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2001/02 Reports

Match facts:

Reading goal: John Salako (6 minutes)
Assist: Jamie Cureton
Opposition goal: After 57 minutes
Half-time: Reading 1 Wigan Athletic 0
Gamebreaker: Final whistle
Attendance: 15,808
Weather: Bitterly cold
Referee: Steve Tomlin (Lewes)

Reading line-up: 31 Marcus Hahnemann; 2 Graeme Murty, 8 Adie Williams, 23 John Mackie, 28 Nicky Shorey; 11 Andy Hughes (14 Sammy Igoe, 64 minutes), 4 Keith Jones (16 Phil Parkinson, 64 minutes), 29 John Salako; 10 Nicky Forster, 12 Jamie Cureton (7 Anthony Rougier, half-time)
Subs not used: 21 Jamie Ashdown, 15 James Harper
Reading yellow cards: None
Reading red cards: None

Match report:

Well, I've deliberately waited a while before writing this report, with the hope that the delay will have allowed me to calm down a little and avoid swearing about the Reading performance in this game. So bear in mind that this is the cool, at-a-distance version of events after 24 hours of reflection.

This was Neil Smith's first game back since getting injured and I was hoping that he would continue his good form in the centre of midfield. He was a big disappointment, and together with Keith Jones, ensured that for most of the game we had absolutely nothing in that crucial area of the pitch. Still the performance of those two players was superb when compared with that of Andy Hughes. Our right-half has perfected the art of doing absolutely nothing whilst on the pitch except occasionally giving the ball away - he doesn't tackle, he doesn't challenge, he doesn't chase back, he doesn't want the ball because he's frightened of giving it away, and (oh yes) when he does get it he gives it away. He tries to avoid crosses because he knows he always puts them straight down the keeper's throat so he is at least aware of part of the problem.

Our other midfielder was John Salako who played his normal game where he didn't do much but when he was involved produced good stuff. So you can see that we had pretty much surrendered the middle of the park. For that reason, hoofball might have been a better alternative in this game, because instead of giving the ball away in midfield and failing to win it back, we could have given it away in forward positions and failed to win it back. We did get a lot of the ball, though, because Wigan also made a point of giving it away on a regular basis - make no mistake, we were playing a rubbish side here.

There were a very few bright moments in the game, normally when we looked to break quickly. One of those breaks gave us the lead early on, when John Salako beat the offside trap to run on to a flick from Jamie Cureton. Salako rounded the keeper and just managed to get the ball over the line before a defender arrived. At the time I thought he was offside, but TV replays clearly show that he was a yard or so onside, so congratulations to the linesman there.

That was the only exciting event at the right end in the entire first half, whilst Marcus Hahnemann on his debut hardly inspired confidence by fumbling the first ball he had to deal with - a low and not hard cross that he pushed out into the danger area where fortunately we had a defender able to clear.

At half-time, the early goal was the only reason the players weren't booed off the pitch, whilst the paucity of entertainment was shown by the fact that the introduction of three pantomime characters was more exciting than all (bar the goal) that had gone before.

For the second half, Anthony Rougier replaced Jamie Cureton. Now I would like to see Rougier playing for another club (preferably one that we have to play against) whilst Cureton is my favourite player, so you will appreciate that there is no bias at all when I say that Rougier did more in his first two minutes on the pitch than Cureton had managed in the half (or indeed in his previous few games). The only contribution I can remember from Cureton was to set up the goal, so at least he had achieved something.

Rougier looked eager to get the ball and then to try to do something with it. He went on runs where he didn't try to take on too many players, he looked to give the ball to Nicky Forster in dangerous positions, and he closed down the Wigan keeper. What's more, he more or less kept this up for the whole half, making this probably one of his best performances for us. He was responsible for gaining us an ideal opportunity to seal the game, winning a penalty when the Wigan keeper hauled him down. Initially the ball had come back to the keeper via a defender's foot. Under pressure from Rougier, the goalkeeper tried to pick the ball up and then realised he wasn't allowed to do so. He tried to dribble it away from goal, but Rougier hassled him and dispossessed him. That's when the foul happened.

