After all the events of the week, with Alan Pardew's semi-departure and the war of words between West Ham United and Reading, it was a relief to finally get this game underway. All the talk during the week was about how it was going to be an intense atmosphere and how the rival fans wouldn't exactly get on too well. Travelling to and from the ground by the Tube and even inside the ground there was little evidence of two clubs fighting over a manager. Perhaps Reading fans are already used to the idea of a club without Alan Pardew, and the West Ham fans didn't seem too bothered about Pardew's possible arrival. They are clearly happy enough at the moment being managed by Trevor Brooking and Pardew hardly seemed to register much feeling within the home fans today. Reading's travelling fans gave their full support to John Madejski and Kevin Dillon and the game got underway with the home fans strangely silenced by a vocal Reading following packed behind the goal.

Pardew's interest in West Ham was due to their "big club" status - and there was no doubt of this status simply looking around the ground and at their team sheet. However, the argument remains that Reading are a club on their way up with perhaps brighter prospects. We found ourselves a few rows from the front and in a corner, paying full price for a ticket, but with a seriously poor view of the pitch. It was impossible to see what was going on in the far corner and a real struggle to see anything running down one side of the pitch. Before the game we queued for a full half hour for a pie and pint only to arrive at the front of the queue about two minutes before kick-off. The balti pie, the standard measure of the quality of any football ground, was an overheated dried up affair too. For less money you're guaranteed an excellent view at the Madejski Stadium from any seat with plenty of leg room and you can get a beer in less than thirty minutes. Upton Park might look more impressive and hold more people, but the Madejski Stadium still puts it to shame. Unfortunately it's the football that wins the league points and West Ham were ahead of us on that today.

On the evidence of this game West Ham should do all they can to keep Trevor Brooking in charge - his successful spell so far as caretaker manager looks unlikely to end in defeat with performances of this confidence. It certainly wasn't a perfect West Ham performance and Reading gave them a real run for their money later on in the game - but they remained in control despite solid second half effort from the Royals. There would have been little Pardew could have added to a West Ham side full of star players and working well as a team during the first half. After a very shaky start the Royals got down to the Pardew style of football later in the game but struggled to find a way through despite all their excellent second half possession play.

The opening twenty minutes belonged to the home side. Perhaps it was the events of the week or perhaps the Royals were a bit in awe gracing the pitch in front of a full Upton Park against a side of household names. It looked like it might be a disaster early on until the Royals eventually settled down. Reading started like a Division below the Hammers who played the ball around sending Reading players sliding all over the place on a recently watered pitch. The home side's quick direct football saw Reading second to the ball and failing to get in some important tackles as West Ham threatened to pull ahead. They cut through the Reading defence and saw an early shot come off the foot of Hahnemann's left post, the offside flag was required to keep Reading on level terms. Moments later Hahnemann showed the form he was to continue for the rest of the game with a save from a shot just inside the box. It was all one way traffic as Reading struggled to even get a touch. A corner from the left saw West Ham take the lead when the ball was firmly headed home from the centre of the box into the back of the Reading net with the Reading defence failing to challenge. It was to be the only goal of the game.

After the goal Reading spent the rest of the game chasing the equaliser and West Ham appeared prepared to let them do that in the knowledge their defence would hold firm. The whole Reading team appeared to chip in with Goater running back to keep winning the ball and lay it off to start a Reading move forward. We looked good passing the ball around as West Ham didn't interfere as we stroked it forward looking for an opening. Unfortunately openings were few and far between. Murray put in a few promising crosses from the right in the first half but Hughes was missing entirely down the left despite some good runs forward from Shorey. The second half saw Reading step up a gear and dominate the game in terms of possession - but not in terms of shots of target.

We looked a good side across the pitch during the second period, until the final third when we continually ran into a wall with the home defence showing few signs of breaking. The Reading passing seemed to break down when it mattered too often. Forster went on a good run and had Hughes spare to his right but instead of knocking it into his path to break through he blasted it at a player between him and goal. A waste of a good opportunity and Hughes went totally mad at Forster throwing his arms around and having a real tantrum. About ten minutes later the same situation occured, Forster didn't want to be violently abused by Hughes this time so laid it his right and into the path of Hughes. It was another real chance - but Hughes blasted the ball into orbit and was lucky Forster didn't return the same abuse.

One of Reading's best chances came when James, in the West Ham goal, let the ball slip from a Sidwell shot from the edge of the box. The shot lacked real power but caught the keeper unaware and Forster nearly followed up the spilt ball until it was collected. Murray had a half decent shot too that was wide of the post with the keeper perhaps beaten. Sidwell looped a header onto the top of the net as Reading won a series of corners. Down the right Murray created a few chances - and nearly supplied an excellent cross to Goater who would have been set to score. Unfortunately it was another final ball inches wrong that was tidied up by the West Ham defence.

With Reading pushing forward and running out of time to score it seemed to open the game up to allow West Ham to break forward on a number of occassions. Reading were industrious but lacked the artistry on the edge of the box - meanwhile West Ham soaked up the pressure and looked far more dangerous when they came forward. Without the skill of Hahnemann in the Reading goal we could have actually lost this game by four or five goals. Hahnemann made a series of excellent saves during the second half. Once he cleanly held the ball when it was heading for the top corner. The West Ham fans were all on their feet to celebrate the second when suddenly Hahnemann appeared from nowhere to make the save - and that happened more than just the once. He pushed a few wide of the post after excellent West Ham shots on target and was probably Reading's man of the match. The Reading defence didn't have a bad game - but relied on Hahnemann to tidy up with Defoe and Connolly both twisting and turning our defence on regular intervals.

If West Ham had have been allowed to win by a bigger margin it wouldn't have fairly reflected the game. The home side certainly deserved the win but the small margin was about right with Reading enjoying a lot of the ball. Today our patience didn't pay off, but against other sides in the Division we might well have come away with the victory today. I'd expect West Ham to be right up there at the end of the season, and hopefully Reading won't be far behind. Kevin Dillon will be looking forward to his first home game in charge during the week. Cardiff won 5-0 today and jumped one place above Reading who slipped to seventh, so it'll be another big test for Dillon. Lets give him our full support once again. Alan who?
Graham