Match Report: 2010/2011 Season

9 April 2011: CHAMPIONSHIP
NOTTINGHAM FOREST 3 READING 4
goals
Reading: Harte (19 mins), Karacan (54 mins), Kebe (62 mins), Church (90 mins).
N Forest: Boyd (pen, 38 mins), Earnshaw (51 mins), McGugan (pen, 88 mins).
Half Time: 1-1.

Attendance: 22,495

CHAMPIONSHIP 9 Apr 2011
Pos Team P Pts GD
4 Swansea 40 69 +19
5 READING 40 66 +22
6 Leeds 40 64 +11
teams
Reading: A. McCarthy, I. Harte, A. Griffin, I. Ingimarsson, Z. Khizanishvili, J. McAnuff, M. Leigertwood, J. Kebe (H. Robson-Kanu, 81), J. Karacan, S. Long, M. Manset (S. Church, 77). Subs not used: A. Federici, M. Antonio, B. Howard, A. Pearce, J. Tabb.
N Forest: L. Camp, W. Morgan, L. Chambers, J. Lynch (P. Konchesky, 66), C. Gunter, L. McGugan, G. Moussi (N. Tyson, 65), R. Majewski, R. Earnshaw, G. McCleary, K. Boyd (D. Adebola, 77). Subs not used: B. Moloney, K. Darlow, M. Tudgay, D. McGoldrick.
bookings
Reading: Kebe, Griffin.
N Forest: Earnshaw.
Ref: Craig Pawson.
report
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FANS' POST MATCH OPINION

Just got back. Everything still a bit of a blur. Superb game, players celebrated every goal like it was the one that won the league. Fantastic support creating a great atmosphere in the away end. Could have been 8-8. But I'll settle for 3-4!
LeicsRoyal

This game had everything. Great start by the Royals and a deserved lead taken with a stunning Harte free kick. Then a penalty from nothing brings Forest back into the game and they react positively as half time approached. Second half saw Forest go ahead with a good shot from Earnshaw and the away fans were silenced. But not for long as Karacan's looped header evened things up and Kebe gave us the lead from a corner. Great atmosphere in the away end turned to great tension as Forest set up attack after attack, then another dubious penalty seemed to have robbed us of a deserved win. But there was still more to come with a quickly taken free kick ending up in the net. The fans go wild but there is still time for more drama and a last minute penalty miss by Long. Amazing game. Can't speak and must go and check blood pressure now!
bcubed

Best away game I have been to, and maybe the best full stop. The atmosphere was amazing, their goals felt so dreadful and our first three goals were just so great. When the fourth went in I just couldn't take any more in. I am in a daze. There were seven big decisions and the ref may have got them all wrong, but we still deserved the win. Kebe and MacAnuff were just too much for them, but Harte seemed like our best player today. Fair play to Forest, we've played some nasty fouling teams in the last few weeks, but they tried to match us playing football, and their fans were great. The two or three minutes leading up to their second goal must have been some of the best footy seen in the championship all year. I didn't know that Forest had Delilahed Mull of Kintyre: I will download it in a minute.
Handsome Man

This game had just about everything. Fabulous. First big moment, a seriously good save from McCarthy when it was 0-0. He will be a star for England but will probably leave in the summer. Manset has OOODLES of ball-skill but isn't aware of his team-mates when he's ploughing through. He is going to be a top-top player but it will take at least one season, maybe two. And he's DIFFERENT. Long ran his socks off again, very good game, but the saved pen was because he put it in the same place. Karacan was immense, one totally superb tackle back and a very good goal. We missed a lot of chances, and with luck could have had eight or so goals Elwood was, yet again, superb. Fantasic free kick by Harte. Jimmy so wanted that goal. The players all did very, very well. Forest had a real go and could win 4-0 against many teams playing like that.
Snowball

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QUOTES FROM THE PRESS

Reading boosted their Championship play-off hopes with a thrilling last-gasp win at fading Nottingham Forest... Reading took the lead when Republic of Ireland international Long had his heels clipped by Chris Gunter when he chased the ball left of the Forest area after 19 minutes. Harte shot over the hosts' wall and into the far top corner with Camp unable to keep it out. Forest equalised seven minutes before the break when McGugan turned Mikele Leigertwood inside the area and fell over the midfielder's leg. Boyd blasted the penalty into the bottom left corner without fuss.

After being in control for so much of the first half, Reading were suddenly hanging on as keeper Alex McCarthy did well to keep them in the game. But the hosts went ahead in the 51st-minute when Earnshaw was allowed to drift inside the box before sending a shot across McCarthy that went in off the inside of the far post. Yet that lead was short-lived as Karacan equalised three minutes later, the midfielder meeting Harte's corner 15 yards out with a header that sailed over Camp but underneath his crossbar. The impressive Kebe then tucked in a rebound from Zurab Khizanishvili's blocked shot. Forest, though, thought they had salvaged a point when substitute Hal Robson-Kanu brought down Gunter before McGugan converted the resulting penalty. But, in a frantic finale, Chambers accidentally turned the ball past Camp [replays showed Church had the final touch] to give Reading a vital three points before Forest's unfortunate keeper saved Long's penalty after the unlucky Chambers had handled.

BBC Sport