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13 December 2003: LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
STOKE CITY 3 READING 0
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goals
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Reading: - Stoke: Hoekstra (18 mins, 26 mins, 87 mins penalty) |
Half Time: 2-0 Attendance: 11,212
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teams
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Reading: Hahnemann, Murty,
Shorey, Ingimarsson, Mackie, Watson, Harper (Savage 57), Sidwell, Murray
(Tyson 73), Salako, Forster. Subs not used: Brown, Newman, Young. Stoke: De Goey, Halls, Clarke, Thomas, Taggart, Hoekstra (Marcus Hall 89), Russell, Neal, Eustace (Johnson 88), Noel-Williams, Akinbiyi (Asaba 79). Subs not used: Cutler, Commons. |
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bookings
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Reading: - Stoke: Eustace , Noel-Williams. Referee: C J Foy (St Helens) |
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report
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A poor Reading display with a series of defensive errors, played in adverse weather conditions, resulted in a comprehensive defeat for the Royals at Stoke City. Last weekend Reading travelled to Wigan and came away with an excellent 2-0 win thanks to two wonder goals by Nicky Forster, this Saturday we went to Stoke who are struggling near the bottom of the table and we looked easily the second best side. Forster didn't produce the wonder goals and was restricted to a few long range efforts that never troubled the Stoke keeper and instead the wonder goals came from a Stoke player who banged in a hatrick with limited resistance from the Reading defence. The Reading starting line-up featured a few changes in midfield with Murray getting a recall to the starting eleven and Harper getting a start in place of Hughes. Neither player managed to impress after coming back into the team as the Reading midfield hardly got a look-in on the game. Right from the start Stoke City were on top and doing the attacking as Reading were forced to defend. Hahnemann was needed to make an early save to stop the home side going ahead, and they had another couple of shots that were blocked inside the area. With a strong wind behind them Stoke kept pumping long balls into the Reading area and the Royals struggled to really break out of their own half for any decent amount of time throughout the entire first half. After a brief visit by Reading in the opposition half a quick break saw Stoke go ahead. The ball was played quickly forward and Ingimarsson lost his man as he ran into the area to go round Hahnemann as stick the ball home. The one goal advantage was quickly doubled just six minutes later when Stoke broke free with no one picking up Hoekstra as he went on a run down the wing before cutting in and hitting an impressive strike from just outside the box. Hahnemann was on hand to prevent Stoke embarrassing the Royals further and pulled off a couple of saves as Stoke enjoyed all the chances. Reading needed a good start after the break to have any chance of getting something from the game - and there was a glimmer of hope at the start of the half. Reading managed to go on the attack and had a good few mintues of pressure on the Stoke goal. Murty put in a good cross which was met by John Salako on the left side of the area which needed a save by the Stoke keeper. That was followed up by a Watson shot in the centre of the area that flew well wide of the right post. Murty had a shot that was blocked, and Reading's brief moment of hope soon fizzled out. We failed to get another meaningful shot in until the final minute, when we were 0-3 down, when Shorey hit one right at the keeper. The rest of the game saw Stoke continually look the most dangerous side in a non-exciting second half. Stoke could have increased their lead but Hahnemann saved with his legs, but it was all over with three minutes left when Shorey fouled Hoekstra in the box and Hoekstra fired home a cheeky penalty to see the game finish with Reading three goals down. |
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FANS' POST MATCH OPINION
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Today
was a day when your patience as a fan gets pushed to the limit, how can
we play so well at Wigan yet not even muster one worth while attempt at
goal in 90 minutes against a team as poor as Stoke? Today was just another
example of how we fail to raise our game against teams in the lower half
of the league. Imagine where we woud be had we picked up more points against
Wallsall, Crewe, Rotherham, Burnley and Bradford And yet at the half way
point we are just outside the play offs with all the top sides to come
to the Mad Stad in the second half of the season. Lets just hope today
was a bad day at the office and better weekends lie ahead, at least for
this fed up Royal. Just
a quick thought. We are, and have been for sometime, a very good side.
However, our form remains too inconsistent and it appears we rely to heavily
on Nicky Forster. He is a proven player, and in my opinion he would walk
in to any other first divsion side. But if he does not perform well who
do we rely on for goals? Of late our lack of depth up front has started
to have an effort. firstly, Coppel is restricted in his starting line
up. Without Goater, we do not have proven striker to play along side Forster.
Savage has never scored for Reading, Henderson struggles to make the bench
and Tyson has never been seen as a regular striker. Constantly swapping
from left wing to up front will not allow him to settle down in one position.
Morgan needs a chance in the first team, although would he be a regular
goalscorer?? The
game could of laid claim to many excuses however all can be answered in
the score line. We were poor very poor, clearly the tactics were a miss
today and this was a game that was crying out for a 4-4-2 formation against
a club struggling near the foot of the table and Reading on a high, however
Reading chose to stick to the 4-5-1 formation not expecting Stoke to of
done any homework! The 1st goal we were a little unfortunate as we had
just attact and shorey was last man and should of hoof the ball into touch
but instead elected to try and put a foot on it and control it ... didn't
work and started a bad day at the office for this young man. The 2nd Goal
was a great strike and USA was a little at fault but it seemed to be unstoppable.
The 3rd was poor very poor and i don't think it was a pen, but i was at
the other end of the ground. My summary, is not good for some of the established
players, and it should be noted that the subs were brought on far to late,
very much so in the case of Tyson, at least got 2 shoots off..1 on target,
(not followed up..Fozzie). Regarding the weaknesses today, Jonny Sal,
Harps, Murray (v/poor), Fozzie ( didn't work today on his own), biggest
weakness Coppell, poor tactics. Reading's
lack of consistencey strikes again. After such good efforts against Chelsea
& Wigan, we have this...... We have proved to Pardew 'anything you can
do, we can do....worse'. At least his lot only conceeded 1 goal to Stoke.
Poor, poor, poor. Improvement needed.... |
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