ALLENTOWN, PA (May 12, 2018) - Reading United had to weather two storms on a rainy Saturday night.

The first storm came courtesy of Mother Nature as Eastern Pennsylvania was socked by a round severe weather that forced a delay that pushed back kickoff by thirty minutes. The second storm took the form of the Lehigh Valley United defense that pressured and stifled Reading throughout the match.

Reading United successful navigated the turbulent evening to score a 2-0 victory over Lehigh Valley United in the Premier Development League season opener at Allentown's J. Birney Crum Stadium.

The visitors started the match well, but Lehigh Valley United countered with a ferocious, high pressing defensive effort. Reading's frequent forays into the Lehigh Valley half were stifled as the hosts swarmed the Reading United attackers. 

Despite Reading United's 6-1 shot advantage, the teams were locked in a stalemate as they entered the locker rooms at halftime.

That stalemate was broken just minutes into the second half. After winning a free kick in the left channel, Reading midfielder Sebastien Hauret hit a well struck cross into the Lehigh Valley penalty area. Reading United forward Gilbert Waso threw himself in front of Hauret's cross and steered the ball just over the goal line in the 47th minute.

Reading United continued pressing their hosts, looking for an insurance goal to help seal an important road win.

The second goal would come in the 68th minute from Reading's talisman midfielder Aaron Molloy. The Irishman took possession on the left flank and then weaved toward the middle of the pitch before hitting a rocket shot from 25 yards past Lehigh Valley goalkeeper Brian Hochstuhl and into the goal netting.

The Reading United defense took care of business over the game's final twenty minutes. Reading goalkeeper Will Smith, who attends Lehigh University, was largely untested throughout the evening as the United backline limited LVU to just four shots over the ninety minute match.

The win pushed Reading's all-time record against their closest rival to 7-1-1 and keeps United's positive momentum rolling into a U.S. Open Cup Second Round match against the Richmond Kickers at Alvernia University Stadium on Wednesday, May 16th at 7:00pm.

SCORING SUMMARY

47' - RUAC  Gilbert Waso (Sebastien Hauret) 
68' - RUAC  Aaron Molloy

READING UNITED LINE-UP

GK - Will Smith; DEF - Kevin Smolyn, Lamine Conte, Kervin Fadel, Rodrigo Pascaul; MID - Zach Zandi (Spencer Burkhardt 74'), Aaron Molloy (Jake Durham 81'), Sebastien Hauret (Alex Lipinski 67'); FWD - Thibault Chretien (Steven Hernandez 12'), Kieran Roberts (Mark Forrest 71'), Gilbert Waso (Mo Conde 56')