Match Report: 2010/2011 Season
|
16 October 2010: CHAMPIONSHIP
READING 0 SWANSEA CITY 1
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
goals
|
Reading: -
Swansea: Sinclair (35 mins). |
Half Time: 0-1. Attendance: 18,418
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
teams
|
Reading:
Federici, Mills, Harte, Griffin, Armstrong, Khizanishvili, McAnuff, Kebe, Karacan, Robson-Kanu (Hunt, 66), Long (Church, 76).
Subs not used: Howard, Pearce, Cummings, Antonio, McCarthy.
Swansea: De Vries, Tate, Williams, Monk, Rangel, Pratley, Gower (Cotterill, 20), Sinclair, Orlandi, Dyer (Serran, 85), Dobbie (Nouble, 76). Subs not used: Beattie, Makaba-Makalamby, van der Gun, Taylor. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
bookings
|
Reading: Armstrong.
Swansea: Cotterill, Pratley, Rangel. Ref: O Langford. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
report
|
As far as Brendan Rodgers is concerned this was a perfect day. Not only did his team take all three points and move above Reading into the top six, but he was also given a warm welcome by the Reading fans early in the game. His team played some neat football and crucially had more of a cutting edge than the Royals. For Reading fans it was a disappointing and frustrating game in which all the obvious weaknesses were exposed. As far as strikers are concerned the statistics speak for themselves. What is remarkable is the strike record in spite of the lack of goals from the front men. Once again Karacan and Armstrong enabled Reading to dominate midfield for most of the match but without opening up the visitors defence. The back four were comfortable in possession but distinctly uncomfortable when confronted by pacy forwards. Griffin, Harte and Khizanishvilli played their part in keeping the ball and initiating attacking play with good passing. With McAnuff trying with limited success to fill Sigurdsson's role, a lot depended on Robson-Kanu and Kebe to break down City's defence, and today they simply were not up the job against a well organised and tightly packed defence. Both players had their moments, but when they did get behind the defence and deliver, the cross was either poor or the forwards were unable to convert them into goals.
Reading started well stealing the ball immediately form the kick-off and pressing City back into their own half. City survived an optimistic appeal by Reading for a penalty. Twice in the opening ten minutes Reading troubled City with crosses from the right from Kebe and Karacan to Long, the latter being header just over the bar. Reading then had a sight of goal when a clearance ricocheted to McAnuff in the box but his shot was blocked. Apart from the noise generated by The visiting fans it developed into a fairly subdued contest. City retained possession well an the Royals pressed without success. City took the lead with a well executed goal on the break in the thirty-fifth minute. Cotterill ran at the back four, which was real problem all afternoon, and spotted Sinclair breaking done the left. Griffin was alert to the danger but from a starting position of yard or two ahead of Sinclair was unable to catch him. Ironically, had he held the line with the rest of the back four Sinclair would probably have been caught offside. Reading had been on the front foot for most of the first half and they certainly needed to get at City with greater urgency after the interval. Robson-Kanu briefly flickered into life having been anonymous in the first half but it was City however that created better chances in the first phase of the second half. Reading were sliced open on the flanks by fast wingers and penetrating passing. Mills and Khizanishvilli were not quite or sharp enough to cover the weakness and Reading were lucky not find themselves further behind. Dyer hit the bar when he broke clear and found himself with only Federici to beat and almost immediately afterwards Dobbie found himself in a similar position. On this occasion Federici was able to block the shot. A City corner almost produced the second goal but the ball dribbled wide. Reading looked totally distinctly rattled but recovered their composure and began to press for the equaliser. It was one of those days when Reading did not look like scoring. Pressure created a few chances mainly headers but Long, Church and Hunt all failed to convert their chances. Kebe, having received his Player of the Month Award was disappointing. Eventually he gave up trying to beat his man and crossed from deep positions which made it easier for De Vries and his defence to deal with. Reading needed a player on the bench to come on to provide a spark in midfield but that option was simply not there. At the final whistle City celebrated with their fans, Brendan Rogers applauded both sets of fans and Reading trudged off despondently. Thankfully the home fans did not turn on their own team which is fair because they had tried their hardest. On this showing both teams could make the play-offs but neither look likely to win promotion. John Wells |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|