30 May 2011: CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF FINAL
READING 2 SWANSEA CITY 4
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
goals
|
Reading: Hunt (49 mins), Mills (57 mins).
Swansea: Sinclair (21 mins pen, 22 mins, 80 mins pen), Dobbie (40 mins). |
Half Time: 0-3. Attendance: 86,581
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
teams
|
Reading:
A. Federici, M. Mills, I. Harte, A. Griffin (H. Robson-Kanu, 84), Z. Khizanishvili, J. McAnuff, M. Leigertwood, J. Kebe, J. Karacan, N. Hunt (S. Church, 76), S. Long. Subs not used: B. Howard, A. Pearce, J. Tabb (sent off), A. McCarthy, S. Cummings. Swansea City: D. De Vries, A. Tate, A. Williams, G. Monk, A. Rangel, L. Britton (M. Gower, 77), S. Sinclair, N. Dyer, J. Allen (L. Moore, 89), S. Dobbie (D. Pratley, 55), F. Borini. Subs not used: Y. Makaba-Makalamby, A. Richards, A. Serran, C. Beattie. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
bookings
|
Reading: Griffin, Khizanishvili, McAnuff.
Swansea: Gower, Allen, Borini. Ref: P Dowd. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
report
|
A disastrous first half condemned Reading to another season in the Championship, despite a magnificent fight back in the early stages of the second half. This was an excellent play-off final for the neutral and gave both sets of fans the full run of emotions. At half time, and 0-3 down, it was pure despair for the 40,000 Reading fans packed into Wembley Stadium. After half time there was only one team in it as Reading dominated the game for twenty minutes. Reading flooded forward, pulled back two goals, and so nearly pulled back the third to level the game. Had Karacan's effort been an inch to the left, after the deflection which took it onto the base of the Swansea post, then it was have been 3-3 with Reading in full control. That was the point that Reading were closest to the Premiership - more so than when the game started. Shortly afterwards Swansea got the game back under control, kept hold of the ball, and Reading lost their momentum again before the crucial fourth Swansea goal from the penalty spot that sent Swansea up.
It was shame we'd given ourselves such a mountain to climb after a nervous first half in which Reading looked a mess compared to Swansea's slick passing football. Reading looked edgy and unable to settle down. Griffin, unfairly, picked up an early yellow card which did nothing for the nerves, and immediately Swansea looked comfortable. Everytime Swansea came forward they looked dangerous, while Reading attacks broke down with mis-placed passes time and time again. The Reading defence crumbled under any kind of pressure and after Griffin's early card it was easy to see us finishing the game without eleven men. Khizanishvilli was struggling and conceeded a penalty on twenty minutes which was fired home with Federici sent the wrong way. Sinclair doubled Swansea's lead a couple of minutes later as they cut through with ease. At two goals down Reading already looked beaten. The third before half time was not a suprise, and at the break all the discussion was only about how many Swansea would add in the second half. News filtered through that Tabb had been sent-off from the bench after a "discussion" with the referee and the mood deepened further. The big day out at Wembley was turning sour at an alarming rate. Yet, it all turned around as soon as the second half started with Reading on the attack and getting in an early shot to set the pattern for the next twenty minutes. All of a sudden the game looked to be turning into that classic game of two halves. Reading came out on fire. The Reading fans behind the goal were in full voice. Reading swarmed forward. Within four minutes we got the crucial goal to bring the game alive. McAnuff's corner found Hunt in the middle and his header found the target via a deflection off Swansea defender Allen. The Royals won a stream of corners as Swansea looked equally likely to conceed on each attack as Reading had in the first half. Another McAnuff corner was met by Mills to make it 2-3 with 57 minutes on the clock. The Reading fans went mental - absolute euphoria - and suddenly we all thought our play-off luck was finally to change. Moments later, with Swansea firmly on the ropes, Karacan looked to have delivered a potentially fatal blow to the Swans. However, his effort smacked against the foot of the post with every Reading fan on their feet. The ball rebounded out - and surely was going to be driven into the back of the net - but was blocked, allowing Swansea to clear the danger. More corners followed as Reading kept up the pressure for a while... until Swansea managed to calm the game down. It was all about making it count, and we came so close to doing that. However after failing to get the crucial third goal, and after such a huge effort, our moment, our historic comeback, faded. Swansea steadied themselves, got back on their feet, and started holding up the ball again to stem the Reading revival. With time starting to run out, the equaliser looked less and less likely. Swansea won their first corner of the game and relaxed again with the ball back out of their half. Ten minutes later Griffin conceeded a clumsy penalty with the ball heading out of play. There was no need but there could be no argument. Sinclair stepped up, Federici went the right way this time and nearly reached it, but couldn't stop it hitting the back of the net for Sinclair's hat-trick. 2-4, and Swansea were promoted to the Premiership and Reading were forced to suffer yet another play-off final disappointment. Yet, it didn't feel quite so bad this time around. Maybe we're just getting used to losing in the play-offs or maybe it was that for twenty minutes it was really quite special, a magic moment at Wembley, after we'd already written the game off. Graham I can't remember a game passing so quickly. The whole experience was somehow unreal. Along with 40,000 other Royals fans I sat in disbelief as we saw our team disintegrate in the first half of the the most crucial game of the season. Against a good, but by no means outstanding Swansea team, Reading conceded three goals. To complete the feeling of despair their leading scorer missed an absolute sitter on the stroke of half time. The second half flew by as the Royals tore Swansea to shreds with an onslaught which produced two headed goals from corners in the space of eight minutes just after the break. The turning point in the game came soon after the second goal when Jem Karacan's low drive was deflected against the post. At that point, thoughts of my last visit to Wembley came flooding back when Reading, two goals ahead against Bolton, missed a penalty. My heart sank then and that same feeling returned and the seeds of doubt were sewn. Had the equaliser arrived at that point who knows what might have happened. Reading's lack of pace at the back was cruelly exposed by Dyer and Sinclair, and it was a late lunge by Griffin produced the penalty which sealed their fate. As Sinclair prepared to take the spot kick I glanced at the clock and unbelievably only ten minutes remained. As the ball hit the back of the net everyone knew it was all over. I suppose it was inevitable that a team managed by Bendan Rogers, who had failed so miserably at Reading, should lead his team to victory which denied the Royals a place in the Premiership next season. Neutrals would argue that Swansea had already beaten Reading twice this season in the league and finished two places above the Royals in the league and therefore deserved to be promoted. Reading were not helped today by some poor refereeeing. I find it hard to believe Swansea only committed four fouls in the entire game. Interestingly they only managed four shots on target as well! Maybe Reading deserved better. Although this was a disappointing end to a good season next season will bring fresh hope, but there will inevitably be changes. Long will probably go although he will struggle to hold down a regular spot in a Premiership team. Some of the older plyers may not cope with another season and Brian Mcdermott will have to work hard on a low budget to rebuild his team. If anyone can he will. John Wells |
|
|