| Competition | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
| Worthington Cup, 2nd round | Tuesday, 11th September (7.45pm) | West Ham United | Home | Drew 0-0 |
(Reading won 6-5 on penalties) |
||||
Match facts:
Reading goals: None
Assists: None
Opposition goals: None
Reading penalty shootout details: Alex Smith (scored), Graeme
Murty (scored), Anthony Rougier (scored), James Harper (saved),
Sammy Igoe (scored), Darius Henderson (scored), Adi Viveash (scored)
Half-time: West Ham United 0 Reading 0
90 minutes: West Ham United 0 Reading 0
Half-time of extra time: West Ham United 0 Reading 0
Gamebreaker: Adi Viveash's penalty!
Attendance: 21,173
Referee: Bill
Jordan (Tring)
Reading line-up: Phil Whitehead;
Graeme Murty, Adie Williams (Adi Viveash, 95 minutes), Adrian
Whitbread, Matt Robinson; Sammy Igoe, Phil Parkinson, James
Harper, Alex Smith; Martin Butler (Anthony Rougier, 100 minutes),
Jamie Cureton (Darius Henderson, 68 minutes)
Subs not used: Jamie Ashdown, Nicky Shorey
Reading yellow cards: None
Reading red cards: None
Match report:
To follow
Match notes:
This was the first ever first-class meeting between the two sides, so West Ham United have still never beaten us!
It was Reading's fourth penalty shootout in a first team game, and the third that we have won. It is the second time that we have been involved in a sudden death penalty shooutout (after the Cardiff FA Cup game on 3/2/1998) but the first that has ever gone as far as seven penalty-takers.
The attendance was the second largest ever at Madejski Stadium (behind only the Wigan play-off semi-final second leg crowd of 22,034 on 16/5/2001), and the largest at Madejski Stadium for any cup tie. It was also the second largest Reading home gate for a League Cup game, behind the 24,046 at Elm Park who saw a 0-0 draw with Southampton on 8/11/1978.
Match preview:
So, after many years of waiting it's the first ever competitive first team game between Reading and West Ham United (I'm discounting Southern League matches, you'll understand). It seems strange that we've never met before, particularly with seeded League Cup draws, but I guess these things happen. Or don't happen, as the case may be.
There have been transfers between the two clubs over the years, as well as reserve and youth games of course. Both Nicky Hammond and Nicky Forster said in the programme last season that they were West Ham fans, whilst both Adrian Whitbread and Martin Allen played for them. On the other side, we have the return of Shaka Hislop to Reading. The time is ripe for one of his inexplicable trips out to the corner flag, I think.
Despite the poor performance against Cardiff City on Saturday, it's unlikely there will be too many changes to the Reading line-up. Martin Butler should have started on Saturday, and he will surely do so for this game in place of Anthony Rougier. It is in any event quite likely that we will find it easier to play against a Premiership team than against a team who can only hoof the ball up to a giant centre-forward. However, the lessons of the Tottenham friendly are that top sides can move the ball around in a way that our midfield and defence cannot cope with. Fortunately, West Ham are not a top side.
Whilst the League Cup is by no means a priority for the season, we should play all matches to win, and the change in rules to a one-legged contest this season can only benefit us (much as it would have been nice to visit Upton Park for a second leg).
Presmably after we've won we'll get Liverpool in the next round to fill the other obvious gap in the list of clubs we've played against!
Ticket information from the official Reading site:
Tickets for Royals supporters will be available on general sale at standard prices from Wednesday 29th August. Season ticket holders have until 5.30pm on Tuesday 4th September to secure their own seats, which can be done by calling the ticket office on 0118 968 1000 or in person at the Stadium.
There will be reserved seating in all stands for this fixture.
On Monday, 10th September Reading announced that the game was sold out.
Standard ticket prices can be found here.
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