Sent Off From The Bench

Somehow with Reading faltering at home without a win in six they've managed to remain in the playoffs; it's fortunate that they've managed to pick up 16 points from 18 away from the Madejski. A game against Charlton should be a certain three points for The Royals sitting in the play-off places, but as a hard-fought game against Birmingham a fortnight ago showed it's not always that simple. The first half was completely devoid of any sort of quality, or passion. Drenthe overhit several crosses, and everything was so rushed. Charlton looked like a side who had the ability to cause problems, with pace and skill all over the pitch. Half an hour in and Reading started to take more time in possession, and play the ball around on the floor. There was no way through, and no chances, but it was a much better way to end the first forty-five minutes. The most excitement came when Gorkss wasn't allowed on the field for a couple of minutes after taking a knock to the head. I...

A first half hat-trick sealed the points well within the first 45 minutes for a Reading side who may be starting to click. Nigel Adkins fielded an unchanged side from the one who (somewhat fortuitously) beat Watford last weekend, with Danny Guthrie and HRK still sidelined through injury. It took 12 minutes before ALF rifled a shot past stand-in keeper Andrew Lonergan, and then again on the 28 minute mark. Within 33 he'd completed his hat-trick. McCleary dispossessed last man Tim Ream, and after bearing down on the keeper squared the ball to Le Fondre for his hat-trick. If you've ever played FIFA it was pretty much exactly how you'd score on the world's leading football video game. It was 4-0 before half-time when Alex Baptiste was adjudged to have handled inside the area (it was very fine margins) and Our Saviour converted from the penalty spot, expertly stroking the ball beyond the fingertips of Lonergan and into the bottom right corner of the net. The second half ...

Not exactly a great start to the new year in terms of weather, but Reading eventually brightened spirits with a last gasp goal to secure a point against promotion contenders Nottingham Forest. Reading looked lacklustre for almost the entire game, allowing former player Greg Halford to score with 10 minutes of the first half remaining. Putting away an Andy Reid free-kick with a looping header into the top-left corner of the net. In the second half Matt Derbyshire had two opportunities to seal the win for the away side, but both times fired wide right of the goal. Nick Blackman looked the liveliest player on the pitch in the first half and this continued far into the second until the addition of Royston Drenthe seemed to spark something in Reading. A fierce Guthrie shot from the edge of the area signalled the start of the Reading onslaught but it wasn't until the 95th minute when Matt Derbyshire fouled Gunter that Reading managed to get a decent ball into the box. For the phases ...

So the first game I've been to in a while, scheduling my coming back from university in time to make it. What an idiot. Two goals within the first 12 minutes of a game against a team in the bottom half of the table is not good enough. Okay, so yes their first goal - a lovely flowing counter attack which ended in a goal after two defenders blocked an earlier cross, leaving a man free on the edge of the area - was nice, but it highlighted the fact that Reading were playing without a midfield . Both Dannys (DD) were pushed up far too high, and with Gunter attacking up the wing as he normally does with no cover, it was far too easy to exploit all the space on our right hand side. The exact position which Jem Karacan was so adept at filling was where at least one-half of DD should have been. It was more Pearce at fault for the second goal, who was pulled off early in the second half for McCleary - but we have no other choices at CB, something which should have been addressed in the ...

My trip to Nottingham didn't start exactly to plan, with me and my mate losing our tickets for the match but after making our way towards the City Ground it turns out they beat us there - and we somehow ran into the steward that had a hold of them. Thank goodness! The Reading end was one of the better atmosphere's I've been in in a while, lots of chanting - and very quickly rewarded with Pavel and Kaspars both seeing the ball cross the line in the opening 15 minutes. The first saw McCleary with some nice play down the wing before sliding across to Pog who bundled the ball in. The latter a well worked corner routine with Gorkss getting his head on the end of it, as so often before. After the quick start Nottingham came back into the game a bit, and although Reading had some nice passing there was never any killer ball, and never really threatened the Forest goal other than one occasion when McCleary broke through but couldn't score against his old team - striking it ...

An away trip to league leaders Burnley proved fruitless for Reading, who inflicted only the second defeat of the campaign. Reading came into the game having not lost in six, but with only a draw from the midweek game against Barnsley. Burnley quickly pressed Reading and some poor defending left the in-form Danny Ings with a simple finish. A flat ball went over Pearce's head, and Morrison couldn't get a foot on it to leave Ings with a one-on-one with the keeper, and somebody who already has ten goals this season rarely misses chances like that. Burnley had a spell of pressure until Sam Vokes went down to give the away side a respite. From there Reading looked safe, never really troubling Heaton in the opposition goal - apart from one looping Pogrebnyak header that was tipped over - but also managing to dispel Burnley. In the second half the action was again mostly around Alex McCarthy, who once again showed his worth with some terrific saves. In the 80th minutes Danny Guthri...

A dismal performance against bottom of the league Barnsley saw Reading somewhat fortuitously clinch a draw. The home side had more possession (55-45), more shots (19-8), more shots on target (6-3), and more corners (7-3) than The Royals and that really sums up the game. In the first period Barnsley dominated, having 10 shots to Reading's 2 but there was a spark at the start of the second half that saw Hal-Robson Kanu strike from 25 yards out right into the corner of The Tykes net on the 51st minute. Le Fondre was also clean through just prior to the goal, but Butland managed to repel the forward before the follow up was shot wide. Later in the half ALF was through again, this time set-up by Akpan but again the goalkeeper was up to the poacher's effort. In the battle of the young English goalkeeper it seemed as if though McCarthy had come off better. Butland, although being a good shot stopper, wasn't overly good at coming and claiming balls, a few times miscalculating. ...