Match Report: 2011/2012 Season
10 March 2012: CHAMPIONSHIP
READING 3 LEICESTER CITY 1
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goals
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Reading: Leigertwood (15 mins), Roberts (75 mins), Church (89 mins).
Leicester: Danns (90). |
Half Time: 1-0. Attendance: 21,858
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teams
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Reading: A Federici, I Harte, K Gorkss, A Pearce, S Cummings, J McAnuff, M Leigertwood, J Karacan, H Robson-Kanu, N Hunt, J Roberts (S Church, 84).
Subs not used: M Andersen, T Cywka, J Tabb, A Le Fondre. Leicester: K Schmeichel, W Morgan, T Kennedy (S Howard, 46), S St. Ledger, L Peltier, L Dyer, N Danns, R Wellens, D Drinkwater (P Gallagher, 73), D Nugent, J Beckford (S Bamba, 46). Subs not used: J Schlupp, B Marshall . |
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bookings
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Reading: Leigertwood.
Leicester: Howard. Ref: Robert Madley. |
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report
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The was good crowd today, drawn by the sunshine and the Royals recent good form. They were not disappointed as Reading extended their winning run to eight games with three well taken goals. The winning margin might not reflect the balance of play but certainly underlined the difference in the quality of finishing of the teams. Reading now find themselves level with West Ham on points and only three behind leaders Southampton with a game in hand. The winning sequence must come to an end soon, but the Royals are now firmly established as serious contenders for automatic promotion.
An early goal looked on the cards as the Royals pressed City back into their own half. A save and two headed goal line clearances in quick succession got the home crowd going before Reading took the lead after fifteen minutes. McAnuff received a pass out wide on the right and opted to lay the ball back to Leigertwood on the edge of the box. The ball sat up invitingly and Leigertwood hammered the ball past Schmichael into the top corner. There will not be many better goals scored in the Championship this season. Hunt having won the ball so consistently in the air on Tuesday night was prevented from repeating his performance due to continuous and subtle pushes and shoves which were not picked up by the referee. There was an atrocious challenge on Karacan which was deserving of at least a yellow but resulted only in a verbal caution. (Later Leigertwood was booked for a similar challenge.) Defensively Reading were so organised and determined City were forced on a couple of occasions to retreat and pass the ball back as far as Schmichael to retain possession. Just before half time McAnuff won a free kick on the edge of the box and the home fans eagerly anticpated another strike from Harte but on this occasion his effort was blocked. Frustrated by his team's inability to pass their way through the Reading defence he brouht on Howard and Bamba to try to unsettled the baclk four with more direct approach. Howard certainly was over physical in his efforts to do so and received a yellow card for his trouble. Gorkss and Pearce stood up to the test well in spite of Howard leading with his arms and elbows everytime he went for a ball in the air. City pressed hard for an equlaliser but when chances did come their finishing was woeful. It did also leave them vulnerable on the break. Roberts played a poor ball when it a break looked likely early in the half. He came closer when he raced clear of the defence and was brought down from behind with only the 'keeper to beat. It looked like a penalty, certainly a free kick and a srtaight red card, but referee Madley instantly waved play on. Two awful challenges followed and nothing was given as Madley completey lost the plot. The turning point came on seventy-five minutes when Roberts continued his fine strike rate sliding in a good low cross from Hunt. Although City stuck to their task well they could could not find the finish they needed. Church came on in the closing stages, to freshen up the attack and keep the City back four busy, and added a third. He took up a good postion at the far post and timed his run well to nod home a deep cross. Hunt was again the provider. Much to Fedrici's irritation Danns scored a consolation goal in added time to prevent what would have been a seventh clean sheet in eight games. John Wells |
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