Teenage Substitute Andre Garcia Secures Draw for Reading Against Bolton
Teenage substitute Andre Garcia scored a late equalizer, helping Reading secure a 1-1 draw against Bolton and earning their first point in League One this season.
The 17-year-old made an impact just three minutes after entering the pitch, leveling the score in the 84th minute with a shot that took a significant deflection off Wanderers' captain, George Johnston.
Garcia's first-ever league goal propelled Reading off the bottom of the table to 21st place, while it prevented Steven Schumacher's Bolton from climbing to ninth.
Mason Burstow appeared to have secured Bolton's second home win of the campaign when he broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute. The on-loan Hull striker's shot was inadvertently deflected into the net by Derrick Williams.
Both Burstow and Joel Randall came close to extending the lead with shots that narrowly missed the target, and Amario Cozier-Duberry struck the post in the first half before forcing a save from goalkeeper Joel Pereira.
Reading struggled to find their rhythm, not registering a shot on target until the 70th minute when right-back Kelvin Abrefa finally tested Bolton's goalkeeper, Teddy Sharman-Lowe. However, it was Garcia who ensured that the points were shared in the end.
Report supplied by PA Media.