Match Report vs SWINDON TOWN
What a satisfying feeling to beat Swindon and continue our five-game unbeaten run. The first half was nothing much to mention but the second half Reading started to play some great football again and ran out deserving winners, unlucky not to grab a few more goals. And another bumper crowd to play their part in a traditional derby atmosphere complete with a couple of fights almost starting on the pitch between players. The Reading fans won the verbal battle on the terraces with Swindon's support proving very quiet and eventually leaving five minutes early. Ha-ha!
Reading started with the team that's been doing so well recently. With Wright again in goal with Bobby either injured or not prefered, and the same five man defence thats let in just 2 goals in five games. Once again Reading had the brilliant pair that is Lambert and Gilksey - always likely to produce something. Nogs and Morley up front.
Reading maybe should have scored right at the very start. Swindon won the toss and made Reading play to the Tilehurst end where Gilkes promptly legged it with the ball. He broke through the middle and let out a good shot - saved by the Swindle keeper. Although the game didn't get off to a blinding pace by any stretch of the imagination Reading remained on top for at least the first 15 minutes.
Andy Bernal got forward well to break into the box on the right corner - he was floored by calls for a penalty were probably a bit optimistic. Gilkes through he'd have a go at one of his nippy little runs, however he once again proved that he is just not a striker. He took the ball through the middle and to the left of two Swindle defenders however he couldn't keep on his feet to put in a decent shot. It run slowly to the keeper. That was pretty much it from Reading in the first half. The first of the half turned into a bit of a bundle - the ref could have easily produced a lot more cards but didn't.
Swindle came right back into the game and up to the half time whistle were probably unlucky not to sneak a goal in. Wright made a couple of saves. They also thought they should have a penalty. Bollocks. The winger just blasted the ball into the arm of Barry Hunter. Even superman wouldn't have moved his arm in time. Maybe. Anyway, don't believe what the papers say. The referee continued to be total shite and missed a deliberate stamp on Nogs which saw our 15 million quid striker collapse for a while in the middle of the pitch.
Reading won a couple of corners but both were wasted on the left by a cheating Swindle full back. He repeatadly stood 2 yards away from the corner flag leaving us no way of getting the ball past him. WAKE UP REF! Swindle played out the half in a truely boring fashion. Their centre back was laughable - EVERY time he got the ball it went back to his keeper. Shite!
The ref ended the half two minutes early when he was beginning to lost control of the game a bit.
The second half was much better.
Yep, definately a game of two halfs. The first a bundle with Swindon looking marginally better. The second Reading played some good stuff and took contol of the game as they powered to victory.
Gilkes started the half with another of his runs after a good ball over the top landing at his feet. But he again finished with a weak shot - the keeper getting down well to his left. On 50 minutes Morley broke through on the right side of the Swindon area - the keeper came out and brought him down. Penalty. At the time it seemed the only way we would score. Another strange interpretation of those FIFA rules as the keeper got away with just a yellow card. Morley doesn't miss penalties. He's scored five out of five now this season. He stepped up and fired the ball into the right side of the net. YES! 1-0 to the Blue and Whites!
I'm sure you could see the Royals actually start to relax a bit more. And as they did they started to create a whole lorry load of chances again looking for the next goal. Eric Cantona.., sorry, James Lambert, wasn't having his best game and wasted a great run by failing to pass the ball onto Gilkes in space. But on 60 minutes Reading won a corner on the left.
Gooding played a beaut of a corner in. It sailed over the defence and keeper on the near post and over to Trevor Morley, brilliantly placed, waiting for it on the far post. His metal head connected with the ball and it was in the back of the net for 2-0! You Rrrrr's!
Gilkes went on another run and was floored outside the area. It really should have been a red for the Swindle defender but he escaped with just a booking. Meanwhile Nogs and Morley were both having problems resisting the temptation to deck a Swindle player or two. Then Nogs did something sexy. The ball was played to him in the middle and it looked like he'd never got a shot in, but he turned on it and powered the ball goal-bound needing a good save. Morley was after his hattrick and looked really up for it. He tried a long-lob-shot-type-thing which the keeper just got up to and fumbled away.
Nogs was unlucky not to make it three with a great shot from the right side corner of the box. The low powerful shot was saved at the post by the Swindle keeper. With the game settled Caskey came on for Lambert - Caskey's only contribution was to waste a free kick. Gooding had the last attempt in the closing stages with another long shot just over the bar. Then the final whistle went to finish a determined second half performance from the Royals.
Wright had another excellent game - doing nothing wrong. The whole defence looked really solid. Bodin had a brilliant game against his old team getting forward well and jumping in all the time making vital tackles. The same could be said of Bernal. Hunter still can't pass. He really is Martin Hicks! However he had a good game and looked good in the middle taking everything out and clearing - except when Macca did it first. Morley had a quiet first half but a blinding second. Nogs looked Nogs like in the second but was subject of too many hard tackles. Gooding was his normal determined self. Gilkes was good but can't shoot while Lambert had a quiet game for him.
So there you have it - five games without defeat! And despite that 1-6 scoreline, which we'll just forget for now, Reading's homeform is looking good! Another vital three points sending us to 13th in the table above Oxford. Suddenly the season really has turned around. And Quinn must at last be starting to feel a little safer.
Graham