Back from the game - Cardiff (A) - Wembley special.

[who are ya?]

My favourite bit was the pause as Long hit it. There was a cheer and then everyone sort of hushed as the ball sailed towards the net.

It was surreal wasn't it? Then the RFC fans celebrated as one all at the same time!

Especially as that ball was in the air for about 2 1/2 weeks.

Much longer than that!

[papereyes]

My favourite bit was the pause as Long hit it. There was a cheer and then everyone sort of hushed as the ball sailed towards the net.

much the same for the penalty, big cheer followed by the ' has he really given a penalty' silence, then the realisation.

where I was, everyone turned around to the big screen that was showing a birthday wish ...

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

Well, what can you say really - classic, classic away performance.

I don't think we played all that well in the first half but somehow contrived to go in 2-0 up. Brief flurry from Cardiff but we had all the best chances, hit the post, Hunt put one wide, then Jobi slalomed through to smash in the most comprehensive FUKK OFF goal I've ever seen us score.

In bullet form:

- Matt Mills was absolutely brilliant and a clear MOTM for me
- Cummings did a job. Brave decision to play him in a 4-4-2 but he can hold his head up this morning
- I got quite emotional last night

This game, eh?

It's a Mags love-in today. Agree with everything posted here.

[Svlad Cjelli]

Well, what can you say really - classic, classic away performance.

I don't think we played all that well in the first half but somehow contrived to go in 2-0 up. Brief flurry from Cardiff but we had all the best chances, hit the post, Hunt put one wide, then Jobi slalomed through to smash in the most comprehensive FUKK OFF goal I've ever seen us score.

In bullet form:

- Matt Mills was absolutely brilliant and a clear MOTM for me
- Cummings did a job. Brave decision to play him in a 4-4-2 but he can hold his head up this morning
- I got quite emotional last night

This game, eh?

It's a Mags love-in today. Agree with everything posted here.

+1

Also a mention for Karacan who never stopped running and closing down all night, as well as having a couple of useful breaks.

[bcubed]

Can I just put a good word in for some Cardiff fans as they aren`t all complete planks. We parked up next to a car load of CCFC fans and I saw them look as we got out of our car and made a joke to them about if the car would be ok there. No problem they assured us. They caught up with us on the way to the ground and pointed out the best way in and also a better way back to the car. We had a very friendly chat and parted with a friendly handshake with them wishing us luck. Bumped onto them back at the car after the game and they congratulated us, although gutted with the result, shook our hands again and wished us luck in the final . (they reaaallly want us to beat Swansea )
This is how football should be and I am sure in a reverse situation not all of our fans would act the same way.

Probably true but there are still some planks out there

the guy behind me got a cut head from something (a coin?) thrown by Cardiff fans right at the end of the game

And LOL at the Cardiff fan with a group of Royals at Leigh Delamere services who claimed we were lucky to win!

anybody else see this?

[Svlad Cjelli]

Nope. not a thing. Nor did I see stewards reacting as they woudl in such an incident.

[papereyes]

I got £2 out of the end of the game

[bcubed]

Nope. not a thing. Nor did I see stewards reacting as they woudl in such an incident.

It definitely happened - the guy had his head bandaged by a Police Medic
No stewards reacted tho and the guy was rightly going nuts at their inaction

[Svlad Cjelli]

But rabid looked so peaceful with my nutsack on his forehead this morning.

I got £2 out of the end of the game

Ah, makes sense now. Very cheap, though.....

[papereyes]

That £2 paid for some fluid refreshment from rabid. Obviously.

[BenReadingFC]

2 vids from Cardiff last night
Long's Penalty
and
Crowd after Jobi's goal

[LoyalRoyalFan]

2 vids from Cardiff last night
Long's Penalty
and
Crowd after Jobi's goal

Any pictures as well?

Top videos as always.

[brendywendy]

just had a massage, in my hotel room in west wales, re watching again on sky 1. We were So solid,organised,and professional. Incredible performance.so proud of my club.
The reading fans are so loud,and webb was awesome.if hed reffed the first game wed have won that too.didnt put up with any of their shenanigans.
Cummings performance even better on tv, and shane is forever a legend too.
What a lovely way to spend a lazy afternoon!

