Match Report - Away VS West Brom

Division One

7th October 1995

WEST BROM 2 READING 0
READING TEAM: Sheppard, Bernal, Gooding, Holsgrove, A Williams, Wdowczyk, Gilkes, Parky, Quinn, Lovell, Lambert

How Reading managed to be so completely stuffed using the same 11 players that had beaten the same West Brom team (more or less) so convincingly just 4 days before is a mystery. This was an entirely different Reading side to the victorious Coca-Cola cup team. Same players but everything went wrong.

The first half was Readings best half. They got worse in the second. Quinn should have given Reading the lead just before half time when he found himself in a one-on-one situation with the West Brom keeper. Quinn got closer, Naylor came out, Quinn shot and it went safely away off the legs of the keeper. Lovell had a great chance from a cross but missed his chance from just 10 yards off the goal line. However West Brom could also have gone in with the lead at half time. Dovey had to make a spectacular save off the goal line to keep the scores level.

The second half was all West Broms. The two goals came within five minutes of each other on the hour and after 65 minutes. The first was curled in from the edge of the box and the second came from 12 yards out when the crossed ball found an unmarked man who calmy put the ball into the back of the net. 2-0 and Reading were well beaten - but it could have been more. The defence was shit and at blame for both the goals and particually the second. Where was the defence?? Sheppard had a resonable game and can't be put at fault for either of the goals. In fact 'Super Si's saves kept the West Brom tally down twice he made the vital touch to put shots over the bar. On 75 minutes West Brom should have gone 3 up but the header hit Sheppard instead of the back of the net.

So the 1,000 away supporters went home annoyed yet again. Another negative point is the number of bookings. There were 8 during the game - 5 of which went to Reading players. Bernal got a yellow in the opening minute and Quinn, Gooding, Lambert and Wdowczyk also got a card each. Quinn missed a squillion chances - nothing like Tuesday night. Gilkes was shite. And Reading drop to 18th in the table - just 3 points of the bottom of the table.

Quote Jimmy Quinn: "I'm bitterly dissapointed at the way we played".
So there you go.