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2001/02 Reports

Match facts:

Reading goals: Darren Campbell (29 minutes), Andre Boucaud (37 minutes)
Assists: Ian Oliver, Leon Bird
Opposition goals: After 58 and 94 minutes (in second half injury time)
Half-time: Reading 2 Bristol City 0
Gamebreaker: Final whistle
Attendance: Approximately 55

Reading line-up: 1 Jamie Young, 2 Frankie Juchau, 3 Ian Oliver, 4 Andre Boucaud, 5 Adam Theo, 6 Peter Castle, 7 Darren Campbell, 8 Chris Davies, 9 Nathan Bailey, 10 Leon Bird, 11 Simieon Howell
Subs not used: Russell Lucas, Matthew Jones, Daniel Walsh
Reading yellow cards: Jamie Young?, Simieon Howell
Reading red cards: None

Match report:

Report by Another Caversham Royal:

I believe in name-and-shame, so I would just like to blame South West Trains for the fact that I missed the first five minutes of this game at Cantley. It was 0-0 when I arrived and as far as I know I missed no major incident.

The game looked even at first, but after Reading failed to clear a corner Bristol City won a penalty for a trip in the area. The kick was very weak and Jamie Young was able to save diving to his left. Almost immediately afterwards, a crude tackle by a Bristol City centre-back gave us a free-kick outside the area. After too many passes, the shot was charged down but at the expense of a corner. From this, Andre Boucaud was able to get in a shot that went just wide.

Reading were now getting more of the game, and Darren Campbell scored a superb goal. He received the ball after good play from Ian Oliver on the left, went on a slalom run past several defenders and curled the ball into the top corner. There was time for Jamie Young to make another superb save before Leon Bird beat one defender and set up Andre Boucaud to score our second with a shot from the right. Before half-time, Simieon Howell had a long shot that needed a good save from the Bristol keeper.

With a 2-0 lead, plus the advantage of the slope and also a slight breeze in the second half, things looked good for Reading at half-time. However, the away team fashioned a series of chances throughout the half, with only occasional Reading attacks breaking this up. Easily the best chance was Bristol's second penalty of the game. Again it was for a trip in the area - it looked a reasonable enough decision to me but Young complained and was spoken to (possibly booked) by the referee. Perhaps he needn't have bothered, because for the second time in the game Young saved the penalty. This time, though, he was unable to hold on to the ball and a goalmouth scramble resulted. At one point, a shot hit the bar but the rebound came back for a Bristol City player to easily head in from about a yard out.

A few minutes later, Young was caught in possession whilst trying to dribble past an attacker. Despite two other unmarked strikers in a more central position and the total absence of any other defenders, the Bristol forward shot and clipped the top of the bar.

Nathan Bailey had a couple of goal attempts, one a long shot that went wide after a good powerful run, and the other an attempted chip, also wide, after being released and seeing the keeper coming to meet him.

Jamie Young made two more good saves, both of which required excellent reactions. The first took a little deflection which made it more difficult, and for some reason Simieon Howell got booked at the end of the move. For the second one, the ball was on the edge of the area and Young was only a few yards away, but was still able to react to stop the goalbound shot.

Reading of course still had a one goal lead, and our final chance to extend it was when Leon Bird showed a good touch to break through the defence and was left with a one-on-one against the goalkeeper. The keeper came out to narrow the angle and managed to force Bird along the edge of the area, meaning that he never actually got a shot in before other defenders were able to get back and tackle him.

There was quite a lot of injury time and in the fourth minute Bristol City got a deserved equaliser. They played a ball over the top and this time their player was able to lob Young as he came out to challenge for the ball. Certainly a disappointing end with no time left for a serious attempt from either side to get a winner.

It was a game that could have gone either way. Really having taken a 2-0 lead, Reading should have managed to win, but overall Jamie Young was certainly the busier keeper.

Match notes:

Trialists Andrew Boucaud and Frankie Juchau played in this game.

Match preview:

None.

Ticket information:

None.

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