11 November 1998  Reading
0 Wigan 1 |
|
Howie,
Bernal(Roach), McPherson, Primus, Casper, Brebner, Parkinson, Caskey, Sarr (Brayson),
Williams, Glasgow.
Hmmm...
Tricky one.
All samples
are Real Audio format - you'll need Real Player.
Coming
Soon!
Yet another dull home game I'm afraid. What cost this game for Reading in the end was the complete lack of urgency and imagination when going forward. We made some chances but overall it was comfortable for Wigan. Reading FC at their frustrating worst tonight I'm afraid. The whole team looked like they'd been down Utopia Tuesday night, taking full advantage of student night. (hey, pound a pint and girls with short skirts on, you can see the temptation!) With the exception of Neville Roach and occasionally Byron Glasgow, Reading rarely got above playing this game at walking pace. And Wigan were always going to be quite happy keeping it nice and slow - particually after grabbing the early lead.
Reading kicked off with the same team of recent games. The same line-up, give or take a player, responsible for grinding out 1-0 home wins over York, providing a fair bit of entertainment in a six goal Bournemouth home game, and doing Wycombe over 3-2 at their place. But tonight they never combined to give any suggestion they'd be challenging for the points.
Martin Williams had been listed as doubtful before the game with a hamstring injury - and it was made quite clear after he collapsed after about 30 seconds grabbing at his leg. For the rest of the half he was always a few yards off the pace, and never got himself into the kind of position he normally gets himself into. Somehow he managed to play the whole game too.
Wigan took the game to Reading as soon as the game kicked off. The first ten minutes was nothing apart from solid Wigan possession. All credit to them for taking the game to Reading when playing away from home. They seemed determined to get something from the game and so probably deserved their eigth minute lead. After seven minutes of tidy, almost Reading style, on the ground passing football, slowly building forward, they won a penalty. Howie came charging out to the edge of his area when Wigan broke clean through, and continued his charge through the Wigan forward right on the edge of the box. Just on the edge of the box but, unfortunately, just inside the box. A professional foul - so perhaps Howie can consider himself lucky that such a careless challenge earnt him only a yellow card. Up stepped the Wigan centre forward and smacked it dead straight - I think through Howie's legs or something. 0-1 to the away side. And they'd be no case for us to complain - we'd done nothing. Reading 1 Wigan 0 proudly displayed the scoreboard before going blank for the next ten minutes to hide it's cock-up. Let's say it right away though - it was without doubt the brightest thing on display tonight.
Wigan continued their possession for a bit longer as Reading kicked off, just to stop Reading coming straight back at them - and then realised that Reading weren't going to come straight back at them and relaxed. And so the pattern for the rest of the game was set. Wigan one goal to the good away from home, against opposition on the back of 8 games without defeat, were hardly likely to push forward looking for a second were they? Quite sensibly they packed their defence and took their time about everything. Reading did their usual, and sunk into the same pattern of play as the opposition, and in doing so the game pretty much stopped right there and then. Reading played like Wigan had for the first 10 minutes. Lots and lots of possession football. On the floor passing it backwards, forwards, left, right, and backwards again. Unfortunately going nowhere. Reading's best chance of the half was when Byron beat his man on the left wing and crossed for Sarr who scooped it way over the bar. The most excitement of the half came just before half time when Wigan picked up a few bookings as they all picked on Caskey and kept pushing him over.
Half time and Reading booed off the pitch.
Andy Bernal was replaced at half time by Neville Roach. And what a sensible substitution that was. At a goal down taking off a defender and bringing on an exciting young forward. Well done Mr. Burns. And for a while it looked like it might make the difference. Tommy must have given the lads a bollocking as the start of the second half saw Reading's best period. Roach always looked like he might create something down the left and gave a massive injection of speed. This made it all the more confusing when half way through the second half Roach was pushed in the middle with Sarr coming out to play left wing. When that happened we'd lost our speed and the little excitement we'd had.
Grant Brebner had a couple of Reading's best chances as they went in a brief search of an equaliser. Caskey provided him with two great chances from similar position's - just left of centre between the half way circle and the edge of the Wigan box. The first pass saw a shot direct at the keeper and when presented with the second chance Brebner tried to take it round the keeper. But the keeper saved at his feet on the edge of the six-yard box. Brebner tried another low shot from the edge of the area - but the keeper was always going to make the save. Caskey himself tried a few long ones - but those were always going into orbit.
Sarr again failed to really impress - but he is showing slight signs of improvement. His best moment came when he passed two or three men midway inside the Wigan half. He worked his way to the edge of the Wigan box and let off a decent drive that was rising all the time into the top of the net. The Wigan keeper, having a decent game, was equal to it to push it over the crossbar.
And that was really it. For the second half of the second half it was back to the first half. If that makes sense. The non-penetrative on the floor, all rather dull, going nowhere passing game. Shit in fact. It looked most likely to produce a goal when Wigan kept intercepting the ball as we played it across our defence well within our own half. In fact with a bit more luck they could have made the most of those and made it 0-2.
Wigan deserved the win for the simple tactics of coming at us, getting the goal, and then packing the defence to keep the lead. Much to the joy of the 37 away fans who outsung over 9,000 home ones. And the first ever Madejski Stadium defeat for the Royals.
Anyway, enough of this negativity, and onto the highlights.... Shit. There were no highlights. It really was that bad. Everyone was well out of it - even Parkie didn't seem all that up for it - failing to make tackles or chase the ball when he should have. There's been a lot of optimism flying around recently. Has it all been misplaced. Are we really any better than an average Division Two side?
Tonight made me think perhaps we'd been clouding our judgement. We played the same patient from-the-back passing football that Tommy Burns has had us playing throughout our eight game unbeaten run. It was just tonight the chances didn't come off and there was a complete lack of urgency that could have made the game plan work.
Graham
League
9,314