Reading once again suffered from a complete lack of any fire-power up front as Coventry City took a clear Boxing Day victory. Reading's magnificent run in November was thanks to a superb defensive run of form, which hasn't entirely disappeared. During that run we only managed to find the one or two goals per match and that's the problem that is leading to our current poor run. This defeat was Reading's third straight defeat and our fourth game without finding the back of the net. There are only two teams in the Division that have scored less goals than the Royals.

With Nicky Forster out injured, Alan Pardew was forced to change the line-up. What appeared to be a continuation of the 4-5-1 formation might have actually been 4-4-2 with Andy Hughes pushed forward to play alongside Jamie Cureton who started the game in place of Forster. Cureton worked hard up front but wasn't presented with enough of the ball to make an impression on the game and the partnership of Hughes and Cureton never looked like producing a feast of goals for the Royals.

Ricky Newman returned to the squad in midfield, but in honesty the Coventry midfield was far superior to Readings and won them the game. The home side opted for 4-5-1 and showed how to make it work by making excellent use of the wings as they pushed forward leaving the Reading defence looking beatable on many occassions. New signing, Steve Brown made his debut in the centre of Reading's defence in place of John Mackie, who remained on the bench. Brown had a good game for Reading but the defence was beaten on several occassions - plenty of indications that we lack the ability of Upson to hold it all together. Coventry's pace down the wings was a lesson for the Royals on how to produce goals when playing with a five man midfield.

Coventry got off to the better side and continued that way. A number of early opportunities called Hahnemann into action to make a few solid saves to keep the scores level. Reading looked like they were starting to get into the game with a good bit of pressure and winning a few corners before Coventry took the lead on 39 minutes. The pace of Coventry's Partridge down the left wing was the difference and he cut inside the Reading defence to deliver an excellent cross that drifted over the heads of the entire Reading defence leaving a header for Craig Hignett, which he sent past Hahnemann and into the back of the Reading net.

The victory was sealed for the home side not long into the second half when the pacey Partridge doubled the lead with a superb solo goal for Coventry. After getting hold of the ball inside his own half he went on a run straight for goal twisting past a series of Reading players with apparent ease before burying the ball into the back of the net to make it 0-2. With the game slipping away from Reading, Alan Pardew introduced Henderson and Tyson for Salako and Watson to produce a very attacking formation with half an hour of the game still to go.

Despite the number of attacking players on the field Reading still failed to produce enough dangerous chances. Nathan Tyson looked lively and had a good chance which he failed to take but did produce an effort that wasn't far over the crossbar from distance. Cureton had a shot well wide, but Coventry always looked likely to grab a third down the other end. In the dying minutes of the game Reading threw everyone forward and goalkeepr Marcus Hahnemann perhaps came the closest for the Royals all afternoon when he nearly side footed home a cross. However, Reading had failed to look dangerous in front of goal and failed to contain a lively Coventry midfield, and as such the result was never really in doubt.