| Competition | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
| FA Cup 3rd round replay | Tuesday, 21st December | Plymouth Argyle | Away | Lost 0-1 |
Match facts:
Reading goals: None
Assists: None
Opposition goal: After 88 minutes
Half-time: Plymouth Argyle 0 Reading 0
Gamebreaker:
Attendance: 8,965
Weather:
Referee: A Wiley (Walsall)
Reading line-up: Scott Howie,
Graeme Murty, Linvoy Primus, John Polston, Chris Casper, Andy
Gurney, Phil Parkinson, Neil Smith, Darren Caskey, Martin
Williams, Keith Scott (Paul Brayson, 83 minutes)
Subs not used: Peter Grant, Mass Sarr,
Peter van der Kwaak, Alex Haddow
Starting formation:
Reading yellow cards: Neil Smith (foul,
37? minutes), Neil Smith (foul, 39 minutes)
Reading red cards: Neil Smith (two yellow cards, 39 minutes)
Match report:
Report shamelessly piched from Sky's website on the basis that it deserves a wider audience:
A Mickey Heathcote close-range effort two minutes from time clinched victory over ten-man Reading in a keenly contested cup-tie at Home Park. The Argyle stalwart lashed home from six yards after Martin Gritton kept his head to set him up from his free-kick.
This was clearly a job that Kevin Hodges' men thought they could finish, having battled the Royals to a 1-1 draw in the Berkshire boys breathtaking arena. The match was delayed for ten minutes or so due to traffic congestion around Home Park. Rumours abounded that the Reading supporter had misjudged the icy Devon roads at a roundabout in his Hillman Hunter.
As the referees whistle sounded, the visitors sprang into action like a huddle of greyhounds scampering after a mechanical rabbit. But, luckily for the doughty, well-organised Pilgrims, Alan Pardew's team were as clinical and exact as an intoxicated surgeon with a giant inflatable knife in the first-half. Their approach play was thoughtful and menacing, but save an Andy Gurney shot, there was little to crow about here.
On forty minutes, Reading's Neil Smith was dismissed for two clumsy challenges within ninety seconds and The Argyle looked visibly lifted by events. They were an overweight, salivating chef to Reading's Sunday roast. The chef sharpened the Kitchen Devil and moved in to carve, but on the balance of play in the second half, by golly he found some lumps of gristle.
The Second Division side jumped into every challenge with renewed solidarity and determination. The home side, the onus clearly on them in front of a good-natured showing of 9,000 or so, were struggling to overcome their tenacity. They huffed and puffed, but were unable to blow Pardew's house down until the death. Chances were an endangered species with the best falling to Argyle's Chris Hargreaves, scorer in the first match. However, he lobbed wide.
Reading nearly scored when Darren Caskey broke through, but his fierce drive was gathered coolly by Ken Veysey. But the Pilgrims sealed their victory with less than two minutes left. Hargreaves jinked well and took on Andy Gurney before being unceremoniously stopped. Hargreaves floated the free-kick in and Gritton prompted Heathcote to condemn Reading to their first defeat to a lower league side for eight years. Now that is pants!
Match notes:
Match preview:
None.
Ticket information:
None.
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