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2003/04 Reports

Match facts:

Reading goals: Nicky Forster (61 minutes), Steve Sidwell (79 minutes)
Assists: Scott Murray, Nicky Forster
Opposition goal: After 12 minutes
Half-time: Reading 0 Cardiff City 1
Gamebreaker: Final whistle
Attendance: 15,810
Weather: Warm, dry
Referee: Mick Fletcher (Warley) - but Cardiff's John Robinson was the person really in charge

Reading line-up: 1 Marcus Hahnemann; 2 Graeme Murty, 8 Adie Williams, 5 Steve Brown, 3 Nicky Shorey; 7 Scott Murray, 14 Steve Sidwell (4 Kevin Watson, 89 minutes), 15 James Harper, 11 Andy Hughes; 10 Nicky Forster, 9 Shaun Goater (22 Nathan Tyson, 76 minutes)
Subs not used: 21 Jamie Ashdown, 6 John Mackie, 17 John Salako
Starting formation:

Reading yellow cards: Steve Sidwell (foul, 41 minutes), Shaun Goater (foul, 58 minutes), Steve Brown (foul, 69 minutes), Nicky Forster (foul, 93 minutes, in second-half injury time)
Reading red cards: None

Match report:

Match notes:

The starting line-up was the same as for the West Ham United game but John Salako replaced Ricky Newman on the bench.

Nicky Forster's goal was his 50th for Reading.

Reading won after being behind. The last time we did that was away to Sheffield United on 18/2/2003 (although this is partly because there have not been too many games since then when we have been behind).

Match preview:

After Reading's first defeat of the season last Saturday it's important that we bounce back quickly, and this home game provides an ideal opportunity. I have heard some rumours about a change to the starting line-up, perhaps meaning a change down the left side, but I think it more likely that we will put out the same eleven as on Saturday. Of course, what is really important is that our players start playing from the first minute instead of the 21st! The two central defenders, Adie Williams and Steve Brown, who both played the last game despite illness, should be fully recovered by now.

Cardiff City had a good win on Saturday against limited opposition and (yet again) with the help of incorrect refereeing decisions. By my reckoning that's at least five of their 12 League goals this season that should not have counted. They have had a decent start to the season and in Robert Earnshaw have a forward whose pace will undoubtedly cause us problems. Their other forward Peter Thorne is of the cart-horse variety and can expect to get nowhere.

At the other end, the Cardiff centre-backs will have no answer to the pace of our attacking players, and I would also expect to see us dominate the midfield. As in previous home games, Reading should attack from the off and the outcome of the game might depend on whether we can score in the first 25 minutes or so.

In previous seasons I have been very vocal in calling for Cardiff to be thrown out of the League due to the appalling behaviour of a majority of their travelling fans. Obviously we didn't have to put up with facing them last season, but by all reports there were less problems than in the recent past. Tonight is Cardiff's easiest away trip of the season - they're sure to bring a larger number of fans than some of our other opponents, so let's see whether as a club they have learnt how to behave like human beings.

Ticket information:

At a very late stage, it was announced that the game was all-ticket for away fans and that sales on the day to home fans would only be to those on the club database. Prices and other details are the same as for standard home games, and are available here.

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