Image source, Shutterstock

Despite all the rain over Berkshire today, it was far from a damp squib at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

A five-goal thriller featuring a couple of cracking strikes from Jack Marriott and Nigel Lonwijk, and signs that Reading may be getting it together under Leam Richardson.

Given what we have witnessed this evening, it is hard to think they had only found the target 21 times from 19 games but perhaps the tide will now start to turn.

As for Luton, there were plenty of positive signs in terms of their build-up but there is a distinct lack of punch in the final third.

We will be back tomorrow evening for live text commentary of Swansea City v Wrexham in the Championship so please do join us then.

After Reading's big win over Luton tonight here's a look at what is to come as we gear up for another busy weekend of League One action.

After Friday night's meeting between Northampton and Wimbledon we have 10 games on Saturday.

Lincoln City v Cardiff City should be a cracker as third place host the league leaders. Meanwhile, Bradford City who have only lost twice this season travel to Leyton Orient.

Here is the full schedule for the rest of the week.

Friday

• Northampton v AFC Wimbledon (19:45 GMT)

Saturday

• Stevenage v Burton Albion (12:30 GMT)
• Wigan Athletic v Blackpool (12:30 GMT)
• Doncaster Rovers v Plymouth Argyle
• Exeter City v Barnsley
• Leyton Orient v Bradford City
• Lincoln City v Cardiff City
• Mansfield Town v Stockport County
• Port Vale v Peterborough United
• Rotherham United v Huddersfield Town
• Wycombe Wanderers v Bolton Wanderers

Luton Town

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Luton boss Jack Wilshere speaking to Sky Sports:

"I though we were outstanding, I thought we dominated, I thought we were the team looking to take the game by the scruff of the neck, to dominate it, to take control of it.

"We spoke about having a little bit more threat at half-time which even in the second half I felt the same I said to the players you probably know the league better than me and the moments you think don't matter, do matter.

"We can't give three goals away and perform like that, a tough one to take, frustrating but a lot of positives to take.

"I actually thought after that transition moment [for the first goal], we controlled the transitions, we spoke a lot about how we control the game in the final third and the importance of managing their players up the pitch, I thought we did that.

"The second goal was us giving it away and the third was from the second or third phase of a set-play so we have to look at that and get back to clean sheets'"

Image source, Getty Images

Reading travel away to Plymouth on Boxing Day before heading to Peterborough on 29 December and then host Burton on New Year's Day.

Luton host Wycombe on Boxing Day and Leyton Orient on the 29th before a trip to Exeter City on 1 January.

Reading Football Club

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Reading boss Leam Richardson speaking to Sky Sports:

"I think the way we started the game, took the ascendancy, controlled large parts of it, but then we make a mistake, we let them back in it and make a game of it so I'm sure it was great for the viewers, not so much for myself on the sideline.

"We've had many meetings, we know we've got a young team, they're learning on the job.

"They've not had the privilege to go out on loan and learn and make those mistakes, they're learning in our own arena with our own fans so I think there's a lot of meetings about consistency, finding that edge, finding that way to win because in this league you have to.

"It would have been easy for any team to go under but we showed fight right until the end and to be honest I thought we deserved to win.

"I have got a thing about substitutes coming on have got to either maintain the levels or lift them.

"To have Jack [Marriott] back is there for all to see he's an absolutely lethal goalscorer, great to score against his old team I'm sure, but then also Kelvin [Ehibhatiomhan] comes on to carry the fight and like all good strikers do he got straight into the game and I'm made up that he scored the winner as well."

Reading Football Club

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Reading striker Jack Marriott talking to Sky Sports:

"I think everyone's on the same page, we've got our structure and we've got energy up the top of the pitch, we've got the big man [Ehibhatiomhan] to come on.

"He made a huge difference when he came on, scored a great goal and that's what we need in the final third, we need to be scoring goals, that's the pressure that we have to take.

"It's a massive three points we have got to build on that, take it into the Christmas period and really go on a bit of a run now."

Marriott on his darts-influenced celebration:

"My best mate from school started chemotherapy today and he said if you score please do it, so I did it for him."

Image source, BBC Sport

Here is how the table looks after tonight's thriller at the SCL.

Three points moves Reading away from the bottom four by three points and up to 14th in the standings.

Luton remain seventh in the table but have now played a number of games more than some of the other teams around them, they have failed to win any of their last four league matches.

They could be as low as 11th if results over the weekend go against them.

Geoff Doyle
Commentator on BBC Three Counties Radio

There does seem to be some conversation happening with Cohen Bramall and the Luton fans, it seems to be being handled well by all parties, it looks like there's a shake of hands as well.

There's so much to work on but there have been some good performances and the character to come back from two goals behind as well.

Mick Gooding
Ex-Reading player/manager on BBC Radio Berkshire

Fantastic game of football, both teams give it everything and thankfully Reading came out on top.

Usually when a team comes back from a couple of goals down and gets back level, the momentum is with them so really well done from the Reading team and manager, it didn't unsettle them and they got back in front very quickly.

Image source, Shutterstock

Reading take three points in their final home game of 2025, winning a dramatic game against Luton Town.

After going into the break a goal up, we got four goals from both sides in the second half in what was a thrilling Thursday night game under the lights that saw Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan score a dramatic late winner for the hosts.

Reading now move up to 14th in the League Table and three points clear of the relegation zone.

Mick Gooding
Ex-Reading player/manager on BBC Radio Berkshire

That's the best chance they've had since they went behind at 3-2, thankfully he just pulled it wide of Pereira's left-hand post.

A big chance for Luton!

George Saville has a great chance to level late on but after turning sharply his strike flies narrowly wide of Joe Pereira's left-hand post.

One minute of added time remaining...

We are three minutes into SEVEN minutes of added time.

Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan has also been booked after a poor lunging challenge.

Geoff Doyle
Commentator on BBC Three Counties Radio

Luton deserve an equaliser with their in possession play not so much with their out of possession play.

They are pushing for an equaliser after coming back from two goals down and then conceding almost instantly, nothing more frustrating than that.

Luton come close in the closing moments of normal time.

They pile on the pressure with a dangerous ball into the box but Derrick Williams leaps to make a really important defensive header.