1871 - the ultimate Reading FC website

2001/02 Reports

Match facts:

Reading goal: Jamie Cureton (77 minutes)
Assist: Phil Parkinson
Opposition goal: After 51 minutes
Half-time: Brentford 0 Reading 0
Gamebreaker: Final whistle
Attendance: 11,303
Weather: Sunny spells, warm
Referee: Frazer Stretton (Nottingham)

Reading line-up: 1 Phil Whitehead; 7 Graeme Murty, 5 Adi Viveash, 8 Adie Williams, 28 Nicky Shorey; 14 Sammy Igoe (12 Jamie Cureton, 67 minutes), 11 Andy Hughes, 16 Phil Parkinson, 29 John Salako; 9 Martin Butler (20 Bas Savage, 92 minutes, in second half injury-time), 10 Nicky Forster
Subs not used: 30 Frank Talia, 32 Leo Roget, 6 Kevin Watson
Reading yellow cards: John Salako (dissent, 85 minutes)
Reading red cards: None

Match report:

Despite the supposedly confident prediction at the foot of this page, I expected Reading to play for a draw in this game and get hammered. Alan Pardew's comments during week about needing to pass the ball and switch play were belied by his decision to leave Super Kevin Watson on the bench, and I assumed that his statements about playing for a win were also going to be untrue.

However, that's not what happened. Reading put in a controlled performance, not particularly adventurous in the early stages but a gameplan that had considerably more than putting 11 men behind the ball. After we went a goal down, we stepped up the pressure and mostly dominated the remainder of the game.

In the opening fifteen minutes or so, the threat from Brentford was totally nullified. Their two forwards were winning the ball in the air, usually with the help of fouls that the referee let go, but we were stopping them from making dangerous progress. At the other end, we had threatened down both flanks and the home team left-back had already picked up a yellow card for hauling down Sammy Igoe to stop a promising break.

There was a shift to the game in the middle of the half, as Brentford put in more attacks and started to have shots on goal. Most were off-target, but Phil Whitehead was called on to make an excellent save to tip a header over the bar. At the other end, a strong Nicky Forster run behind the defence had ended with a cross that (predictably!) didn't find Martin Butler.

The fourth official showed four minutes of injury time at the end of the half, which was due to injuries and some Reading time-wasting, but the referee played five. Worth remembering for the second half (or not, as it proved). At half-time it was still 0-0, which obviously suited us. We then had the longest half-time interval in history, with the second half eventually kicking off at ten past four.

I had a feeling that Brentford would be happy enough with no goals before the break and would look to get the ball into the penalty area in front of their own fans in the second half at every opportunity. I didn't really expect them to score, though, so five minutes into the half it was a nasty shock when the big donkey-like forward beat Adie Williams in the air on the touchline and then showed surprisingly good ball control to get the ball to the byline and put over a neat cross for a midfielder to fire the ball into the net. Within minutes, Brentford nearly scored a second, which might really have ended things, but the shot went over.

At a goal down, Reading began the fight-back and showed really why we should never have been in this position in the first place. The home areas of the ground gradually quietened as we played the game in the right half of the pitch and started to look capable of scoring. The first good chance was made by Forster but his shot from an acute angle was palmed away for a corner by the goalkeeper.

Jamie Cureton came on as sub (for Sammy Igoe with Forster switching to the right) and was caught offside once or twice, but we started to play good long passes for him or Martin Butler to run onto behind the defence. With just over ten minutes left, a similar pass from deep was headed over the last defender, Cureton ran onto it, and flicked the ball into the far top corner of the net. What a bargain!

There was time for Brentford to force another decent save from Whitehead, diving to his right to stop a low long shot but generally speaking we held on comfortably. The fourth official showed four minutes of injury time (I thought it should have been more like seven) just as we gave away a free-kick in a dangerous position. The Brentford midfielder who was clearly going to take it has been linked with Reading, and generally speaking did not play well in this match. He curled the ball over the wall but a defender was able to head it out.

We then brought on Bas Savage for his debut, with Butler making way. Savage had one good run with the ball, but passed it out to a rather stationary Cureton on the wing, and so conceded a throw. The substitution should have added 30 seconds to the time played, so after three and a bit minutes of injury time I had no idea why the referee had blown his whistle! Everyone else was rather quicker on the uptake than me! - the game was over and we were going up.

