Match Report: 2010/2011 Season

12 February 2011: CHAMPIONSHIP
NORWICH CITY 2 READING 1
goals
Reading: Long (26 mins).
Norwich: Lansbury (16 mins), Holt (90 mins).
Half Time: 1-1.

Attendance:25,560

CHAMPIONSHIP 12 Feb 2011
Pos Team P Pts GD
11 Watford 29 43 +10
12 READING 30 42 +11
13 Barnsley 31 41 -8
teams
Reading: A. Federici, M. Mills, I. Harte, A. Griffin, I. Ingimarsson, J. Tabb, B. Howard, J. Kebe, J. Karacan, H. Robson-Kanu (M. Antonio, 72), S. Long. Subs not used: N. Hunt, S. Church, Z. Khizanishvili, M. Manset, B. Gunnarsson, A. McCarthy.
Norwich: J. Ruddy, E. Ward, L. Barnett (Z. Whitbread, 79), R. Martin, A. Drury, A. Crofts, D. Fox, W. Hoolahan, H. Lansbury (A. Surman, 63), C. Martin (A. Wilbraham, 81), G. Holt . Subs not used: K. Smith, J. Steer, S. Jackson, S. Lappin.
bookings
Reading: - Sent Off: Karacan (65 mins).
Norwich: Lansbury
Ref: S W Mathieson
report
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FANS' POST MATCH OPINION

Incident packed game.
Didn't have a good view of the Karacan sending off, looked like one of those 50-50 challenges where someone comes off worse, in this case the Norwich player, then a massive scrum of players and the inevitable red card for Jem. Kebe had the beating of the Norwich defence time and time again, good cross by him for Long's goal. One extraordinary incident seconds before half time where Kebe was trying to take a quick corner and the linesman was standing in the corner quadrant, for what reason only he knows. Kebe became frustrated and in the end sort of stabbed the ball through his legs straight to a Norwich player. Wtf was that all about?

Lino got poleaxed by a coin thrown from the Norwich section, which was aimed at Harte who took stick all afternoon following the Grant Holt sending off incident at the Madejski. Norwich will get fined for that. The stewards seemed to identify the culprit who was taken out the ground, then appeared to have been exonerated and came back in. Pick of our players were Long and Kebe, Federici, but my MOM was Tabb. He was everywhere and, I'd like to see the incident on TV, but looked to have won a stone wall penalty in the second half, denied by the very poor ref. To lose to a goal in the last minute of injury time was galling after playing most of the second half with ten men, and more than holding our own. But as my Norwich mates pointed out after the game, they did have several one-on-ones in the second half which Federici saved well. Unluky to lose that one I think.
Norfolk Royal

No complaints from me on the sending off. Difficult to comment on our penalty claim being so far away but it looked a decent shout and I don't think Tabby has a history of going down too easily although the referee on more than one occasion seemed to think so. As an attacking force I thought in general it was pretty much Kebe and Long or nothing again. On the other wing it was the same story as usual - HRK worked hard but was ineffective and Antonio was more unpredictable but lost the ball in dangerous areas.The midfield was hard working but lacked creativity and despite his error for the first Norwich goal I thought Tabby looked a little more like the old Tabb that I haven't seen much this season.

I always try to see what positives players bring to the team as well as seeing their weaknesses but I am afraid far too many goals against are either being created or scored from the left hand side of our defence. Harte is good in the air and reasonable on the ball without being exceptional in my view. We all know he is going to get skinned by players for pace but especially having seen the winner again he really should have been getting a challenge in on Holt for the goal even if he had ended up deflecting the ball into the net. He looked extremely tired and leggy. Time for a change - we have little to lose now anyway.
Elmer Park

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QUOTES FROM THE PRESS

Holt's winner ensured that Norwich remain level with second-placed Cardiff on 54 points and made amends for his own miss moments earlier, when he was clean through but denied by Reading keeper Adam Federici. The Australian keeper, making his 100th league start for the Royals, would prove to be a major obstacle for the home side during the match. Early in the game, he saved Chris Martin's header before defender Andy Griffin as able to block superbly from the striker. Martin saw another shot saved by Federici, but shortly after Lansbury opened the scoring when he converted from close range after being found by Wes Hoolahan. Holt blazed a great chance to make it 2-0 over the bar and was made to pay soon after when Reading's Long tapped home after Jimmy Kebe had got the better of Elliott Ward.

Two more saves by Federici - from Holt and Hoolahan shots - kept the game level, but Reading's hopes of a positive result were dealt a blow just after the hour when Karacan was shown a red card for a poor tackle on David Fox. Norwich's Andrew Surman hit the bar with a shot and Holt was denied by Federici, but the striker was not to be denied the winner as the Canaries scored their eighth stoppage-time goal of the season.

BBC Sport