MATCH REPORT: 2004/2005 Season
12 March 2005: LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
READING 3 WEST HAM UNITED 1
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goals
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Reading: Kitson (13 mins, 27 mins, 57 mins).
West Ham: Sheringham (82 mins). |
Half Time: 2-0 Attendance: 22,268
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teams
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Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Hughes, Sidwell, Newman (Brooker 82), Little (Harper 81), Kitson, Morgan (Owusu 85).
Subs Not Used: Young, Keown.
West Ham: Bywater, Newton, Powell, Mackay, Mullins (Ward 87), Noble, Lomas, Fletcher (Chadwick 45), Etherington, Zamora (Sheringham 62), Harewood. Subs Not Used: Walker, Reo-Coker. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
bookings
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Reading: Newman West Ham: Fletcher Referee: P Joslin (Nottinghamshire). |
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report
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Reading fans have had to wait a long time for a convincing home win, but this was worth waiting for. It may have given many Royals fans particular satisfaction to put one over their former manager but for me that was the least significant aspect of this fine performance. Dave Kitson once again demonstrated how simple scoring can be if you take up good positions and keep your head when the chances arrive. His hat trick was the end product of a solid all round team performance. West Ham were simply outplayed in every department and never really looked like threatening Reading's superiority.
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FANS' POST MATCH OPINION
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What a difference a goal makes! Not necessarily the first but probably the second. We started well today, but we have done that before. What was different today was that we capitalised on it and you could see the players wanting the ball and more importantly, moving into position to receive it. We played well as a team and individually. Morgan was very lively up front - I don't think anyone knew what he was going to do - even him. The key was Kitson's finishing. Two headers showed the weakness of the opposition in the middle, and his third resulted from sheer determination. The manager must be tearing his hair out but we now need to take this on and win at Rotherham. Suddenly everything looks good again. Let's have another hattrick hero on Tuesday!
This was the most committed performance seen at home for some time and Reading ran out deserved winners. The whole team worked hard, battled well and fought for everything with Hughes, Little and three-goal Kitson standing out for me. The image of Pardew stood solemnly amidst the chants of "Pardew Out!" and "You're going to get the sack" is one that will continue to bring a smile to my face on those cold wintry nights for years to come... Now that, inevitably, it took this fixture to brings many of the things that have been lacking since the turn of the year;- commitment, drive, the whole team giving 100%, and GOALS, you can only hope these newly returned qualities remain with the players for the rest of the season. The good work done in turning over Pardew needs to continue at Rotherham on Tuesday, Brighton the week after, and then on into the remaining fixtures that don't involve an ex-manager. COME ON...
Friday night I had a dream. In the dream it was the year 2010 and Nick Newbury and myself were in the pub celebrating Reading’s first treble, having won the Champion’s League, the FA Cup and coming top in the Premiership. We started reminiscing about the turning point in the 2004/5 season when Reading, having gone 11 straight games without a win, beat West Ham 3-1, with Dave Kitson (in 2010, Sir David Kitson) scoring a hat-trick, and then went on to win 6 of the remaining 9 games and beating Preston in the play-off finals on penalties. After that, we never looked back. This evening, I’m still dreaming – what a performance! We can still do it!
Shame we can't play West Ham every week till the rest of the season! |
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