The former Reading hero was full of praise for his old club’s junior team after losing to Sunderland.
Sunderland coach Graeme Murty demonstrated his class by sending an encouraging message to Reading’s young team following Monday night’s thrilling Premier League 2 play-off semi-final.
Sunderland’s under-21s overcame an early deficit to defeat Reading 4-3 in overtime. Trey Ogunsuyi scored a last-gasp victory in the 120th minute at Select Car Leasing Stadium, sending the game to penalties.
That goal advanced Murty’s side to the Premier League 2 final, defeating the former player’s former club Reading. Sunderland will meet Tottenham in the final game of the season.
Sunderland captain Ellis Taylor scored his hat-trick in the 99th minute to send the game to extra time, after Reading’s Adrian Akande and Matthew Carson scored in quick succession to put the hosts ahead from 2-1.
Jacob Borgnis was also sent off for the hosts in extra time, and Sunderland eventually took advantage of the additional man. Murty, on the other hand, was full of admiration for the opposing squad, saying, “I take my hat off to them,” when the chaotic game ended.
“I thought it was the least that the lads deserved for 65 minutes of performance,” Murty told the club’s media outlets following the victory. “And then in extra time, it gets a little skewed because they’re leaving, but I have to take my heart to Reading.
“I believed we’d be able to pull away from them after we handled the first 10 minutes of the second half, but they’re relentless, physically aggressive, imposing, and extremely good at what they do.
“Some really good players and our fellas have been put to the test, and they will be challenged in terms of their belief, as well as how they performed against that type of game, but as a learning experience, for them to stand up to it again, to show the resilience required to dig out a result when perhaps our A game did not work, was outstanding. I take my hat off to them. “I have nothing but praise for them today,” Murty stated.
Murty signed a four-year contract with Reading in 1998 for £700,000, the club’s biggest cost at the time. The Saltburn-born player made 339 appearances for The Royals, representing the club in the top three divisions of English football, including the Premier League.
“I felt for the Reading players,” Murt said. “You could see it was just too much for them at the end, too much for them to take, but while I sympathize with them, I have to commend our lads once more for continuing to go, for continuing to do things the correct way, because I thought we still moved the ball very well.
“We still transferred the ball with good shape, structure, and understanding, and the guys have a final to look forward to. No one, I don’t think, would have predicted that scenario at the start of the season, but they enjoy proving people wrong and facing obstacles. They seem to like making life difficult for themselves, but I can’t help but admire the energy they demonstrated today.”
