Well here's the start of another game ... with 2 yanks... ESPN/Soccernets page has both Eddie Lewis and Marcus Hahnemann starting... I can't get the matchtracker to work for this one so if anyone has internet radio links... I would appreciate one. Thanks,
Broomes with a 2nd yellow, so he's off. Referee sent Brown off also. So, 1-1, PNE down to 10 men, and are without their manager. PNE bunkering, trying to get to halftime.
And the away team, complete with 10 players goes up in this one. Graham Alexander converts a penalty for Preston in the 52nd minute. Reading 1 Preston 2
Fuller goes down in the box, PNE announcers screaming for a penalty, but the ref gives Fuller a yellow for diving. Announcers say the refs blew it, that it was a penalty. Hopefully I'm in the correct thead this time!
I missed it, but Eddie Lewis was subbed out in the 53rd minute. Tactical, wanting more defense, I believe. 11 minutes left.
O'Neil heads just wide for PNE, 2 minutes left. Creswell off for Rob Edwards, defender for an attacker.
FT, Reading wins 3-2. PNE announcers still going on about the non-penalty to Fuller. Says Reading fans are 'relieved'.
MH had a couple good saves, but only took three shots and gave up a goal, plus the penalty goal which isn't on him. Still, he's getting ripped for positioning in print and there's unease in the broadcasts about his play. At the very least, it sounds as if he isn't ripping off strings of games like last year when he stood on his head. RichardL, or anyone with Mad access, what's up with him this year? Or are the reports exagerated.
Well yesterday I'd just returned from Barcelona in the early hours of the morning, then been forced to get up early, and then had a few pints of guinness in the social club while watching England beat South Africa in the rugby world cup, so my judgement of yesterday isn't what it could have been, but.... it did look a poor mistake for the first goal. Oddly, if he hadn't got a touch at all it probably wouldn't have looked so bad, but the fact that he half-stopped it made it look like it was totally saveable. Generally when a keeper makes a mistake it leads to a goal, and people ask questions. Do it two games in a row and people ask a few more. The most telling thing is that after making the mistakes he's gone on to make crucial saves. One yesterday stopped what looked like a certain goal for a 3-1 lead. Most can look at that and say that he's just made a couple of mistakes, as all keepers do (look at Cudicini yesterday) rather than it being a downturn in form or confidence. There has been a noticeable drop in discipline/concentration since Pardew's departure across the whole team and it's been harder to pick out players who have played well over the last month or so, than it is to pick fault. Hopefully with a new man in charge normal service can be resumed as soon as possible.
Sharing the hope. But watched the highlights and the first goal was a disaster. He obviously didn't see it until late, but anytime you let a ball roll under your arms while your hands are on the ground is pretty bad.