Alan Pardew has said that in the absence of Martin Butler, Cureton is our penalty taker (although his zero from two record for Reading hardly inspires confidence). But with Cureton off the pitch, it was Nicky Forster who stepped up. It says it all that the defender's backpass created more trouble for Wigan than Forster's penalty kick. The penalty was so bad that the referee must have had to consider whether it should also count as a backpass after the goalkeeper saved it. Forster is lucky that Michael Gilkes took that one against Leicester City at Elm Park a few years ago because otherwise he would have just gained the honour of taking the worst penalty in RFC history.

As always, a penalty not scored lifts the opposition and within a few minutes they were level. It was a strange goal as the ball looped over Hahnemann from a toe-poke. I thought it must have got a deflection but apparently not. The Wigan forward only had the chance because our defence allowed the visitors to run at them until they reached the edge of the penalty area rather than trying to defend further upfield.

There was clearly only one side capable of winning the game, although fortunately Wigan were unable to get another goal. The referee helped us by not awarding them either of two clear penalties, some more justice for all those dubious ones they have received in games against us over the years. The first was when Adie Williams saved a shot, and the second a trip by (I think) Keith Jones in the area. The referee also failed to book both Wigan forwards on other occasions for diving in the area, and the fact that they are known cheats may have been part of the reason why he didn't give them the earlier decisions.

Reading did manage to get a couple of shots on goal, most notably a low Forster drive after he and Salako had worked a short corner. The Wigan keeper also had to make a good save from a header from a set-piece. But the fact that we failed to score again came as no shock at all.

Performances like this are totally unacceptable - I am absolutely fed up of watching games against limited opposition where we show not the slightest idea how to break them down. To then hear the manager after the game say that we played well shows that he does not realise what is wrong. If we happen to meet a decent team in the near future (and fortunately I don't there are any in this division) we are going to be on the wrong end of a real hiding.

Match notes:

Marcus Hahnemann made his debut for Reading. Nicky Forster had a penalty saved, making this the second consecutive Reading v Wigan game where the Wigan keeper has saved a Reading penalty.

Match preview:

Last season we managed two home wins and two away draws against Wigan Athletic. However, the visiting team played very well in both of the games at Madejski Stadium and probably still have players to worry us. The most significant change to their personnel is that they have sold Roy Carroll to Manchester United - although he was probably the best keeper in our division, the fact is that he was the second last person to touch the ball for both of our goals in the play-off semi-final! His replacement Derek Stillie has been poor this season, so it is unfortunate that he is now out injured and we shall come up against new signing John Filan. Wigan's defence includes Arjan de Zeeuw, who traditionally wins everything in the air against Reading and most of the stuff on the ground as well. Wigan started the season badly but are currently on a reasonable run and haven't lost in the league for six games. However during that run they managed to lose at home in the FA Cup to Canvey Island.

The Reading line-up almost picks itself. Marcus Hahnemann will make his debut in goal, whilst we only have four fit first team defenders so they're all going to play. With Darius Henderson starting a suspension, it will have to be Nicky Forster and Jamie Cureton up-front, which hopefully means that we won't just be pumping long balls forward all game. John Salako will also definitely play, leaving only three positions where there is any doubt. I assume that Alan Pardew will stick with Andy Hughes (against all the evidence) and more reasonably play Neil Smith and Keith Jones in midfield. Smith has been our best midfielder this season, with the exception of Kevin Watson, and deserves to be back in the team.

It's more difficult to predict the four outfield substitutes. Reading have hinted that Ricky Allaway will be on the bench, but I think that it is possible instead that we might put Phil Parkinson there, as a possible deputy for central midfield or defence. Probably both Anthony Rougier and Nathan Tyson will be named, with James Harper likely to be the fifth.

With it being "Kid for a Quid" day, there should be a larger than normal crowd.

Ticket information:

Children can gain admission to any stand for £1 if tickets are purchased in advance. Other prices are the same as for standard home games, and are available here.

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