Carlisle United 1-3 Reading: Blues outclassed by Royals

Strikes from Sam Smith and two-goal Harvey Knibbs underlined the visitors' superiority with Jon Mellish's header slim consolation for Paul Simpson's strugglers.

The defeat - a ninth in ten League One games - leaves bottom side Carlisle 15 points adrift with just 11 games remaining.

And United never looked like avoiding defeat as Ruben Selles' side comprehensively outplayed Simpson's hosts in front of a 7,891 crowd that included 1,360 vocal away fans.

It was an anti-climax after United's win at Burton Albion in midweek and their slim hopes of beating the drop now look more remote than ever.

United boss Simpson stuck with the same XI that had started at Burton in Tuesday's win.

It meant another start for recalled captain Paul Huntington in defence, with Jack Ellis also keeping his place.

Simpson also named the same subs with no place in the squad for fit-again Josh Emmanuel or Ben Barclay. 

Selles' Reading XI had one change as Michael Craig came in for Charlie Savage, who dropped to the bench.

Carlisle made a quick start and could have scored in the third minute when Taylor Charters' free-kick sent Mellish down the left, but his testing cross was eventually scrambled away from Luke Armstrong at close range.

Reading scramble clear amid an early United attack (Image: Barbara Abbott)

United, though, struggled to create anything further as Reading established themselves as the better side.

Sam Lavelle was called upon to make a vital block from Femi Azeez's cross, and then United survived a big scare when Harrison Neal was caught in midfield and Reading put Smith through, but his shot past Harry Lewis hit the left-hand post.

Two minutes later, though, and the Royals were in front, as United failed to track Smith's run when Lewis Wing clipped the ball high into the box, and the striker turned it across the advancing Lewis and into the bottom corner.

United struggled to create anything in response and some poor play handed the ball back to Reading in the 27th minute as Kelvin Ehibhationham's shot was duly saved by Lewis.

Reading's travelling fans were consistently vocal, their repertoire including songs against their owner Dai Yongge and the EFL following recent point deductions, as well as chanting against United boss Simpson.

Jack Diamond, with a rare United foray, shot over for the left, but United then found themselves two adrift when Andy Yiadom jinked away from Diamond, beat another Blues man in the box and then cut it back to Knibbs, who steered it home from close range.

Reading's Amadou Mbengue made a well-timed challenge to prevent Mellish and Armstrong forcing a way back but Carlisle were surviving on scraps and making little impression in the away half.

Lewis had to save a Wing shot from 25 yards as Reading remained the superior side throughout the first half, and then an impressive Lewis save from Azeez with the last move of the half prevented Carlisle's job getting even harder.

Early in the second half Charters picked out Mellish with a free-kick but the defender - who had pushed into midfield after the break - headed over.

It was another fruitless afternoon in attack for Luke Armstrong (Image: Barbara Abbott)

Azeez, at the other end, saw ambitious penalty shouts ignored when he went down under Jack Armer's challenge.

But Reading then extended their lead when a corner was worked back to Azeez, whose low cross found Knibbs free to slide it home inside Lewis's near post.

Some home fans took that as their cue to leave after just 57 minutes.

Simpson responded with a double change, Jordan Gibson and Alfie McCalmont replacing Charters and Josh Vela.

But there remained little sign of a fightback, with Lewis preventing Ehibhationham firing a Reading fourth on the hour mark.

Armstrong went close as he attacked an Armer cross at the other end, and United were then given a glimmer of hope when Gibson's well-aimed free-kick from the right was headed powerfully home by Mellish in the 71st minute.

United then saw penalty appeals waved away by ref Martin Coy when Tyler Bindon blocked a Diamond flick - Carlisle argued for handball to no avail.

Smith then headed just wide for Reading on the break, before Simpson sent on Dan Butterworth for the closing stages.

Striker Smith again threatened, seeing a shot deflect narrowly over the top corner, with United denied a second when Lavelle sent a Gibson free-kick across goal to Butterworth, only for Wing to deny the sub with an excellent block.

There was no further prospect of a comeback as United sank to defeat and the travelling fans celebrated jubilantly, their side - docked two points by the EFL this week - moving back up four places to 16th.

United: Lewis, Lavelle, Huntington, Mellish, Ellis, Armer, Neal, Vela (McCalmont 59), Charters (Gibson 59), Diamond (Butterworth 79), Armstrong. Not used: Breeze, Robinson, Maguire, Grehan.

Goal: Mellish 71.

Reading: Button, Mola, Yiadom, Mbengue, Craig, Bindon, Ehibhationham (Elliott 66), Wing, Knibbs, Azeez (Abrefa 89), Smith. Not used: Pereira, Dean, Savage, Mukairu, Wareham.

Goals: Smith 18, Knibbs 37, 57.

Ref: Martin Coy.

Crowd: 7,891 (1,360 Reading fans).