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2001/02 Reports

Match facts:

Reading goals: Nicky Forster (31 minutes), John Salako (67 minutes)
Assists: John Salako, Andy Hughes
Opposition goals: None
Half-time: Wrexham 0 Reading 1
Gamebreaker: Reading's first goal
Attendance: 3,885
Weather: Exceptionally cold, snow flurries
Referee: Graham Salisbury (Preston)

Reading line-up: 31 Marcus Hahnemann; 2 Graeme Murty, 8 Adie Williams, 23 John Mackie, 28 Nicky Shorey; 14 Sammy Igoe, 15 James Harper (11 Andy Hughes, 22 minutes), 16 Phil Parkinson, 29 John Salako; 10 Nicky Forster, 7 Anthony Rougier (19 Joe Gamble, 88 minutes)
Subs not used: 21 Jamie Ashdown, 26 Alex Smith, 12 Jamie Cureton
Reading yellow cards: Anthony Rougier (being fouled, 20 minutes), Phil Parkinson (innocuous foul, 85 minutes)
Reading red cards: None

Match report:

Wrexham had lost at home to Bristol City, Stoke City and mid-table Cardiff City in the last couple of months so it was obviously important that we managed to beat them as well. In fact, the result was never in doubt as Wrexham put up stiff competition only in the "worst team in Division 2" category.

Before the game it snowed but by kick-off that had stopped. It was extremely cold and the pitch looked icy in places. There were occasions in the game when players lost their footing but considering the conditions it actually played pretty well. Still, Nicky Forster will want to use the pitch as the reason for his shot after 20 seconds being horribly miscued onto the home terrace when given a sight of goal by a quick passing move from the kick-off.

I'd complained about our lack of midfield in previous games this season but the combination of Phil Parkinson and James Harper were dominant in the early stages of this game. We bossed the game and had a lot of possession. Typically, some of the same Reading fans who got frightened when Cardiff played the ball around complained bitterly when we did the same thing. Our end product was limited to a couple of corners and non-threatening shots, whilst Wrexham didn't even manage that. Marcus Hahnemann did have to make one simple catch, I seem to remember.

As with the previous game, we were getting no help from a referee, this time one with practically no experience. Anthony Rougier was giving away free-kicks left, right and centre. I know he does do quite a bit of fouling with his arms but the number of times he is penalised when the innocent party is quite staggering. Just after James Harper was seriously fouled (referee's decision - play on), the ball went out to Rougier on the wing where he was fouled (referee's decision - Wrexham free-kick plus a booking for Rougier). The free-kick was not advanced ten yards so the booking was obviously not for dissent. The unawarded foul on Harper was sufficiently bad that he had to be helped off, and he was replaced by Andy Hughes.

Hughes went into the centre of midfield, which fortunately meant that he didn't have to cross the ball. In fact, I thought he made far fewer mistakes in this unaccustomed position, although also we had lost some of our control of the midfield area with the loss of Harper. It didn't matter because we took the lead after half-an-hour. Nicky Forster took a short corner to John Salako. Whilst the exceptionally stupid fan behind me criticised Reading for taking a short corner, Forster ran to the edge of the area from where he powered the ball past the exceptionally young-looking Wrexham keeper. It was the same move as against Wigan Athletic last Saturday, but the shot then was lower and the Wigan keeper managed to save it.

I don't remember much from the rest of the half but in general Forster's runs were causing the Wrexham defence problems, although they coped with it every time bar the goal. Rougier was trying hard to impress, whilst the defence had little to do. Salako wasn't really involved, preferring to play simple balls back to Nicky Shorey most of the time, but he still rarely lost the ball. Our defence had no opportunity to shine, I'm delighted to say!

At half-time, Wrexham made three substitutions in a desperate attempt to change the game around. They did seem to come out with slightly more intent, but this subsided after a few minutes. The tactic nearly backfired when one of their players injured himself hacking down John Mackie (referee's decision - play on), but he recovered enough to play on.

Instead of sitting on a one-goal lead, Reading continued to attack. This half most of our attacks ended with an offside flag. From the position of away fans behind the goal, it's difficult to comment on most of these but there was one in particular when Rougier was so far onside when the ball was played that you could tell from behind the goal that the decision was wrong.

Amazingly a Wrexham player was booked for fouling Rougier to stop what looked like a promising break down the right before we did extend the lead. Andy Hughes was released down the right and whilst we waited for the offside flag that this time never came he crossed the ball along the ground to the unmarked Salako at the far post who scored. Whilst we were still singing "Stand up if you're 2-0 up" Wrexham nearly forced a quick change of lyrics with a header that went just wide of the post, but that was their closest attempt of the whole game.

The remainder of the match seemed to consist of Reading trying to mess up as many goalscoring opportunities as possible! Perhaps that's a bit harsh but there were three clear chances that should have gone in. Nicky Forster failed to pass to an unmarked Salako, instead eventually playing the ball to Rougier whose shot was saved by the keeper. On another occasion Rougier was clean through, but the keeper saved with his legs. And I'm afraid that I can't remember the third one although it may well have ended with Forster not passing.....

The snow returned, making it difficult to see the far end, not that Wrexham ever got the ball up there anyway, but fortunately the referee spurned the opportunity to abandon the match and give the home side another chance to get beat later in the season. Phil Parkinson managed to get booked for a little foul that was only just about worth a free-kick. Again, the ball was not advanced so the booking was not for dissent. Reputation preceding him, methinks.

In injury time Wrexham managed to put another header wide before the ref ended the game. Wrexham were very poor, but this is the sort of game that has on occasion given us problems so it was good to walk away in the snow flurries with another three points.

Match notes:

Compared to the Cardiff game, the starting eleven was exactly the same, whilst the only change on the bench was that Joe Gamble replaced Nathan Tyson.

Nicky Forster's goal was his seventh League goal of the season, which makes him our outright top scorer in League games, one ahead of both Darius Henderson and Jamie Cureton. (In all competitions, Henderson leads with ten.)

Marcus Hahnemann kept his first clean sheet for Reading, and in fact the team's first clean sheet in any competition for nine games. This was also our sixth successive away League game without defeat (five wins, one draw) and our first double of the season.

Darius Henderson served the third and final match of his suspension for the red card received at Barnet in the LDV Vans Trophy.

Match preview:

Weather permitting, I must congratulate the fixture planners on getting both trips to Wales out of the way within a few days. Let's face it, no-one wants to go there any more often than they have to, and Darius Henderson was obviously so keen to avoid the journeys that he arranged for his suspension to cover both games (although Alan Pardew has punished him by taking him on the coach to Wrexham anyway!). This of course will be the last game that he is unavailable.

The team played sufficiently well against Cardiff City that I would expect an unchanged line-up on Saturday - the only doubt will be whether Adie Williams recovers from the knock he took during that game. And I reckon he'll be playing anyway, given that we have no other defenders with first-team experience available.

Wrexham are currently in a relegation position near the bottom of the league table, on a run of relatively bad form, and are missing one of their best players (Lee Trundle) through suspension, whilst another (Craig Faulconbridge) is doubtful with an injury although they say he will play. They also have other players out through injury so really ought to be there for the taking. Of course, we all know it doesn't work like that. Last season, we were mostly outplayed by Wrexham in the corresponding fixture but clinched victory with a fairly late Martin Butler goal. I'd settle for something similar this time round.

Ticket information:

Wrexham have 3,800 seats for away fans. It is pay on the day for Reading fans, and prices are:
Adults - £14
Seniors / Under-16s - £9

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