Reading FC -v- Wycombe

LEAGUE DIVISION TWO
WYCOMBE WANDERERS 0 READING 2 (Half Time: 0-0)

Reading Scorers: Cureton (68 mins), Henderson (90 mins).
Wycombe Scorers: -

Date: 26 February 2002
Attendance: 9,250

Reading: Whitehead, Murty, Mackie, Viveash, Shorey, Hughes, Igoe, Parkinson, Salako, Cureton (Rougier 75), Forster (Henderson 88). Subs not used: Ashdown, Harper, Roget.

Wycombe Wanderers: Taylor, Senda, Tuttle, Rogers, Vinnicombe, Currie (Ryan 81), Bulman, Simpson, Brown (Roberts 63), Devine, McSporran (Baird 70). Subs not used: Emblen, Lee.

Bookings: McSporran (Wycombe) Hughes , Igoe (Reading)
Referee: R D Furnandiz (Doncaster)

This was another great performance from the Royals. Pardew stuck with the side that were so impressive over Stoke City on last Saturday and they duely won the full three points from what could have been a very tough fixture against Wycombe Wanderers. Wycombe needed a win to keep their play-off ambitions up, and the game against league leaders Reading atttracted their highest ever home gate at Adams Park. The crowd of just over 9,000 weren't treated to a great first half with the ball swirling everywhere in the strong wind. However, it was Reading that were to take control after a scrappy first half. The home fans were given little to cheer about and it was the away fans behind the goal that made all the noise to push Reading to victory with a superb second half performance away from home. Reading showed all the marks of a championship winning side, and at the final whistle the Reading players had to be practically restrained by the stewards to prevent them from joining the celebrations behind the goal. When Jamie Cureton popped up to put Reading ahead on 68 minutes he disappeared for a good few minutes, mobbed by delighted travelling fans. Well after the final whistle the Reading team's warm down saw Reading fans return to give their heros another massive ovation before finally heading off to cope with the traffic. The Reading fans love this team, and the team clearly love the fans. It's an amazing mixture that's going to take Reading up into Division One.
Graham

Following report by John Wells
This evening the Royals played like champions. After a fairly even first half Reading stepped up a gear and swept aside a strong Wycombe side with a fine display of attacking football. Once again Reading created numerous scoring opportunities with sharp accurate passing and good movement off the ball. With Rougier available after suspension there was a lot of speculation over the selection of forwards. Pardew opted for the same starting line up that had seen off Stoke on Saturday. His decision proved correct yet again when Cureton was in the right place to score from close range after Taylor had parried Forster's shot.

The game kicked off 15 minutes late following the chaotic traffic around the ground which also delayed the Reading team coach. Reading started brightly and controlled the early part of the game. They should have taken an early lead when Forster broke clear but was unable to finish with only Taylor to beat. Cureton had a free kick well saved by Taylor. Wycombe battled hard and forced their way back into the game and in a brief spell the forced six corners in quick succession. The Royals defence held firm and Whitehead was not called upon to make a save. The referee managed to upset the Reading fans and players with a string of strange and incorrect decisions. Fortunately none of his errors had any great impact on the game.

The second half belonged to Reading as they tore into their opponents forcing them back with sweeping passing moves and aggressive running. Even Salako who has been having a relatively quiet time in recent games got caught up on the mood and joined the rest of the midfield in competing fiercely for every loose ball and looking to attack with purpose at every opportunity. The Royals domination made the breakthrough seem inevitable. Cureton finally converted a chance in the 67th minute. Clearly not content with one goal they continued to press for a second although we had to wait until the last minute for it to come. Salako slid the ball through. Henderson timed his run well to beat the offside trap, kept his head, and took it round Taylor before rolling the ball into the empty net. For a player that looks so ungainly he showed tremendous skill and control with his finish.

Once again this was a great team performance but in my opinion Murty was at his best and nobody worked harder than Hughes. Adie Viveash was very composed and kept possession well with little touches to Shorey and Mackie. He also came close to scoring a very good goal with a curling shot across the goal which went just past the post. Rougier found it hard to adjust to the pace of the game when he replaced Cureton with 15 minute left to play and may find himself back on the bench at Cambridge. As for Wycombe their best player was Taylor. Not only did he make several incredible saves but he responded with good humour to the taunts of the Reading fans. He saved his side from a heavy defeat and for his trouble all he got was a nasty whack when he came out bravely to prevent Hughes from scoring.

