The two African players produced another solid display as the Royals returned home with vital points from their trip to Craven Cottage
Abdul Baba Rahman and Tom Dele-Bashiru put up splendid displays as Reading won their second straight match in the EFL Championship after beating Fulham 2-1 on Saturday.
The two players from Ghana and Nigeria retained their starting positions after impressing manager Veljko Paunovic in their last league match which saw them defeat Peterborough United 3-1.
Despite playing away from home, the Royals dominated Fulham from the word go and it was Rahman, who was playing in his favourite left-back position, who initiated the move that led to the team’s first goal courtesy of Ovie Ejara in the 19th minute.
Ejara then grabbed his brace and the second of the day for the Royals in the 53rd minute to silence the home crowd, who later pulled a goal back courtesy of Rodrigo Muniz in the 86th minute but it was not enough to give them something from the game at Craven Cottage.
Reading started the game on a high note and in the 13th minute, Rahman and John Swift combined on the left as the Royals moved quickly, and the Black Stars' cross was half-cleared, and Nigeria’s Dele-Bashiru picked it up and but his shot went inches wide from a tight angle.
However, six minutes later, Rahman set up Alen Halilovic, who raced down the right and then cut inside before laying the pass to Swift, who in turn set up Ejaria to score.
Reading then scored their second in the 53rd minute when Ejara’s shot from outside the box easily beat Fulham goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.
Rahman, who joined Reading on loan from Chelsea on transfer deadline day, was then yellow-carded in the 58th minute after his shoulder-to-shoulder challenge with Nathaniel Chalobah prompted the referee to caution him.
Meanwhile, Ugandan international Uche Ikpeazu was an unused sub as Middlesbrough suffered a 2-1 home defeat against Blackpool.
It was Boro who took the lead in the eighth minute at Riverside after Marcus Tavernier scored from a header but Blackpool turned the game around in the second half with goals from Marvin Ekpiteta in the 62nd minute and an own goal via Grant Hall in the 78th minute.
Kenya’s Clark Oduor played for 90 minutes as Barnsley secured a 0-0 draw against Blackburn Rovers at Oakwell.
The game saw Nigerian Victor Adeboyejo also introduced in the second half but he could not help Barnsley get maximum points.
Elsewhere, Ghana’s Albert Adomah came on in the second half but could not help Queens Park Rangers who lost 2-1 at home to Bristol City while the Democratic of Republic of Congo goalkeeper Brice Samba kept a clean sheet as Nottingham Forest registered a 2-0 win against Huddersfield at The John Smith Stadium.