spot kicks whilst Alfie Jones and Thomas O'Connor missed for Saints.

Callum Slattery and Armani Little then calmly finished their efforts, as did Tennai Watson for the visitors, but Tyler Frost was denied by Lewis to make it 2-3.

Isgrove then converted to keep Saints in the running, but Meite hammered his effort home past Lewis to ensure a 4-3 victory for the visitors.