Marcus starting, Bobby on the bench. Kitson with a 29th minute goal to make it 1-0 Reading. Not watching, but apparently there was some controversy when Koumas was fouled outside the box and the referee blew for a penalty, only to reverse it after conversing with his linesman.
Just talking to a huge Reading supporter in England, claims Convey is out on the right and looks like he's returned to form. In fact he claimed Convey has been their best player in his time on the field tonight.
Yeah, he put in some nice crosses.. Should have got Michael Brown sent off, but the ref didn't give him a card??? Harper scored the winner but it was all setup by Kitson..
From Soccernet match report: http://soccernet-akamai.espn.go.com/report?id=219303&cc=5901 Convey was looking the man most likely to fashion a breakthrough for the home side and one pacy, low delivery from the right only just eluded Doyle and then Kitson in the box. Hahnemann was fortunate not to concede a penalty when Wigan caught Reading on the counter-attack, but Aghahowa opted to try to carry on instead of going down and was intercepted by Ingimarsson.
It’s hard to know where to start after a curious match which provided Reading’s first win in what feels like a very long time, but witnessed a performance less composed than Beethoven’s 6th Drum & Bass medley. Not that it was a dull game, having more twists and turns than a particularly tricky stretch of Alpine road, and the moment that had me sensing victory – because it was that kind of game – was an awful late Wigan miss. Reading had started well. Keen to put three displays that would be kindly pigeonholed under “Disappointing” behind them, they overran Wigan for much of the first half. Doyle, having been rested, looked more like his old self, clipping a customary run into the box just past the far post. Kitson, man of the match for me by a mile, was pulling most of the strings up front And always looking to play players in, linking the play well. After a Duberry header into the side-netting, Rosenior had a great chance to put Reading ahead on his home debut after being put through, but his shot was well saved by Kirkland. This had the Wigan fans chanting “England’s No.1” in his honour. The very same song was being sung by Reading fans moments later though, as he laid claim to being in the “Paul Robinson/David James” bracket by gifting a goal. Good work by Doyle in the box saw him make space for himself for a shot. Kirkland got down to it, but spilled it out to Kitson who’d followed in like all strikers should, and showed he’s deadly from two yards. At this time Wigan attacks were of a rarity that’d see steak still classed as raw, so it was something of a surprise to see them surge forward within a minute and be awarded a dubious penalty, not least because it looked outside the box. Luckily the linesman had a better view and said it was a free kick instead. The moment might not have turned the game as much as a penalty probably would have got, but it gave Wigan confidence and they were at least even for the rest of the match, as Reading went in at half time knowing they should have made more of a positive first half. That they didn’t is particularly worrying knowing that for some reason Reading are more fragile than a brittle-boned old lady in the time just after the break, and again in proved so today. After doing very little in the opening few minutes of the second half they won a corner, and Bent was inexplicable left alone like the stinky kid in class to head in unchallenged from six yards. Her we go again, was the groan around the ground, and the body language of the players suggested similar. Wigan definitely had a quarter of an hour when they were well on top after that, and the exposure of Reading’s raw nerves for all to see were as welcome a sight as a fat cyclist in lycra. Passes were underhit, overhit, hit in the wrong direction. Players we rushing in crazily, as far too hesitant at other times, in a passage of play more rash than an outbreak of chickenpox. The game was to perhaps turn with Rosenior getting struck by cramp, to be replaced by Convey. It wasn’t that he’d been poor – he wasn’t, but he’s not a right winger either. Add to that the fact that Hunt, while not quite strutting about claiming to be Kaiser Wilhelm, didn’t look to quite be himself either, and it wasn’t working as well as it should going forward. Convey’s addition gave Reading the right hand side outlet that’s been lacking since Oster’s injury against Everton, and while he also made a lively contribution to some of the comedy of errors that were almost python-esque in absurdity, he more importantly made Reading look dangerous again. With play going from end to end, going through the midfield like a hot curry through buttocks, chances came and went. Perhaps closest was a Convey cross which flashed across the face of goal, and would probably had been turned in had the pitch not been lengthened by a couple of yards at either end in the last week. Wigan looked to have won it with three minutes to go. Having spent all afternoon presenting a choreographed display of the multiple ways to be offside, they broke clear. Hahnemann hesitated, then came rushing out anyway. He got nowhere near the ball as the Wigan striker took it round him into the area. Luckily, with the awaiting wide-open goal gaping like an enthusiastic hooker, Wigan were embarrassingly premature in celebrating as an inopportune stumble lead to the chance being wasted. Sometimes you feel the football gods are merely teasing you, and that was the case with that chance, and I just felt we had to win after a miss like that. And right I was. With a minute to go Kitson capped an all-round fine display with the kind of through-ball that’s his trade-mark, and the on-running Harper threaded the eye of a needle to win the match. Hahnemann had something of a mixed game. He made a couple of good saves in the first half, and his decision to rush out on the breakaway probably prevented the goal, if not quite in the way he'd have planned. He doesn't command his box well though, and a guy who must have a decent set of lungs on him really ought to be able to tell defenders to leave crosses that are his ball. Convey was lively. He certainly wasn't immune to a bit of wayward play, but I'd be very disappointed if he doesn't start next week.
I'd seriously have bet any money given the blind spot on Convey's left eye that he couldn't play right mid. Good on him.
That's the thing about Coppell and what makes him a great coach - he sees possibility where others only see limitations. A reallying interesting story. Quite a few years ago Coppell was managing a team in division 4 and their centre forward got hurt. They played a very direct game and all they had left on the squad was 5 foot 1 Pico Kleiner. But Coppell played him up top as a solo guy and he headed in 9 goals on the year. It was amazing. In University he coached a team of disadvantage youth and converted a double amputee into consitent team of the week centre half. Coppell is truly visionary and therefore was brilliant enough to be the first (and probably only) coach to ever play Bobby on the right, despite his handi, uh, visual challenge. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get Marcus to change careers and take up ballet.
RichardL does it every week -- and it all comes from not just the wit from his own keyboard, but insights from the bottom of his own heart, as well. Also, good to see that Convey is more or less back to his old form. Here's hoping he can get more and more minutes with each passing match, and hopefully back up to 90 before too much longer.
the highlights i saw on FSC saw Marcus getting into a little scuffle at the end of the match- anyone know what that eas all about?
he was being a little bit "professional" in retrieving the ball from behind the goal before a very late Wigan corner. A Wigan player shoved him, he shoved him back, yellow cards for both.