Kelvin Abrefa warned not to go out partying after helping Reading beat Watford

Posted Sunday, January 08, 2023 by PA

Reading manager Paul Ince warned young goalscorer Kelvin Abrefa not to go out partying after the teenager had played a key role in the 2-0 victory over Sky Bet Championship rivals Watford in the FA Cup third round.

Abrefa, a 19-year-old defender, scored his first senior goal – with an intended cross that eluded Watford goalkeeper Maduka Okoye – to give Reading a slender half-time lead.

Injury-hit Watford offered little going forward, the hosts sealing a comfortable win with a breakaway effort from veteran Shane Long in the third minute of stoppage time.

“Kelvin is claiming that he meant it (to score),” Ince said. “I said to him: ‘Absolutely no chance’.

“And I also said to him: ‘Don’t be going out tonight, son. You sit indoors’.

“You know what young kids are like. They score a goal and they start going out and partying. So I said: ‘You just stay indoors’.

“It was one of those games where we had a lot of possession and, to be fair, I don’t think we ever looked like conceding.

“I’m delighted to be in the next round. It’s a great competition to be involved in. Some people don’t take it as seriously as others.

“But it’s important for the fans to have that dream, where you’ve got a chance of going to Wembley.

“We’ve got to try to go along with that as much as we can and that’s what I said to the players before the game. You have to show this trophy respect.

“I thought that the way we set our stall out was very good. We played some really good football.

“At times, we got a bit sloppy in the second half, but the main objective was obviously to get into the next round.”

Watford head coach Slaven Bilic was without 15 senior players, 13 of them on the injury list.

“I’m never happy after a defeat but, no, that wasn’t too bad considering the side that we put out,” Bilic said.

“Especially as that defeat was in the FA Cup, which means that we are out of the competition.

“Considering our situation and the team that we started and finished with, with so many debutants and players who had hardly even trained with us, I’m happy and positive with the way that they played.

“The character that they showed and their qualities, especially in the second half.

“Some of the guys, in every game and in every training session, you have some pluses or you have some minuses.

“Today, a few of them get pluses – big pluses. Definitely.”

Of the injury crisis, Bilic said: “With all that is happening here, we will have to be active in this transfer window.”