‘New Shane Long’ backed to send Reading FC to League One play-offs | OneFootball

Reading's push for promotion was dealt a major blow as it was confirmed that top scorer Jack Marriott had suffered a hamstring injury.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Reading continued their strong League One form with a remarkable comeback against Bradford City at home on Saturday.

Leam Richardson’s men are pushing for a play-off place this season, with the Bantams one of the teams they could potentially catch.

So, with the Royals trailing 1-0 going into the 90th minute, they were on course for what could be a significant defeat in the promotion race. However, Paddy Lane equalised before Matt Ritchie scored a crucial winner deep into stoppage time.

Reading FC backed to cope without the influential Jack Marriott

Not only was it a massive win for Reading, but it came after the club had been dealt a major setback with news that Jack Marriott had suffered a hamstring injury.

The striker has been outstanding for the Berkshire outfit this season, scoring 16 goals in 23 games, and he brings so much to the team with his experience and ability to run in behind.

Naturally, there were fears about how Reading will cope without their star man, and it could be something they have to get used to, as there are fears he will miss the remainder of the campaign.

Obviously, that would be a real blow if it was to happen, and Richardson would need others to step up during the run-in if the Royals are to secure a place in the top six come May.

Yet, when asked by FLW about the prospect of Marriott missing the final 12 games, Reading fan pundit Johnny Hunt acknowledged it would be ‘tough’ to cope, but he felt Saturday was proof they can get results, as he also talked up the ability of Sean Patton to make an impact.

“Of course, it’s tough Marriott being out, because he has been prolific for us, but that’s football, that’s life," Johnny told FLW.

“Patton, to me, is the new Shane Long if you want to call him that.

"He made a difference on Saturday, and I think he can make a difference for the rest of the season. So, let the lad play. He is in form. He scored goals for Aldershot and Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan is hit-and-miss.

“We won on Saturday without Marriott, so you take that as a positive, I think. We’re still good enough, but the manager needs to change his mindset. We were positive for nine minutes of injury time, but for the 90 minutes before that we weren’t!

“We have the resources and players to beat anyone, but Leam needs to change the mindset, and, if he does, we will be fine and we’ll make the play-offs, if he believes in the process.”

Reading FC players need to step up to deal with Jack Marriott absence

There’s no denying that Marriott’s injury is a massive problem for Reading, as he is the only player to have hit double figures in the league this season.

Plus, it means that Lewis Wing is the only player in the squad to have scored more than three league goals at the moment.

That’s not to say Reading won’t be able to cope, but the group as a collective are going to have to step up, and, to their credit, that’s what they did against Bradford on Saturday.

There is a lot of excitement around Patton, as he was very good on loan at Aldershot, scoring five goals in six National League fixtures, and this will be his chance to show what he can do on a regular basis, even if you don’t want to put too much pressure on a 19-year-old who is yet to really make his mark in the professional game.

But, as outlined above, injuries happen in football, and it’s now down to Richardson to find the right formula to help the players as they try to achieve their dream of winning promotion this season.