Argyle fight back twice to earn valuable point at Reading

Plymouth Argyle showed resilience and attacking intent as they twice came from behind to earn a deserved 2–2 draw against fellow League One play-off contenders Reading.

In an entertaining contest, the Pilgrims refused to be discouraged by two first-half setbacks and produced a strong second-half performance to ensure they returned to Devon with a hard-earned point.

The hosts struck early when Randell Williams opened the scoring in just the third minute. His cross from the right evaded everyone in the box and drifted over goalkeeper Luca Ashby-Hammond to give Reading an early advantage.

Argyle responded quickly and were back on level terms six minutes later. From a Ronan Curtis corner, defender Alex Mitchell reacted sharply in the box to volley home and bring the visitors back into the game.

Reading regained the lead midway through the first half when Paudie O’Connor bundled the ball in at the back post from a Lewis Wing corner, sending the home side into the break 2–1 ahead.

But Plymouth returned after half-time with renewed purpose and gradually took control of the contest. Their persistence paid off in the 67th minute when Caleb Watts scored his seventh goal of the season. After Reading failed to properly clear their lines, Watts was on hand to finish from close range and deservedly restore parity.

Argyle looked the more threatening side for long periods after the break, though Reading nearly snatched victory late on. Ashby-Hammond produced an excellent save to deny Kamari Doyle before Ryan Lane fired the rebound wide of the target.

In the end, Plymouth’s determination ensured they left Berkshire with a point that keeps them firmly in the mix for a League One play-off place, after a performance that underlined their ability to compete with fellow promotion hopefuls.