Play-off Final Match Thread Sponsored by the exiles

[TommyF]

Bit unlucky today. Undone by 2 moment of stupidity.

Dnt think Madejski has learnt a thing though. Fire sale now and league one within 2 years. Biggest shame is that BMcD is best manager we've had.

Cest la vie.

[earleyroyal]

Well, that was standard Reading play-offs rollercoaster wasn't it. I thought the first half was actually fairly even, nowhere near a 3-0 - apparently the first was a clear penalty so no complaints there, switched off or still shocked for the second and undone by some good if obvious movement for the third, but certainly nothing to justify the 'oles' we could hear (even at 2-0 up ) Just hoped for Reading to keep it competitive in the second half but how we underestimated their collective resolve - this team repeatedly displays a fantastic, determined attitude which puts many other clubs to shame and we were absolutely all over them for the first 25 minutes after half-time. Immensely proud of the efforts to get back in it (and had the Karacan shot gone in, etc. etc.) but ultimately there was too much to do - don't know about the second penalty but they'd drawn much of the sting out of our play by then.

I think that coming so close after looking likely to be humiliated is obviously a reason to be very proud of the players but also makes the defeat even more bitter: it goes into the top tier of play-off heartbreaks instead of being seen alongside the nondescript loss of three years ago. Having said all that, the period where we pulled back from 3-0 to 3-2 sums up why football is the best sport around - absolutely thrilling and absorbing entertainment, not that it makes things any easier. Congratulations to Swansea who I didn't think were anything special today but deserved it over the course of the year.