Hob Nob Anyone? - The Fans' View of Reading Football Club

Match Report: 2009/2010 Season

13 January 2010: FA CUP ROUND 3 REPLAY
LIVERPOOL 1 READING 2 (AET)
goals
 Reading: Sigurdsson (90 mins, pen), Long (100 mins).
Liverpool: Bertrand (45 mins, own goal). 		Half Time: 1-0
Attendance: 31,063

CHAMPIONSHIP 13 Jan 2010
Pos Team P Pts GD
20 Ipswich 24 25 -7
21 READING 24 23 -13
22 Plymouth 23 21 -13
teams
 Reading: Federici, Mills, Ingimarsson, Bertrand, McAnuff, Cisse (Howard, 59), Karacan (Long, 81), Sigurdsson, Gunnarsson, Rasiak (Kebe, 65), Church. Subs not used: Tabb, Hamer, Matejovsky, Pearce.
Liverpool: Cavalieri, Degen (Skrtel, 91 ), Carragher, Agger, Insua, Benayoun, Gerrard (Babel, 46), Aquilani, Lucas, Torres (Ngog, 29), Kuyt. Subs not used: Aurelio, Pacheco, Gulacsi, Spearing.
bookings
 Reading: Gunnarsson, Ingimarsson, Karacan, Mills.
Liverpool: Degen.
Ref: P Dowd (Staffordshire)
report
 What a night. What a result. An excellent away performance at Anfield resulted in a thoroughly deserved victory in the FA Cup Third Round replay. This was Reading's first win at Anfield and caretaker manager's Brian McDermott's first win as Reading boss. And what a way to claim such a historic result. Initially it seemed luck was against us when Liverpool took the lead in stoppage time at the end of the first half when a Gerrard cross hit the leg of Bertrand and deflected into the Reading net, but Reading's continued determination and attacking football paid off. The second half belonged to Reading as we continued to look the more dangerous side. McAnuff nearly scored a goal that would have been remembered for years to come after a superb run from his own half, slicing through the Liverpool midfield and defence before putting his final effort just wide of the post.

Some great crosses saw players inches away from putting on a final touch and it looked like Reading were set to leave as gallant losers, until the break came in injury time at the end of ninety minutes when Shane Long was taken down in the area. Sigurdsson stepped up, sent the goal keeper the wrong way and calmly put the ball low, out of reach and into the back of the net to force extra time. It was no more than we deserved. Instead of Liverpool battering us we played the better football in extra time. On 100 minutes Gunnarsson was nothing short of pure genius on the right wing, twisting past two players to deliver the perfect cross. Shane Long got his head on it to send it into the back of the net. 2-1 to the Royals - a deserved lead and pure joy. Liverpool did little to put pressure on Reading and the Royals stayed ahead with near ease to complete an amazing night in Liverpool. Reading face Premiership Burnley at home in the fourth round of the competition.
FANS' POST MATCH OPINION

Been supporting the boys since 1976 and I can't remember anything like this in the FA Cup. We'd beaten Southampton & Wolves when they were first division clubs at EP in cups but Liverpool at Anfield? Unbelievable. Saw us lose 2-1 in the Prem there the year we went down and didn't venture up last night so watched on telly. As when I went, Anfield was again eerily quiet for long periods. You get the impression that they know they are a two-man team. They seemed to only get noisy occasionally in the second periods of normal time & extra time but you could also hear the 800 loyal royals singing virtually throughout. Both games seem to show that we are a good footballing side but with little cutting edge - we must ensure this victory encourages us in the league, not deflects us from it. Does Brian deserve a go at the job? Of course he does and now we have Griffin on loan, we need a striker. Anyway I'm off for a great day at work - anyone would think I was the manager with the amount of texts and e-mails congratulating me! Well done boys!
Worzel, West Sussex

That's why supporting Reading is so special, for results like this, maybe we should adopt Iceland as our second home as I thought Ingimarsson and particularly Gunnarsson had games they dream of truly colossus performances not forgetting Siggy Sigurdssons awesome penalty. Possibly one of the best Reading performances I ever seen in many years and wonderful to hear all the so called pundits giving us due credit. I guess McDemott will probably get the job now and probably deserve a chance but it should be to the end of the season then the club should take stock and decide. My dream would be to see Coppell return as director of football as I'm sure his heart lies with us, but I doubt it'll happen. Well played Reading every single player deserves every bit of credit, onto Forest where a point would be a great result. Enjoy the moment ....UURRRZZ
Nick Newbury

WOW! Did I witness a very good game with a never before result at Anfield?? I am very privileged to have witnessed the game. At first, we were ok but then we turned a bit shakey and looked doomed when we let in the goal right on half time. But until the start of the second half we were playing like Premier League champions! I think Brian Mcdermott is the man to bring success to the club and take us back to the Premiership where we belong.
Paul Toovey

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QUOTES FROM THE PRESS

An extra-time goal from Shane Long capped a stunning comeback from Championship strugglers Reading as they knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup. Liverpool fortuitously took the lead when Ryan Bertrand deflected Steven Gerrard's cross into his own net. In second-half injury time Reading were rewarded for their endeavour throughout when Gylfi Sigurdsson levelled from the spot after a foul on substitute Long. Long's extra-time header proved the decisive blow to send Reading through. This was Reading's first victory at Anfield and it was fully deserved as they out-worked their under-par Premier League opponents to book a fourth-round tie at home to Burnley.
Reading caretaker manager Brian McDermott:
"I thought for the whole 120 minutes we were terrific and I thought we were good value for the victory. It's fantastic for the football club, it's great for the chairman and everyone associated with the club. I've been around the game a long time, I think people forget that... I've been in football for 32 years and I think this is my time now. I'm a novice manager in terms of games but I really believe this is my time."
BBC Sport

Reading’s night of glory was entirely merited. This was no smash-and-grab raid, regardless of them having stayed in the third-round replay only courtesy of a penalty scored by Gylfi Sigurdsson during stoppage time. When Shane Long scored the winner in extra time there was not even so much as a desperate charge from Liverpool, who appeared to accept their fate in a manner befitting of a club and a team that appear trapped in a maelstrom... Extra time was the least that Reading deserved. Just as Leeds United had done away to Manchester United 11 days ago, the lower-division side refused to give deference to their more illustrious opponents, taking the game to them at every opportunity and creating the better chances... These are sorry times at Anfield, but Liverpool’s loss is Reading’s gain and no one could deny that Brian McDermott and his team deserve to take their place in the next round and their time in the limelight.
The Times