[SHORT AND CURLY]

Did people do a Poznan?

There was a token effort but I don't think anyone wanted to miss the action so they quickly truned round!

There were a few of us in the middle that certainly did it. Difficult to say how many as I was looking the other way

[papereyes]

just had a massage, in my hotel room in west wales, re watching again on sky 1. We were So solid,organised,and professional. Incredible performance.so proud of my club.
The reading fans are so loud,and webb was awesome.if hed reffed the first game wed have won that too.didnt put up with any of their shenanigans.
Cummings performance even better on tv, and shane is forever a legend too.
What a lovely way to spend a lazy afternoon!

A happy ending to a good couple of days?

[Libertine]

One of those nights you remember 10/20 years from now. We really pissed on the Welsh parade. Everyone from Sky BBC Radio 5 live were desperate for a Swansea Cardiff final. Just watched the FL show Mark Bright reckoned Cardiff should have had 5 stone wall pens.
Never praised us once. While Mark Chapmon on 5 live spent half an hour talking about Dave Jones future. On the plus front Claridge has predicted a Swansea stroll in the final. From a bloke who blow his career earnings on gambling.

I hope the "experts" keep on hating us...it is good karma.

I think what they don't get--and what you don't appreciate unless you watch Reading week in and week out--is what a tackling, disrupting team we are. We may look dull because we have no sparkling creative midfielder; but what we have is the constant attritional disruptiveness of Leigertwood, Karacan, and, when required, Tabb. Add to that the fact that we tackle from the front, with Long, Hunt, and even Kebe constantly getting a foot in, a lot of teams can't get a rhythm going against us--and that includes Everton and Man City. Cummings on the wing just makes us even more frontally defensive.

I should think it's horrible to play against. It's true that Swansea have beat us twice, but that was before we got good. If it goes our way, we could break their hearts. Long before the game is over.

Yep. And, as I think someone else pointed out somewhere, Swansea beat us pre-Leigertwood. I'm not gonna give him all the credit, undeservedly so because the whole team has been magnificent since February, but he was the cement that turned a decent team into one which will be playing at Wembley. I have always said talent+a high work rate will prevail over superior talent. I am not saying we aren't a talented team, or that Swansea is better than we are, what I am saying is with our talent, plus a superior work rate, we are tough to beat...for any team, in any division, in the UK. And our work rate, when we're on, absolutely disrupts our opponents.

But I hope the "experts" in the media keep on dissing us...if for no other reason I think it would motivate an already highly motivated team even more.

[Royal Lady]

2 vids from Cardiff last night
Long's Penalty
and
Crowd after Jobi's goal

Any pictures as well?

Top videos as always.

Excellent capture of Blackie there!

[rabidbee]

I got £2 out of the end of the game

More likely fell out of a Reading fan's pocket during a goal celebration.

[rabidbee]

Being the only carer for a 30-something kid with Asperger's and ADHD on an exciting day out meant that I just didn't have time to get anxious before the game, as I was more concerned with making sure he didn't play his annoying early-90s electronica, that we were able to park close to the stadium, and that he got his lucky pre-match KFC. It wasn't until 10 minutes into the first half that I could really start to enjoy the game. Still, the smile on his vacant little face in the car after the game, as he clutched his 4-pack of Budvar to his chest, meant it was all worth it.

And Jobi's goal gave me the perfect excuse to clock him one on the mouth during the celebrations, which helped ease my tension considerably too. Ooops!

I just found a paper aeroplane in the fridge.

[Bandini]

Being the only carer for a 30-something kid with Asperger's and ADHD on an exciting day out meant that I just didn't have time to get anxious before the game, as I was more concerned with making sure he didn't play his annoying early-90s electronica, that we were able to park close to the stadium, and that he got his lucky pre-match KFC. It wasn't until 10 minutes into the first half that I could really start to enjoy the game. Still, the smile on his vacant little face in the car after the game, as he clutched his 4-pack of Budvar to his chest, meant it was all worth it.

And Jobi's goal gave me the perfect excuse to clock him one on the mouth during the celebrations, which helped ease my tension considerably too. Ooops!

I just found a paper aeroplane in the fridge.

Yeah, but all your food has been re-ordered so that the short-dated items are at the front of the fridge.