Match Report: 2011/2012 Season

24 September 2011: CHAMPIONSHIP
COVENTRY CITY 1 READING 1
goals
Reading: Church (10 mins).
Coventry: McSheffrey (2 mins).
Half Time: 1-1.

Attendance: 12,309

CHAMPIONSHIP 24 Sep 2011
Pos Team P Pts GD
14 Portsmouth 8 9 +1
15 READING 8 8 -1
16 Birmingham 7 8 -2
teams
Reading: A Federici, K Gorkss, A Pearce, J Mills, S Cummings, J McAnuff, M Leigertwood, J Tabb, N Hunt (H Robson-Kanu, 72), A Le Fondre (M Manset, 82), S Church.
Subs not used: B Gunnarsson, B Howard, A McCarthy.
Coventry: J Murphy, R Keogh, M Cranie, C Hussey, C Christie, D Bell, S Clingan, C Thomas , L Jutkiewicz, G McSheffrey (R O'Donovan, 88), C McDonald (C Platt, 62).
Subs not used: C Dunn, G Deegan, N Cameron.
bookings
Reading: Gorkss, Cummings.
Coventry: Christie, Thomas.
Ref: Eddie Ilderton.
report
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FANS' POST MATCH OPINION

Poor performance. Midfield was very weak and couldn't string two passes together all game, although Tabb did a good job. No threat from wide positions. Coventry were a poor team who we should be beating if were going to get anywhere in this division. Noel Hunt was atrocious. He is not a winger. Mcdermott must be losing it by praising him. His penalty was abysmal. Church and Le Fondre linked up well, depsite terrible service. Too many long balls, and Leigertwoods long ball half way through the second half to no-one summed it up.
Other than penalty in last minute our defence looked pretty solid. Mills and Cummings at least offer some movement and Pearce even played ok. Again though Federici had to make a good save after the ball went through the wall. Ground was soulless and like a library for long periods.
Overall satisfied with the draw, although Coventry were poor. Church can now finally be called prolific which I never thought I would say. Hunt however should never play right wing again, and certainly should never take another penalty.
Carlos

I think the comments on our midfield are a bit harsh. I thought Tabb put in a really good shift and Legs was steady and no they are not the greatest going forward but the passing was good in spells and then we looked a bit more like scoring. I agree when they punted it forward it looked ugly. Without an in form Jimmy we are going to struggle but Church and ALF up front began to look more like a threat than I expected. Jobi is always frustrating ..drifting in and out of the game. Cov certainly showed us how to shoot on target and if we had done as well from the positions we got in to we would have won comfortably. I am sure Fed will be gutted about their goal but from my angle it was just a freak blast that was perfect. Their other shots were good but not as good as that one. I heard people moaning about Mills on the way out but i thought he was a lot better than last week and needs a run in the team to get some confidence. Pearce was the one that causes me concern with wayward passes.
Percy's Rocket

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QUOTES FROM THE PRESS

Coventry striker Lukas Jutkiewicz missed an injury-time penalty as the Sky Blues were held to a draw with Reading. The hosts took the lead when Gary McSheffrey fired home from an angle after being played in by David Bell. But Simon Church levelled the scores for the Royals when strike partner Adam Le Fondre squared the ball to him after a flowing passing move. Reading then missed a spot-kick of their own, with Noel Hunt's tame effort saved by Joe Murphy. That lifted the home crowd and Coventry almost retook the lead but defender Chris Hussey fired over the rebound after Adam Federici had palmed out the impressive McSheffrey's shot. Reading also went close through Jobi McAnuff, who had won Hunt's penalty earlier when he was fouled by Cyrus Christie, and Joseph Mills. But the game's defining moment came when Jutkiewicz was fouled by Kaspars Gorkss in the box and he blazed over his penalty, the last kick of the game.
BBC Sport