Match Report: 2009/2010 Season

20 April 2010: CHAMPIONSHIP
SCUNTHORPE UNITED 2 READING 2
goals
Reading: Pearce (48 mins, Sigurdsson (72 mins, pen).
Scunthorpe: Hooper (82 mins), Sparrow (89 mins)
Half Time: 0-0
Attendance: 5,299

CHAMPIONSHIP 20 Apr 2010
Pos Team P Pts GD
8 Middlesbrough 44 61 +10
9 READING 44 60 +5
10 Sheff Utd 44 59 +2
teams
Reading: Federici, Griffin, Bertrand, Pearce, Khizanishvili, McAnuff, Tabb, Howard ( Karacan, 80) , Kebe, Sigurdsson, Church ( Long, 61) Subs not used: Rasiak, Hamer, Henry, Robson-Kanu, Gunnarsson.
Scunthorpe: Murphy, Byrne, Mirfin, Canavan (Forte, 85) , Woolford, Thompson, McCann, Andrew Wright, Sparrow, Hayes (Togwell, 89) , Hooper Subs not used: Lillis, O'Connor, Josh Wright, McDermott, Milne.
bookings
Reading: Khizanishvili, McAnuff, Pearce, Sigurdsson.
Scunthorpe: Andrew Wright, Byrne, Hayes, Murphy, Thompson.
Ref: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire)
report
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FANS' POST MATCH OPINION

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QUOTES FROM THE PRESS

A stunning late comeback by Scunthorpe saw them earn the point they needed to ensure their Championship survival. Reading dominated early on but the Iron hit the bar through Martyn Woolford's volley and Grant McCann's free-kick. Alex Pearce volleyed the Royals ahead and Gylfi Sigurdsson made it 2-0 from the spot after Jobi McAnuff was fouled. But with eight minutes left, Gary Hooper hooked home after Garry Thompson had his shot parried and Matt Sparrow's deflected shot earned the Iron a draw. The final whistle at Glanford Park was followed by a pitch invasion by jubilant Iron fans, who can relax knowing their side are mathematically safe with two games left because Crystal Palace and Sheffield Wednesday, two of the teams below them, are still to play each other. But the Iron's superb late rally ends Reading's faint hopes of snatching a play-off place at the opposite end of the table because they can no longer overhaul sixth-placed Swansea.

Reading boss Reading boss Brian McDermott on the decision not to send off Iron defender Cliff Byrne for his foul on Jobi McAnuff that led to Reading's penalty:
"It was an obvious red card. I don't like seeing players sent off but it beggars belief. Having said that, we were 2-0 up and on another day we would see that out. When we are really going for things next season that won't happen and we will see things out. We got into an end-to-end game when we didn't need to."

BBC Sport