1871 - the ultimate Reading FC website

2002/03 Reports

Match facts:

Reading goals: Jamie Cureton (47 minutes), Jamie Cureton (78 minutes)
Assists: Andy Hughes (2)
Opposition goal: After 18 minutes
Half-time: Reading 0 Sheffield Wednesday 1
Gamebreaker: Final whistle
Attendance: 13,638
Weather: Dry, warm
Referee: Lee Cable (Woking)

Reading line-up: 1 Phil Whitehead; 2 Graeme Murty, 6 John Mackie, 8 Adie Williams, 3 Nicky Shorey; 11 Andy Hughes, 15 James Harper (14 Sammy Igoe, half-time), 4 Kevin Watson (16 Phil Parkinson, 80 minutes), 17 John Salako; 12 Jamie Cureton, 9 Martin Butler (24 Darius Henderson, 70 minutes)
Subs not used: 21 Jamie Ashdown, 7 Anthony Rougier
Starting formation:

Reading yellow cards: Graeme Murty (foul, 35 minutes)
Reading red cards: None

Match report:

At half-time in this game, all the signs were there for a long long season. The first half performance was even worse than on Saturday, and this time without the excuse of playing against a decent side. At the break we were one goal down but Sheffield Wednesday had contrived to just miss several chances and things could and should have been much worse. However, a simple substitution at the break and everything changed as Reading gained the first points of the season.

As predicted below, the starting line-up was the same as for that period of the game last Saturday when we conceded all three goals. There was however much more of a cutting edge to our midfield, with James Harper involved in several good bits of play through the half. In fact, we started the game very well, with some quick passing and several promising attacks.

Our best chance in the early period came when the ball fell to Martin Butler in the penalty area and he blazed the ball over the bar. I'm certain that he was offside but the linesman showed no signs of putting up his flag. The quality of officials this season appears not to have improved as much as that of the opposition.

After 15 minutes or so, we started to lose our way. The visitors started to impose themselves on the game, and we were giving the ball away too cheaply. The old problem of backing off from runners returned as well, making it easier for Wednesday to take the lead. Their very tall forward picked the ball up in midfield, ran in the direction of goal whilst our defence backed off, and then shot from some distance out. The ball beat Phil Whitehead's dive at the far post to make it 1-0.

In the next 20 minutes, our goal led a charmed life as shots went just wide or were blocked. On a couple of occasions the ball flew across the area but didn't get a touch to increase the deficit. We gave the ball away too cheaply, not helped by the fact that Martin Butler was fouled every time he jumped for the ball and only got free-kicks on a quarter of the occasions.

The only danger we presented was through long shots, with both Graeme Murty and Harper trying their luck at one point. The only part of our formation that really seemed to be working was down the left, with both John Salako and Nicky Shorey causing problems. Although there was a slight revival towards the end of the half, it really was a depressing 45 minutes.

At half-time, Alan Pardew sent the players out after only 11 minutes, usually a sign that the time spent in the changin-room has not been suitable for family viewing. Significantly he also replaced Harper with Sammy Igoe, providing the line-up that most supporters would have used to start the game. Harper had played much better than on Saturday, though.

The change brought immediate dividends, as Igoe did well to chase a lost ball to the goal-line and stopped it going out for a goal-kick. He laid it back to Murty, who passed it to Andy Hughes who hit a low cross into the area. The ball went exactly where we wanted it to - the right foot of Jamie Cureton on the six-yard box, from where a good shot on the turn sent the ball past the Wednesday goalkeeper for the equaliser. Just to score a goal was good, because there hadn't been much sign of one in the three previous halves.

I did criticise Hughes' crossing in my match preview - this would be a good point to mention that in the whole game he only put over one bad cross. Even that was an improvement on many from last season because it was straight to the keeper rather than into the stand. What I noticed was that his low crosses were good, but also that he put over two high crosses with his left foot that also caused danger in the away defence. Perhaps that's the solution!

After we had equalised, the game settled down. I think that our visitors had started to settle for a draw, whilst knowing that they could also create chances on the break. As in the first half, there were occasions when they should have scored but the final shot wasn't good enough.

On the other hand, I can't remember too many goal attempts that we had, apart from a Kevin Watson free-kick. I'm not sure whether it was meant as a shot or a fired-in-early cross, but it just went along the ground and ended 20 yards wide of the goal.

With ten minutes to go, we again attacked down the right. The ball came to Hughes, who put over another low cross, and again it was Cureton there to shoot on the turn past the despairing dive of the goalkeeper. And I thought that I would have to wait for the video to see an action replay of the first goal!

There was little threat in the closing moments of us losing the lead, with the exception of a couple of dangerous corners. From one, a Wednesday player bundled the ball into the net. My immediate reaction was that he punched it in, and surprisingly the referee disallowed the goal (although I don't know whether it was officially for handball or pushing as he gave no signals).

After that escape frustrations from the away players resulted in some bookings, and in the last minute a bad foul right near the tunnel produced a second yellow card for one of them, meaning that we only had to keep ten men out for the three minutes of injury time. This we did comfortably enough.

If I'd been a travelling Sheffield Wednesday fan, I'd have been pretty annoyed after this game. I can't believe that their team is as bad as the showing they put on, and there seemed little urgency from them even when behind. But, of course, who cares!

Match notes:

This was Reading's first win in Division 1 since 4/4/1998, when Stoke City lost 2-0 at Elm Park. It also our first ever League win over Sheffield Wednesday.

Compared to the Derby County game Jamie Cureton started in place of Sammy Igoe (although with a formation change as well). The 14 players used were exactly the same as at Derby on Saturday.

Match preview:

The first ever Division 1 game at Madejski Stadium promises to give us a much better idea of how we will fare this season than did Saturday's defeat. Whilst most teams are going to lose at Pride Park, especially at the start of the season, Sheffield Wednesday are probably closer to an average side in this division. To finish mid-table or above, we need to usually beat average sides when we play them at home.

It is certain that Reading will revert to 4-4-2 for this clash and that Jamie Cureton will play up front. I assume that he will partner Martin Butler, although there is definitely a case to be made for replacing Butler with Darius Henderson who has played much better than Butler in each of the last two games.

In fact, I expect to see the starting line-up that was exactly the same as the one that conceded the three goals on Saturday (that is, after the first substitution but before the second). The only slight doubt is whether James Harper or Andy Hughes might play wide on the right. It could be that Alan Pardew thinks that Hughes's pace will trouble the Wednesday left-back, and that will make up for the fact that his crossing ability often only troubles the fans behind the goal.

Clearly a major concern is the defence. I don't think that Graeme Murty will have to play against another left-winger this season better than the one on Saturday, and so hopefully we will see him impose himself more on the game. Similarly, the centre-backs should have an easier time of it, and we will start to get a better idea as to whether the likes of John Mackie or Nicky Shorey will flourish in this division as well as they could at a lower level last season.

We last played Sheffield Wednesday in a pre-season friendly in 1998, which we won, whilst the last League meetings were 22 seasons ago. We have in fact never beaten them in the League, or even scored a home League goal against them, so there are firsts needed if we are to get anything from this game. We have however defeated them once in the FA Cup.

The game is being televised live on Sky Sports Extra and that will undoubtedly have an effect on the crowd (well, I know one season-ticket holder who is going to stay at home to watch it, so that's definitely an effect!). Our last live game on Sky was the play-off final defeat, but we did win against Wigan Athletic the last time their cameras came to Madejski Stadium.

Ticket information:

Prices and details are the same as for standard home games, and are available here.

Home . First Team Index

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