AUTO
WINDSCREENS SHIELD SOUTH SEMI FINAL BRISTOL CITY 4 READING 0 |
Attendance: 8,733 |
Scorers: - | Date: 15 February 2000 |
Team: Howie, Bernal, A.Williams, Hunter, Robinson, Grant (Hodges), Parkinson, Caskey, McIntyre (Scott), Butler, Forster. | |
Match Hero: |
Reading were soundly beaten at Bristol City with two goals from the home side in each half to kill the Wembley dream. Reading saw the return of Adrian Williams in a hooped shirt with his second debut for the club after signing on a month's loan earlier in the day. With Gurney and Primus both out, Andy Bernal joined a four man defence that was set to make a couple of fatal mistakes. City took the lead with ten minutes of the first half remaining when a long clearance by the City keeper found a lone City player to break the off-side trap to run clear into the Reading half. Howie was rounded and the ball slid into the empty net. Five minutes later it was 2-0 when Hunter was easily beaten leaving the chance to shoot inside the box. The Royals made two changes at half time with Hodges and Scott coming off the bench - and almost managed to grab a goal back when the ball was headed back, blocked on the line, and then almost stuck home by Williams. However despite a bit of pressure from Reading it wasn't enough and City made it 3-0 mid-way through the second half when a corner from the left was headed home.
City then grabbed a fourth moments afterwards when they broke into the area, past Robinson, and drove the ball low into the corner of the net to seal the victory - and move on to the Auto Windscreens area final. A disappointing result for Reading after their recent form, but now time to concentrate on moving up the league table continuing with victory at Scunthorpe in front of a huge away following.
Post
Match Opinions
|
Oh dear. Back down to earth with a big bump. Still, it's better to lose in
this competition than lose three valuable points, so most of us felt that
despite a good pasting by a very mobile City side it was no bad thing,
because we were poor. Very poor in the second half.
I was at this match, cold, wet and wondering why I had bothered! Reading
lacked any midfield desire. Parky was sliding all over the place, lucky not
to get booked, and basically City were faster in all areas, and wanted to
win. Worst of all was that Tony Thorpe (who did nothing whilst at Reading on
loan) scored two of the goals. First goal City scored was as a result of a
long clearance by the City keeper, which completely deceived the Reading
defence, and was far too easy. Second goal was a shot that Howie should have
saved, at least from where I was sitting it seemed that he could have closed
the angle better. |
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