BRENTFORD 1 READING 1 Attendance: 6,774
Scorers: Gurney Date: 2 November 1999
Team: Whitehead, Casper, Bernal, Hunter, Primus, Gurney (McIntyre), Parkinson, Evers, Caskey (Caskey), Williams, Scott (Grant).
Audio: Supplied by Classic Gold
0-1: Gurney scores
1-1: Brentford Equalise
Match Hero: Evers

Post Match Opinions

I thought that we defended far too deep in the second half but also thought that we should have sown the game up with a breakaway goal. I also thought that Hunter and Primus have forged a brilliant central defensive partnership and Casper and Bernal are looking like decent full backs and with the capabilities of getting forward too we look like we have a settled defence.With Forster, Evers, Murty, Williams all comming together very soon mid table and futher should suerly beckon.-- Jeremy Skates

Classic game of two halves, we should have gone in at half time at least a couple of goals up Primus and Hunter were outstanding for the Royals at the back, with most of the other players also showing a refreshing amount of effort . Evers had a good game and will only improve with time and fitness. At the end a draw was a fair result, when Brentford equalised you could sense all the fans were waiting for the Brentford winner but it never came . A special mention for the fans who were quite magnificent! If that support doesn't lift the players then nothing will . I thought it was the best atmosphere at a Royals game since we left Elm Park . -- Nick Poole

We are improving with every game now. Whitehead has installed confidence in the defence and it's great to have a player like Evers who is every inch the box to box player he was billed as. The lads worked tirelessly last night and it's refreshing to see defenders joining in the attacks compared to the disjointed isolation the strikers experienced during the Burns era. We still need to stop giving the ball away needlessly though and the continual problem of defending too deep needs to be solved urgently. Parky is giving his all but is looking worryingly off the pace. Brentford were pretty formidable at the back, and it was nice to see a team playing out and out wingers throughout. We can be happy with a point but it could so easily have been three. A special mention must go to the fans: We were deafening last night and produced a fantastic atmosphere - Bring on the Oxford!!!!! - Rob Webb

From where I was standing in the away end you could see the space the Brentford striker had to choose from to score at the near post - another example of the many crappy, unneccesary goals we've given away this season. Still, Evers looks good going forward, and the expected second half collapse a la Craven Cottage never happened. Interesting to see the substitution of Caskey as well. Perhaps Alan & John don't subscribe to the 'base the team around him' philosophy.... -- Hair Trigger

Two points lost, rather one gained. Reading defended far too deep and too often. With a little more application and communication between the front players, we would have come away with all three points and a hat full oif goals. Evers was a revelation, unfortunately his teammates do not appear to have the pace or intelligence to play in the same team. Can Forster and Evers can propel the Royals up the table ? The answer is YES based upon last nights performance. -- Robert Sadler

I thought Royals looked really good in the first half - apart from a dodgy spell midway through when they kept giving the ball away. We dominated possession and looked a class or two above Brentford. The speed with which we closed players down in midfield was impressive. In the second half Brentford were better and always looked like equalising. We stopped closing down their midfield and with Scottie tiring alarmingly upfront we threatened only occasionally. We seemed to have trouble getting men forward. Was this a deliberate tactic (to sit on the lead) or are our players not as fit as they should be? Caskey in particular looked out of touch. If Premiership clubs really were interested in him before last night they won't be now - stick a sprig of holly on him and he'd make a pretty good Christmas Pudding. -- "Ichcon"

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