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2001/02 Reports

Match facts:

Reading goal: Joe Gamble (26 minutes)
Assist: Joe Gamble (individual run)
Opposition goals: None
Half-time: Reading 1 Wycombe Wanderers
Gamebreaker: Final whistle
Attendance: Approximately 80
Weather: Cold, dry, stiff breeze
Referee: M Mullarkey
Linesmen: O McGuinness, A Smith

Reading line-up: 1 Frank Talia; 2 Ricky Allaway, 5 Leo Roget, 6 Alex Stanley, 3 Alex Smith; 4 Keith Jones, 7 Joe Gamble, 8 James Harper, 11 Neil Smith; 9 Bas Savage, 10 Nathan Tyson (12 Joey Alcott, 68 minutes)
Subs not used: 14 Scott Williams, 15 Declan O'Hara
Reading yellow cards: None
Reading red cards: None

Match report:

Reading secured a narrow victory over Wycombe Wanderers in terms of goals scored, but this was in truth quite a comfortable display. New goalkeeper signing Frank Talia had little chance to prove his worth, whilst the Reading forwards missed a number of chances to make the scoreline reflect the level of possession more accurately.

Nathan Tyson, as always, looked lively up-front but was guilty of missing some simple chances. He got on the end of a superb cross from Keith Jones after 21 minutes, but with no defenders anywhere near him, headed the ball over the bar. After exactly the same number of minutes of the second half, he managed an even worse header from an Alex Smith cross, this time sending the ball back where it had come from rather than in the direction of the goal.

In the first half, we put together some good passing moves, with everything that you would want to see - good movement off the ball, players finding space, passes being picked out properly. In fact, everything that the first team did a little while ago. One of these moves halfway through the first half ended with an attempted back-heeled effort from Bas Savage that was blocked by a combination of defender and goakeeper.

A few minutes later, Joe Gamble scored the goal that gave Reading the three points. He picked the ball up in midfield, and went on a driving run using close control to go past defenders (phrases stolen without permission from the bloke standing next to me....). At one point it looked as though Gamble had lost the ball, but he maintained possession and was able to burst through the defensive back line. With only the keeper to beat, he coolly took the ball round him and slotted home from a reasonably tight angle. At the start of the season when I began recording assists, I said that I if a goal was a brilliant solo effort I would give the assist to the goalscorer. This is the first time that I have had to do that, in either first team or reserve games!

After half-time, it suddenly became clear to me that we were playing against a stiff breeze. I assume that it was there in the first half as well and helping Reading, but I hadn't noticed it. It took a few minutes for us to reassert our control over the game, but then came close to scoring when Savage just failed to get on to the end of a Tyson cross.

Later, Joey Alcott replaced Tyson and had a chance to score with a one-on-one with the Wycombe keeper. However the goalkeeper did well to keep it out.

Towards the end of the game, Talia had to make a diving save at his near post from a free kick and then in the dying moments a Wycombe shot went just wide. Had either gone in, it would have been a travesty.

Match notes:

Frank Talia played his first game for Reading.

Match preview:

None.

Ticket information:

None.

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