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2001/02 Reports

Match facts:

Reading goals: None
Assists: None
Opposition goal: After 25 minutes
Half-time: Reading 0 Peterborough United 1
Gamebreaker:
Attendance: Approximately 70

Reading line-up: Jamie Ashdown, Marcel Nugent (Alex Stanley, 65 minutes), Nicky Shorey, Neil Smith, Ricky Allaway, Adi Viveash, Andy Hughes (Simieon Howell, 20 minutes), Chris Casper, Adam Campion (Scott Williams), Joey Alcott, Louie Soares
Reading yellow cards:
Reading red cards: None

Match report:

By The Scribe:

The Didcot Town ground has a much better pitch than that at AFC Newbury, but this did not help either team to produce a good game of football. In fact, the standard was very poor, with plenty of misplaced passes from both sides. Overall, Reading had more possession, but showed no bite. Peterborough had the better chances and certainly deserved a draw, if not necessarily the win that they got.

The first 20 minutes were dire. After that period, Andy Hughes was substituted. Hughes was clearly not fit, and I can't remember a single pass that he played to one of our players. Soon after that, Peterborough took the lead, with a goal that was very bad for us to concede. We had two or three passes across the back when the ball should have been cleared, and when Nicky Shorey did try to clear, the ball instead rebounded to a Peterborough player. He passed it to an unmarked forward, who put it into the corner of the net.

We had some decent moves in the remainder of the half. Adam Campion put in several good runs but they ended with poor finishes. In our best move of the first period, Simieon Howell played the ball out to Campion whose cross was met by a very poor header by one of our forwards on the six-yard line, resulting in a goal-kick when it seemed easier to score. Chris Casper went off for treatment on a knee problem, but soon returned.

Our best action in the second half came early on, when Shorey went on a run, cut inside and curled in a shot that came back off the post. Our forward trying to get on the end of the rebound was flagged offside. Trialist Marcel Nugent had a very good game, showing good anticipation and excellent speed. He managed several excellently timed tackles, and may have picked up an injury in one of them. In any event, he went off with 20 minutes remaining, either due to an injury or possibly due to cramp. I had the impression that he may not have played much recently, which makes his performance even more noteworthy.

We continued to dominate the possession, but failed to take advantage of two good crosses from the right. Part of the problem was that our two young forwards, Joey Alcott and Louie Soares, were too lightweight for this game. We also had let-offs defensively, with Jamie Ashdown having to make two very good stops in one-on-one situations. In the last minute, Alcott bundled the ball and keeper into the net, but it was not surprisingly disallowed.

My player of the match was Nugent, who was really good at tracking back and covering.

I realise that some of the details above disagree with those in other reports, but I just call it as I see it. And it really was 1-0, not 1-1.

Match notes:

Andy Hughes played his first game since a spell out injured, having previously suffered a thigh strain and then an ankle injury.

Trialist Marcel Nugent played in this game. He is a young right-back, and is one of the many players Queens Park Rangers have released over the last few months.

Match preview:

This game will take place at Didcot Town's ground, Loop Meadow Stadium, instead of the normal AFC Newbury venue.

Directions from the official Didcot Town site:
By Rail - A footpath runs from Didcot Parkway station direct to the ground.
By Road - From A34 take A4136 towards Didcot. After 2 miles at first roundabout take first exit, at next roundabout take third exit, then straight across next two roundabouts, at next take second exit into Avon Way. Follow over Tyne Avenue, ground is on the left.

Ticket information:

None.

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