Division One

READING TEAM: Bobby, Jones, Bernal, Macca, Gilkes, Codner, Holsgrove, Lambery, Archie, Quinn, Nogan.

Reading started reasonably brightly and in control but produced no real clear cut chances and rapidly began to deteriorate. What threatened to be a bad performance turned into one of those real classic shit long ball games that makes a bad performance look excellent. You get the idea. Reading were crap. Port Vale actually took the lead against the run of play after about 10 minutes.

Vale broke away after Tom Jones lost out on the wing. The cross came over from the left leaving our new superstar goalie looking more than a little confused. To start with Bobby held his place on his goal line, and then with the ball half way over made his move - too late. The ball arrived on the boot of the Vale striker first and Mikhailov could do nothing to keep the ball out of the net.

Reading resorted to the wonderful (not) long-ball game. The equaliser came from a passing movement however, proving this is our successful style. Codner, on-loan at present, took the ball on the right wing and played it diagonally wide to Lambert on the left. Lambert went on a sexy run darting in and out of defenders before sliding the ball into the corner of the net. Yes! Something to cheer about at last.

The rest of the first half Reading had posession but did nothing. My Granny could do better and she's in a wheelchair, and is blind, oh, and deaf, and has no arms (Ok, Im lying). Long ball were continually pumped into the sky Branfoot style. Suprise, suprise this didn't work. Quinn, Lovell, and Nogan were always outjumped to the ball by the Vale defenders, and Reading didn't look like coming close.

Shortly before half time Guppy for Vale took Tom Jones to pieces again on the left. A crap clearance from Bernal gifted Port Vale a goal that gave them the lead.

For long periods of the second half Port Vale were completely in control, producing the occasional shot which would be wide or over. A couple of times Bobby showed his class by getting down well at people's feet. Quinn was replaced by Meaker. Codner, who had a good game, was replaced by Parky, who didn't get sent off. Meaker had had enough after 5 minutes and faced with a onslaught from the crowd got himself stretchered off. So on came Kerr - who once again looked useful. Kerr took left back allowing Gilksey - another good game, to push forward on the wing. But nothing happened until injury time when the frustrated home fans were at last given something to giggle about.

Reading equalised in the dying seconds, with the last kick of the game, in true Reading style, to earn an undeserved point. Kerr on the left played a neat cross which Lambert met to carry the ball into the right side of the net.

Gilkes had a good game, Bobby needs some practice at the English game but looks as though he's going to be good, he also needs more work on his hair. Kerr played well when he came on. The entire front line did nothing. Tom Jones had the worst game of his life - beaten every time. We really missed Gooding, Dovey, and Williams. And the long ball game makes us look shite.

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