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2002/03 Reports

Match facts:

Reading goal: Nicky Forster (15 minutes)
Assist: Anthony Rouger
Opposition goals: None
Half-time: Banbury United 0 Reading 1
Gamebreaker: Reading's first goal
Attendance: 488 (468?)
Weather: Dry, hot, sunny!
Referee: John Farries

Reading line-up: 1 Phil Whitehead (Jamie Young, 83 minutes); 2 Graeme Murty, 5 Adam Theo, 6 Adi Viveash (18 Russell Lucas, 79 minutes), 3 Alex Smith; 7 Sammy Igoe (15 Simieon Howell, 61 minutes), 4 Phil Parkinson (14 Callum Earl, 75 minutes), 8 Steve Warren, 11 Anthony Rougier (16 Gary Middleton, 75 minutes); 9 Nicky Forster (17 Nathan Bailey, 69 miuntes), 10 Jamie Cureton (12 Steve Laidler, 69 minutes)
Subs not used: None
Reading yellow cards: None
Reading red cards: None

Match report:

A scorching day, and a rock-hard pitch that was almost as flat as a motocross circuit, limited the opportunities for fast flowing football at the newly renamed Spencer Stadium in Banbury. However, Reading were able to dominate the game, whilst managing to score only once.

The centre-back missing from the original team line-up proved to be Adam Theo but the only other starter without first team experience was Steve Warren. Both those two players acquitted themselves well, and Theo made a mark very early on with a last-ditch challenge after a good through-ball nearly put a Banbury forward through on goal. Phil Whitehead might have wished for more defensive frailty on that occasion as he had nothing to do for almost all of the remainder of the game!

The constant Reading possession began to tell from the fifth minute when some good work by Nicky Forster forced a corner. That came to nothing, but almost immediately we won the ball back and a Sammy Igoe cross from the right found Anthony Rougier. In turn, Rougier's shot was far too high and found the herd of cows grazing in the field behind the goal. From the goal-kick we won the ball straight back and Warren had a long shot that was comfortably saved by the portly Banbury custodian.

The next attack saw a quick turn and shot from Forster but it went just wide. After 15 minutes, Forster started a move in the centre of midfield by passing the ball out to Igoe. He took the ball forward and crossed to Rougier at the far post. Rougier laid the ball back for Forster on the edge of the area who powered the ball past the keeper and into the net. There was some discussion among the Reading support as to whether Rougier had deliberately set up Forster or just mis-kicked, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Excellent use of pace two minutes later by Forster forced a foul by the Banbury defence on the edge of the area when it looked as through another shot was on the cards. After scoring direct from a free-kick on Tuesday, Warren came over to take it but Jamie Cureton got the ball first. I like Warren's confidence - he's not afraid to play his normal game in the centre of midfield even when playing alongside experienced pros. Anyway, Cureton's kick was a good one but went just wide of the far post.

No doubt encouraged by a series of gospel songs from one vocal Reading fan behind the goal ("If I was a fuzzy-wuzzy bear, I'd thank you, Lord, for my fuzzy-wuzzy hair", etc.), the away side continued to press forward. From a corner the goalkeeper just managed to get the ball first to tip it away for another. Then after that corner had been partially cleared, we got the ball back into the box only for a Rougier shot to be deflected away for a third corner in quick succession. The last corner was headed away by a defender easily enough.

After 23 minutes, Forster shot over from an Igoe cross, and from that point on in the half things seemed to slow down considerably. We should have had three or four goals in that early period of pressure based on the possession and chances, but instead had only a one-goal lead. In the remainder of the half, we still had most of the ball but there was less goalmouth incident. Banbury's new signing endeared himself to none of the Reading players with a series of heavy challenges in the centre of midfield. After the fourth such foul meant lengthy treatment for Warren, Adi Viveash had words with the offender.

Just before half-time, probably our best move of the entire game saw Igoe play a one-two with Forster and then use a step-over to beat the last defender before shooting. The goalkeeper made a good save at the expense of yet another corner, which came to nothing.

In some ways it had been a strange first half. Cureton was hardly involved in the game at all, and was playing much deeper than Forster. There were occasions when Warren was further forward than our most natural goal-poacher. Alex Smith was working well down the left wing, whilst the central defenders had little to do apart from spray passes to the wings and head upfield every now and again for set-pieces.

Reading made no changes at half-time, and after four minutes of the half Banbury surprised everyone by having a shot. It went wide. After 11 minutes of the half Cureton shot straight at the keeper, and after we had won the ball back straightaway, Forster also shot straight at him. A rare Banbury attack saw the ball go across our goal a couple of times, before Theo was able to clear from somewhere near the goal-line. Even on that occasion, the ball was definitely not going in because it was already wide of the post before he hit it, but there was a forward lurking nearby.

Simieon Howell replaced Igoe on the right side of midfield and made some decent contributions to the game. For some reason Rougier came over to play on the same side of the pitch as Howell. Whether by accident or design this meant that Forster ended up attacking down the left on his own and with no passing option used his pace to get round the back of the defence. His pull-back was in the general direction of Rougier, but was too short and the move broke down. Shortly afterwards, Rougier took the ball forward down the right channel and got a low shot in that the goalkeeper just managed to fingertip onto the post and away for a corner.

In our next attack, a deep cross from the left was played to Howell at the far post. He knocked the ball back to Phil Parkinson whose shot was deflected wide. Again, though, it proved to be a "half of two halves" because from that point onwards Reading made a lot of substitutions and the game never regained any real sort of pattern (other than us having the ball pretty well all the time).

We made five substitutions over a period of ten minutes, leaving Graeme Murty and Alex Smith as the only outfield players with first team experience. Some of the younger players played out of position (notably centre-back Gary Middleton at right-wing for a few minutes!) but Reading were still the superior side. The only Reading attack worthy of note in the last 20 minutes of the game was when Nathan Bailey took the ball through the middle on his own and after beating a couple of defenders shot close to the goalkeeper.

Jamie Young replaced Whitehead for the last few minutes and in injury time, Young had to make a good diving save from a free-kick. Even more impressively, he held onto the ball when he could have tipped it away for a corner.

When the full-time whistle went, Reading probably had everything that we wanted from the game. A win and a clean sheet are nice, although obviously not too important. The amount of possession we had means that all the players got a lot of time on the ball, and the fact that we won it back quickly on many occasions also meant we had some successful tackling practice. Finally, Kevin Dillon, who was in charge of the Reading team for this game, said afterwards that there had been no injuries.

Match notes:

Rushden & Diamonds chairman (and Dr Martens owner) Max Griggs was at the game. He was seen talking to one of the Reading directors before the game.

Match preview:

Reading have announced the following ten players in the starting line-up:
Phil Whitehead, Graeme Murty, Adi Viveash, Alex Smith, Steve Warren, Phil Parkinson, Sammy Igoe, Nicky Forster, Jamie Cureton, Anthony Rougier
Presumably there is a centre-back missing, probably Adrian Whitbread. Substitutes have not been named, but will be from the Academy.

Anyone travelling to Banbury by train should note that there is a rail replacement bus between Oxford and Banbury due to scheduled engineering work.

Ticket information:

Ticket prices are:
Adults - £5
Concessions - £2.50

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