Reading v City [R]

[prvev]

Surprised nobody started this.


Long has just put us up 1-0, in the 62nd minute.

[prvev]

Kitson! He receives a pass, and just keeps going towards goal as nobody really challenges him, and slots it in. 2-0, only a few minutes left.

[prvev]

FT, 2-0. Up to 13th (ahead of Newcastle).

[Derrida]

Great result. I'm going to watch the match later this afternoon, but I couldn't resist tracking the score live. It sounds like from the BBC report that 2-0 was pretty indicative of how well they played. It looks like they've put the awful couple months behind them. Now let's just keep on this roll and win a few more games - let everyone's nerves settle down a bit.

[Neeto]

Just watched the game on Setanta. That was a fantastic result. The defense looked solid today and really only had one lapse of concentration for the entire game. The strikers were fantastic today with Doyle hooking up with Long for one and Kitson had a nice solo effert for the other one. The mid did alright. They gave the ball away a few more time than I would have liked. However, they still gave us great chances and held nicely on defense.

Murty's absent has given Rosenior some playing time and I think he can possible replace him in the line up. He did very well against Vassel for the entire game. I like Murty, but I think Rosenior has proven himself that he can play in the back 4.

Overall, I am very happy to see us get out of the relegation zone and I really like our chances for the rest of the season.

[RichardL]

Wins for Reading are like buses it seems, as the proverbial English joke goes. You wait nearly three months for one, then two come along at once. The arrival of a No.17 has rarely been as welcome as this though, even on a wet day like today on the side of the street without the shelter.

While Reading certainly need something of a routemaster to guide them in the direction of safety, there were still one or two questions hanging like wet laundry over Coppell’s team selection. It might have produced a win last weekend, but few were in doubt that the performance was less convincing than Robin Williams’ “English” accent in Mrs Doubtfire. Fans, however, would settle for scrappy wins without looking convincing. Seeing only one out of two isn’t so bad after around 11 weeks of typically seeing neither.

And that was certainly how it panned out for the opening stages, and the middle stages too. In fact the first hour of this match could easily be used to define the word tedium, as both sides had about as much punch as a fist-fight between inmates at a lunatic asylum. The most notable moments were probably Man City badly missing a chance from a set-piece, and City also being denied a penalty, when Michael Johnson went down in the box, only to be booked for diving by Uriah Rennie. Whether it was an excellent decision by the not usually over-praised ref, or a decision about as wise as JFK saying “Hey Jackie, it’s a lovely morning today in Dallas – let’s drive with the top down” remains to be seen on replays, but City didn’t come closer all afternoon.

Around the hour mark, Reading perked up. Having worked out that they did indeed look pretty reasonable at the back for once, they set about trying to reacquaint the ball with that goal thing at the other end of the pitch. Spurred on by a buoyed crowd, there was a clear thaw in the crippling lack of belief that had previously prevented the team doing anything of note. A spell of pressure resulted in a few corners, and a shot from Bikey which was turned onto the bar. Then, after a long Hahnemann kick was flicked on by Long, Long and Doyle combined for the opening goal. Having not troubled the makeshift city defence as much as they perhaps should have done, they chose this moment to make up for it. Doyle broke into the box from a similar position to the move which broke Reading’s streak last week, and squared to Long to side-foot in from six yards.

After that, City rarely threatened, nor even gestured provocatively towards the Reading goal, but the danger was always there. Relegation seasons are often filled with hard-luck stories that make the writer of his 1930s childhood memoirs weep, and late leads were blown at home in two of the last three Reading home games where they actually lead. After all, with Reading having less clean sheets than a student’s bedroom, 1-0 rarely looked safe.

Nerves were settled with three minutes to go though. A free kick taken quickly found sub Dave Kitson in acres of room down the right. He ran into the box unchallenged, then skipped through three defenders with the elegance and poise of a 6’3” ginger ballerina, before stubbing the ball low into the near corner. Game over.

The win sends Reading back to the dizzying heights of 13th – pretty much where they were every week before nosediving like a depressurised plane just after Christmas. There was just the hint after the first goal of a return of the swagger and purpose to Reading’s play. Whether it can also be shown at Anfield next week is a different matter, but maybe the corner has been turned just as the brick wall of relegation was beginning to fill the windscreen. About time too.

[Katsbox]

Very nervy game to watch until Kitson's goal (watched on Setanta, then was tempted - only briefly - to watch it straight again on FSC). The back 4 are doing a good job - better positioning and not diving in as much... I can recall just one instance of Bikey making a poor choice along those lines. We will be in a world of hurt if the mid field give the ball away as much to Liverpool as they did today to City. All in all - a good result which has given me a good buzz.

I just looked at the table. Funniest thing about where we are is that we actually were able to beat Newcastle out for 13th on GD :eek:

[aguy2die4]

Uriah, out of his normal self, favoured Reading in a crucial decision today. Pigs do fly it seems. Or is he just crap. I go with the latter. He is crap and always favours the big teams. Guess Man City wasnt one of the big teams in his book.

Anyway good to see Reading picking up 3pts.

Sven's reaction far more calmer compared to the ManU camp today.

[Pablo Chicago]

I thought the game opened up after Dunne was taken off the field. He's a quality defender and we didn't get anywhere near the goal with him in the match. Didn't see a whole lot of pressure on the ball until the 2nd half.

Nice assist from Doyle to Long. Great to see Kitson respond coming off the bench. Hopefully, this is just the shot in the arm they need to build confidence that will get them through the end of the season.

[mschofield]

OMFG thanks.

I've been sick to my stomach for the past month (not why I've vanished from here, btw: new job right now is 13 hours a day, and the unpacking boxes and drinking it takes to get over work takes the rest of the time)

I decided a month ago that I didn't care if they went down, that they've put together a great young core of players and that they'd be strong enough to bounce back, within the three years, and maybe come back stronger. It is amazing how willing I am to listen to my own lies.

Can we please couple this with nine loss runs by bolton, birm and newcastle?

I am willing, very willing, to offer up the top five and top 10 cash I've already surely lost to ensure this.

[Katsbox]

Reading wins 2 in a row and MShofield posts to the forum. I just took a look out the window, and yes, pigs are flying!!! Long may they continue.

[rms5555]

You left out Long scoring a meaningful goal.