Rangers' reserves crashed to a poor home defeat at the hands of Reading at Chestnut Avenue this evening. It was one of those games that couldn't end soon enough, although the ref seemed keen to play all night.

Matt Carragher (ex-Port Vale) and John Halls (Arsenal) made their debuts on trial. Carragher started at right back with Halls in the middle, the two swapped in the second period.

Rangers went a goal down early in the first half. A long ball was fed over the top for the lightening quick Nathan Tyson to chase, and chase it he did. He absolutely screamed past Halls as if he were a mannequin and showed real composure to beat the advancing Culkin.

It could and should have been one a piece minutes later when Rangers were awarded a penalty. Eric Sabin had burst into the box and managed to weave past three players before he was felled. Despite the colourful protests of John Salako the spot kick was awarded and Sabin himself stepped forward, much to the bemusement of Richard Pacquette.

To say the kick was poor would be an understatement. It was struck so softly I would have backed myself to leap over the hoardings and run the forty yards to the ball before it crossed the line. As it was, Jamie Ashdown had an easy task to palm it away for a corner.

Very little happened until the beginning of the second half when Rangers had another good penalty shout turned down. Once more Sabin was the man and he seemed to take a shove in the back as he bore down on goal. The ref clearly didn't think so and he booked the Frenchman for diving much to Olly's chagrin. He could be heard barracking the hapless official from behind the goal at the opposite end.

The second goal when it came was a right mess. A nothing shot seemed to be bobbling toward Culkin with little danger. What happened next is a bit of a mystery and it looked like Culkin managed to throw the ball in his own net. Jon Mackie looked to claim it and I am sure that the big keeper will gladly let him have it.

The third came fifteen minutes before the end and once again the defence was all over the show. Reading hit us on the break and once again Tyson was on hand to tuck the ball away.

Rangers never looked like troubling Ashdown in the Reading goal. Pacquette tried to get involved but nothing seemed to come off for him and Sabin alongside him seems to be losing confidence by the game. After his penalty miss he virtually disappeared from the game.

As for the trialists both looked far more at home at right back. Carragher seemed half decent in the first period and likewise Halls in the second. Halls was fortunate the referee didn't see his swinging arm at Savage or his trial may have been curtailed early. Richard Edghill also looked far fitter than last week and on his evidence I think Olly may snap him up on a longer deal as he gives cover in both full back areas.

Rangers' man of the match, if there was one, was probably Dennis Oli. His first half display was full of energy and although he limped off late in the game he seems to be coming along nicely.