At the end of the game the delight of the fans was mirrored by the players. Everyone is on a high at the moment and it is hard to see who is going to stop us from taking the title. That issue may well be decided against Brighton. Promotion is definitely looking a good bet now. Although there are still quite a few points to play for we are beginning to lose touch with the play-off 'pack'.
John Wells

Post Match Opinions

Parked the car miles from the ground, as we panicked along with hundreds of others, thinking that we would only be able to listen to the commentary on radio, whilst sat stationary in the appalling Wycombe traffic. Half ran, half stumbled, down that bloody long hill, to find that kick off had been delayed. We still missed the first 10 minutes, and our seats were already taken. The stewards seemed annoyed that they had to find us 2 seats together, but eventually showed us to a couple. I was informed that we hadn't missed much, and what we saw of the rest of the first half almost made me wish I had stayed in my warm car, listening to the fantastically biased TVFM. Queued all half time for a hot dog, got told I couldn't take the top of my coke bottle back to my seat, in case I through it at someone, (if only the girl behind the counter had realised that she was my most likely choice of victim for the lethal coke bottle top), and settled down for the second half.
Then it happened... Reading came out, started the second half the same as they had played the whole of the Stoke game, and my feelings of anxiety and anger disappeared in an instant. We were awesome. The whole team played as though they meant it. Another Curo goal, and more surprise from the entire away end that he was taken off, just as he started to terrorise the Wycombe defence. Pards must have felt sorry for Laurie Sanchez I think. Anyway, a cool strike from Darius finished it off, and we left Adams Park in search of the car. All up hill this time, and it took about an hour to find, but it didn't matter. 3 more points from a tough away game, Brighton only getting a draw, Brentford losing - who cared where the car was.
Laurie said after the game that his team were not ready for promotion to Div 1 yet. Frankly nor is the town of Wycombe! Even after our marathon walk back to the car, the traffic was still ar a standstill. We're on a roll! We're gonna to do it! Come on you RRRRR's!
-- Kevin, Worthing Royal.

What a thrashing.
I couldn't get a ticket but listened on TVFM. This was a walloping just like on Saturday against Stoke, and again only goal keeping heroics and sloppy finishing stopped a rout. It can only be a matter of time before someone (Hopefully Brighton) really gets it!!! My only concern is for the the TVFM reporter. I think the chap poor is losing the plot under the excitement of it all. Firstly he yelled with delight announcing that Andy Hughes had given us the lead (he hadn't of course). Then at the final whistle he announced the final sore as "Wycombe 2 Reading 0." This was then followed by the sensational news that Liverpool had got a 1-0 draw against Galatasary. I like him, I really do, his enthusiasm as a blatant Reading supporter is unquestionable, but I would not, without a shadow of a doubt, let him perform surgery on me.
Well done Reading you're nearly there, and don't worry Jamie, one day Pardew will let you finish a game.
-- Bob Lethaby

I had never been to Wycombe before this match. Tied up to holidays in Cyprus, and illnesses when we played Wycombe, I made my way up the A4010 for the first time.
But I wasn't dissapointed. Our passing was spot on in blustery conditions, and Wycombe in the first half showed us what a good side they are... but we held them until half time. Wycombe gave us a few scares but not too many to get worried about. Cureton's free-kick was something Mr. Beckham would have been proud of.
The second half though showed what a great diffrence there was between the two sides. The Royals made Wycombe look poor, and we totally outplayed them. Although I have knocked Forster about being greedy a couple of times this season... he was a great player today and must have been reading my comments! He was passing, and he was passing well.
The moment of the match though was Henderson's goal. He totally ran round Martin Taylor in the Wycombe goal. The Wycombe keeper, who suffered all sorts of abuse like "The 5th Teletubbie" and "Shit on the floor" had an excellent game, tipping over Cureton's free-kick and if it was not for him, it could of been 5 or 6.
But for Reading, Division 1 is just 13 points away as I believe 85 points will give you a place in the 1st Division.
And hopefully that will reduce to 10 when we beat Cambridge on Saturday.
-- Craig, Reading

Went to the game last night with a close friend who's a Wycombe fan (poor chap!) which meant sitting incognito in their stand and thus unable to get over excited for fear of incurring too much wrath from the home supprters.
It was interesting listening to the comments all around me that started less than ten minutes into the game when it became apparent to all and sundry that there would be only one result. Even before the kick off, Reading looked sharper with heads held high while the Wycombe team looked, to a man, dispirited and ready for a pasting.
That, unfortuanetly wasn't quite what they got or deserved largely because of a remarkable performance from their keeper - lightening reactions, a little bit of luck (and no one should begrudge him that) and deal of bravery most especially when his head and Hughes' boots collided. this was a reading team that looked an entire division apart from the opposition - Parkinson was outstanding in midfield, igoe moved with invention, salako displayed class and it was a joy to see the movement off the ball by the front runners that created opening after opening while the midfield as an entirety played with a commitment which meant that every ball just had to be won or chased. The difference twixt the two teams was like pitting coulthard against my next door neighbour - the bloke in number 26 may rev his 4x4 up with aplomb but he's awfully slow off the mark. In the post match interview on the (wonderfully biased) BBC Berkshire after the match, Parky said the team would have a well earned day off today - chances are that Sanchez will have the entire Wycombe team in for extra training this morning and this afternoon.
Will we be back at Adams park next season? I think not...
-- Neil Storey

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