The players congregated in a corner of the ground herded together by police and stewards. John Mackie came very close to being arrested before claiming superstar status and continuing with his celebrations in front of the fans. After a while the few home fans who disgraced their club were shepherded out the way and the Reading players did whatever the "one end" equivalent of a lap of honour is. At one point they stood in a circle whilst Andy Hughes did his Happy Mondays Bez impression, and Bas Savage showed some truly impressive break-dancing.

The terraces cleared, and it was Brentford who were left to contemplate the play-offs followed by a trip to Mansfield, Tuesday night away at Oldham Athletic, and Exeter away in the LDV. I don't care - we're going to Derby!

Match notes:

To follow

Match preview:

And unbelievably it all comes down to the last game. The fact that we should have sorted the entire season out a month or so ago is no longer relevant, and the first real chance to clinch promotion is to avoid defeat at Brentford on Saturday. Recently, Reading have drawn eight of our last nine games, but the fact is that we were trying to win all of those games except one. If we go to Griffin Park and look for a draw, then I expect a play-off campaign. Hopefully, we will not make such a basic error. Regardless of our intentions, there has to be every chance that the game will not end as a draw, simply because if that is the scoreline near the end of the match Brentford will throw everything into attack and we will catch them on the break.

Reading's side will be weakened by the loss of the injured John Mackie, but strengthened by the almost certain return to the starting line-up of both Martin Butler and Sammy Igoe. I expect Andy Hughes to drop to the bench, where he will sit alongside two out of Jamie Cureton, Anthony Rougier and Michael Branch. It seems quite possible that Cureton will have to watch the game from the stands but regular readers of this site will know that I'd rather see Rougier in that position. Mackie's replacement has already been announced as Adie Williams. I see no realistic chance of any major changes to the side at this stage of the season, and no chance at all of a change to the formation.

Brentford currently have the best home record in the division, but as we have the best away record that's not as much of a problem as it might be. Their recent home record is far too good for me to mention it here in detail (!), but despite Reading's poor run we still have not lost in the last 12 games. And of course, a draw will do.

The record of the scheduled referee, Frazer Stretton, does not inspire a great deal of confidence. Of his 36 games this season, 23 have been home wins, 7 draws and 6 away wins (on average you would expect something like 18, 9 and 9 respectively). Having said that three of his last four games saw away wins, so perhaps he has turned over a new leaf, or got concerned about someone at the Football League doing a similar analysis. The two Reading games he did last season (Millwall away and Rotherham United at home) seem to fit the pattern.

Quite apart from automatic promotion, there are a few other things to look out for at tomorrow's game. If Reading win, then we will have exactly the same record at home and away for the season, which does rather tell its own story. A win would also give us 43 away points, equalling the club record set in 1985/86.

A clean sheet would not only guarantee the point required but also would help to set a new club record for goals conceded away from home (currently, we've let in 22 whilst the record is 23 in both 1924/25 and 1994/95). And just to show how good our form has been this season away from Madejski Stadium, and how bad in the rest of the club's history, whatever the result this season we will have seen the fewest defeats away from home ever.

More positively, Martin Butler needs one goal to get his one hundredth in first class matches, whilst Nicky Forster needs to two to reach 20 for the season.

My prediction? - a 3-2 win for Reading, with Butler reaching that century and a late winner on the break from ex-Brentford player Forster.

Ticket information:

Since our last visit, the away accommodation at Griffin Park has changed. We now get the uncovered terrace at the opposite end, with places for 2,216 fans plus the nearest block of 640 seats in the main stand (that is, the stand on the left if viewed from the new away end).

Reading have announced that tickets are available by postal application only on a one-per-season-ticket basis, with applications closing on Friday, 22nd March. They also state that there are 2,600 tickets which doesn't quite fit with the number of spaces I quote above.

Ticket prices are:
Adults - £15 seats, £9 terrace
Seniors (over 59) - £10 seats, £4 terrace
Under-17s (as at 1/8/2001) - £2 seats, £2 terrace
Normally under-5s get in free at Brentford but Reading have given no guidance on this as yet.

Applications closed early because demand exceeded supply. Tickets have been sent out.

Reading have now made plans to show the game on a screen at Madejski Stadium. Initially, 4,000 reserved seating seats were sold in the North Stand, but due to demand the viewing area has been switched to the East Stand with a further 1,000 seats going on sale. These have also now sold out. Seating in the East Stand will be unreserved. Prices are:
Adults - £10
Concessions - £5

Home . First Team Index

News . Opposition . Reserves . Academy . Where Are They Now? . Columns . Kingsley . MadStad . Interactive . Links . Site Map