With the chasing pack continuing to gain ground on the play-off positions this was a vital home victory for the Royals to pull them back into fifth place in the table and four points above the dotted line. If we are going to somehow make the play-offs this season then this is exactly the kind of victory that will take us there. We deserved the win tonight for working hard throughout the game - but especially in the second half when we kept playing it around and looking for the breakthrough that eventually came with John Salako's all important winner just three minutes before the end of normal time.

New loan signing Luke Chadwick made his debut for the Royals tonight and looked a touch a class within the opening five minutes with some real skill on the ball to weave in and out of his Gillingham marker. His inclusion in the starting eleven in place of the slightly out-of-form Andy Hughes made plenty of sense. Otherwise it was the same winning team that put five past Burnley away from home last weekend. Tyson started on the bench after his successful England Under-20 debut during the week - he was to come off the bench later in the second half and make a big contribution to the game by providing the cross that saw Salako score the winner - with a bit of help from some shoddy Gillingham defending. Other than that disaster for the visitors in the dying minutes, they had a good game and perhaps would feel unlucky they didn't take a point. The visitors deserved plenty of credit for attempting to win the game and forced the game into a lively second half encounter with some end to end football. There were the odd periods of hoofing and patches of the first half might not have been entertainment of the highest quality for the TV cameras but it was Reading that stepped it up in the second half and won the game around.

It was Reading that got off to the better start in the first half too with some excellent passing around of the ball as they looked just like a team challenging for promotion to the Premiership. With a seriously attacking midfield we looked good going forward until we got exposed when Gillingham came forward themselves. However the quick neat passing started to wear off as Gillingham just about enjoyed the best of the first half. The visitors took the lead on ten minutes with a well worked free-kick after winning it just outside the left side of the box. After a bit of mucking about it was chipped into the box and headed home in the middle of the area with the Reading defence well behind. It looked massively offside but the linesmans flag stayed down instantly earning him plenty of abuse from the East and North stands. It turned out he didn't deserve it - a quick dash down to the concourse at half time and a look at the TV showed that Wallace had been offside but ran on-side when the ball was played before leaving the Reading defence behind to head home. A correct decision that saw the Royals 0-1 down.

Gillingham's lead was short lived and it was a moment of glory for Reading debutant Luke Chadwick. The Manchester United midfielder did it all right as he ran into the area looking for the ball. Nicky Forster did well in the far right corner before beating his man and laying the ball across to Chadwick just inside the right side of the area. Chadwick collected the ball and shot. Just as the ball left his boot a defender slid in to make contact with the ball and the ball rose over the keeper and into the back of the net. It was certainly helped on its way but it was Chadwick's goal after just thirteen minutes of wearing a hooped shirt. 1-1. Reading seemed to spend the rest of the first half running in circles as the game seemed to break down from the Reading view point. We looked a little stretched at the back as Gillingham came forward and we needed Hahnemann to be in excellent form to keep the scores level at 1-1. Hahnemann saved one shot with a swift reaction with his leg to push it wide and saved another with a excellent dive. Nicky Shorey was on hand to head off the line as Gillingham enjoyed the upper hand. It was Gillingham that finished the first half on top before Reading took a better grip on the game in the second half.

Just after the break there were signs of Reading's intent to win the game. Salako nearly headed Reading into the lead after the break with an excellently worked move across the pitch. Salako did well to get in the right place to receive the cross and his header needed to be tipped over the crossbar. Pardew introduced Darius Henderson up front to give Reading a little more power and shortly afterwards he won a penalty after going down in the area from a challenge from the Gillingham goalkeeper. To be honest I hadn't seen the penalty as the players just seemed to colide when the ball was knocked it but I certainly wasn't complaining as Sidwell stepped up to take the spot kick. You'd really have to favour the striker in this kind of situation - but once again we wasted the penalty. It's a mystery how we can't seem to hit the back of the net from the penalty spot. This time it was hit low and to the keeper's left but lacked the power to see it home and instead the keeper was down well to make the save and hold the ball.

Reading continued to look dangerous as time started to tick away. The introduction of England Under-20 Nathan Tyson gave Reading yet more options up front. Tyson looked useful right away and provided a cross that saw Nicky Forster force a saw out of the visitor's goalkeeper when the ball was pushed over the bar. Moments later Tyson was involved again as Reading grabbed the winner. Tyson crossed the ball from the left and it was helped on it's way with a knock-on off the head of a defender. Salako was there at the far post and the ball hit a defender on the way in to the back of the net. A soft goal for Gillingham to conceed - but they all count. 2-1 to Reading just in time. There was still a nervous feeling with four minutes of stoppage time to play and Gillingham always looking dangerous when they came forward but Reading looked good for the win - which they collected a few mintues later.
Graham

Following report by John Wells
Although it was not a classic in terms football, tonight's game was full of incident and hugely entertaining. All the goals had an element of luck about them and Gillingham will claim they were unlucky not to get a point. Reading fans will probably see it slightly differently. No matter how you see it Reading snatched a victory at the end through sheer persistence.

Reading started strongly and it was very much against the run of play (and the laws of the game) that Gillingham took the lead. Following a clever free kick Gillingham scored a goal that clearly should have been disallowed for offside. No problem for a Reading side that was in the mood to compete for everything and the equaliser followed shortly afterwards. Chadwick turned the Gillingham defence inside out and drove in a shot which was deflected over the 'keeper by the outstretched leg of a Gillingham defender.

Reading had more of the play for next twenty minutes but only a header from Brown which flew just over to show for their effort. Gillingham always looked dangerous on the break and in the last ten minutes of the half created two or three good chances and probably should have taken the lead. Hahnemann made one extremely good improvised save with his feet to keep the scores level at the break.

The second half was as open as the first with Reading pushing forward land looking vulnerable as Gillingham broke out of defence swiftly. The visitor's combination of direct running from midfield and the movement of their forwards created havoc in the Royals defence. A draw was looking increasingly more likely as the game progressed.

On sixty -five minutes Pardew (or was it Dillon?) changed the formation to 4-4-2 bringing on Henderson for Harper. On seventy minutes the referee, who had a poor game, gave Reading a penalty when Henderdson appeared to be held by the 'keeper. Sidwell stepped up and hit the spot kick tamely and it was easily saved. From that point Sidwell's head went down and he was ultimately replaced by Hughes. His confidence was clearly shaken and I hope he forgets all about the miss immediately. He is clearly going to be a real asset to the club. Chadwick was replaced by Tyson presumably due to being short of match fitness. He oozed class and I am delighted we have got him at Reading for a month.

With six minutes left the Gillingham 'keeper pulled off a superb save from Forster. The finale came when Forster flicked on a cross and Salako reacted quickly to get his foot to the ball and again a slight deflection took the ball into the net.

This was a great result against a strong Gillingham side. The next few weeks are going to be exciting with some difficult games ahead. Reading competed well tonight and there were some very promising one touch sequences of passing, a concept which someone needs to introduce to Nicky Forster. I think we are in with a very good chance of making the play-offs.