Dominant City climb PL2 table after Reading triumph

In partnership with

Manchester City F.C.

·5 October 2025

Dominant City climb PL2 table after Reading triumph

City’s Elite Development Squad earned our second league win of the season with a 3-0 triumph over Reading.

Mahamadou Sangare gave City a deserved lead just before the 30-minute mark, his fourth goal in two games in all competitions.

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The France youth international doubled our advantage after Reading failed to clear Divine Mukasa’s cross before Mukasa found the back of the net himself with a clinical finish.

Our success at the Joie Stadium sees us climb to 15th in the Premier League 2 table as we begin to find momentum in the race for a place in the top 16.

WHAT HAPPENED

The remnants of Storm Amy were still apparent when the game got underway at the Joie Stadium, with a dull sky, light drizzle and strong gale creating a gloomy setting.

It was one-way traffic with City dominating possession for the opening half hour. But Wilkinson’s side had to be patient against an organised Reading side who made it difficult for our young boys in blue to find pockets of space between the lines.

Our persistence was rewarded on 27 minutes when Sangare scored his first PL2 goal of the season.

Divine Mukasa played a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Emilio Lawrence down the left. Sangare timed his run to stay behind the passage of play, leaving him with an easy tap-in when Lawrence played the ball around Reading goalkeeper Harrison Rhone.

Sangare was almost had a second a few minutes later, with Rhone getting low to stop the City forward’s attempt at the near post.

Momentum shifted, and a chaotic spell of pressure from the visitors saw David Hicks and Miles Obodo denied by fantastic saves by Jack Wint.

The weather continued to worsen when the second half began, and City had the disadvantage of playing into the strong wind.

Wilkinson’s youngsters had to box clever and keep play low. And they did just that when Sangare scored his second.

Quick build-up play on the right between Ryan McAidoo and Mukasa saw the latter find space to put in a low-driven cross.

Rhone managed to get the first touch on the ball, but fortune favoured Sangare as the ball bounced off his legs and into the back of the Reading net.

The two-goal gap gave City confidence. And we quickly added a third, this time with Mukasa adding his name to the scoresheet.

Brilliant build-up play from back to front saw Mukasa pick up the ball centrally. The number 10 drove 15 yards before placing his effort into the bottom right corner from the edge of the area for his first league goal of the campaign too.

City were equally impressive at the opposite end of the pitch, with a back four of Seb Naylor, Stephen Mfuni, Kian Noble, and Harrison Parker unified in holding out for our first PL2 clean sheet of the season.

TEAMS

CITY XI | Wint, Parker, Noble, Mfuni, Naylor, Gray (Fapetu 67’), McAidoo (Muir 67’), J. Heskey, Sangare (Warhurst 67’), Mukasa, Lawrence.

SUBS | Brits, Oboavwoduo.

READING XI | Rhone, Beacroft, St. Louis (Zie 78’), Sackey, Duah, Williams, Obodo (Evans 52’), Bowdery, Patton, Hicks (Howard 78’), Coke-Miles-Smith.

SUBS | Pullinger, Dove.