On a bright but chilly afternoon in Berkshire, in front of a big Bank Holiday crowd, Jon Guthrie had the first effort at goal of the game, but his header from a Mitch Pinnock cross was held by Joel Pereira in the Reading goal. In a bright opening, Charlie Savage then curled a free kick over the target at the other end. Ben Elliott then drove wide from outside the area following a Royals break.
Mitch Pinnock swung in a 20th minute free kick that Guthrie headed over the bar, while Aaron McGowan was in the right place to head a goalbound Sam Smith header away seven minutes later.
Top scorer Sam Hoskins twice forced saves out of Pereira as the game reached the half hour mark. Hoskins initially took a forward ball down beautifully before curling in a shot that the home keeper parried, before the ball was returned to Hoskins again, but this time the Reading stopper tipped his volley away.
A deflected Ben Fox effort then caused Pereira a few moments of alarm, before Louis Appere found himself in the clear in a 36th minute break before, not for the first time that afternoon, the home keeper made a good save to deny the Cobblers.
Charlie Savage curled just over the bar for Ruben Selles’ side with forty two minutes on the clock as an entertaining but goalless first half drew to a close.
The Cobblers responded with a change, Shaun McWilliams on for Aaron McGowan, before Manny Monthe headed wide from a Mitch Pinnock cross.
Tyreece Simpson and Tony Springett came on in further changes made by Jon Brady, before the final substitutions saw Kieron Bowie and Ali Koiki introduced for Sam Hoskins and Manny Monthe.
As the game became stretched in the closing minutes, Louie Moulden pushed a shot from Femi Azeez over and from the resulting corner, the same player saw his looped header kiss the top of the cross bar.
Seven additional minutes were signalled by the fourth official, and in the first of those, Pereira saved a Bowie header from a Mitch Pinnock corner.
There was to be no late Cobblers equaliser however, and the home side took the points.
