6:50pm, New Year's Eve 2005



Derby County 2 (S Johnson 32, 62)
Reading 2 (Doyle 34, Long 88)

Derby County: Camp, Edworthy, Nyatanga, Davies, R Jackson, S Johnson, Idiakez, Holmes (Thirlwell 77), Bolder, Smith (M Johnson 71), Graham (Peschisolido 86)
Subs: Poole, Barnes
Booked: Davies
Sent off: Davies

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty (c) (Harper 86), Shorey, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Sidwell, Gunnarsson, Little, Convey (Long 70), Doyle, Hunt (Oster 81)
Subs: Stack, Makin

Attendance: 21,434

The Royals salvaged a point from the trip to Pride Park thanks to a last-gasp header from substitute Shane Long.

Despite a strong suspicion of offside, Seth Johnson struck on 32 minutes to opening the scoring for the home side, but Kevin Doyle equalised within two minutes.

Johnson netted again just after the hour, and the home side went down to 10 men soon after when Andrew Davies was shown a second yellow card for a lunge on Long.

The 18 year-old then nodded home from close range to score his first Reading goal with two minutes to go, and extend the unbeaten League run into 2006.

Stephen Hunt started up front in the absence of injured Dave Kitson, while Brynjar Gunnarsson replaced the rested James Harper.

The Royals' gap at the top was narrowed to seven,after Sheffield United had beaten Stoke earlier in the day, and Leeds also narrowed the gap in third with a 2-0 win over Hull.

But Steve Coppell's men go into the new year still unbeaten in 26 Coca-Cola Championship games and 18 points clear of third-placed Leeds.


Full match report
A cautious start from both sides created few clear openings, but good work from Lee Holmes and then Tommy Smith in the fourth minute earned County the first corner. Idiakez's inswinging set piece almost drifted inside Marcus Hahnemann's back post for a freak opening goal, but Glen Little marshalled the ball behind for a goal kick.

The Royals earned a couple of corners themselves soon after, but Derby eventually scrambled away Little's flagkick after Steve Sidwell had tried a 25-yard drive which was easily charged down.

Idiakez had a speculative drive from distance blocked at the other end with a quarter of an hour gone, but the Royals almost broke to good effect through Kevin Doyle, with the Irishman's chipped cross eventuall intercepted as he tried to reach Stephen Hunt at the far post.

Idiakez was the home side's main creative outlet and the Spanish midfielder slotted Danny Graham in soon after. With his back to goal, Graham turned well from Ivar Ingimarsson but his low 15-yard strike was calmly collected by Hahnemann.

Midway through the half, Doyle raced down the right and flashed the ball low across the face of goal, but his ball sped just beyond the arriving Bobby Convey and out for a throw.

Five minutes later, Graeme Murty unnecessarily headed behind to concede a corner, and Idiakez whipped another dangerous ball into the box which Hahnemann half-punched clear. It was headed back into the area, and on-loan Andrew Davies flicked onto Graham at the back post, but he volleyed over from 10 yards out under pressure from Ibrahima Sonko.

Just after the half hour the home side took the lead in controversial circumstances. Former Reading triallist Marc Edworthy played in Smith down the right and the linesman's flag stayed down despite a serious suspicion of offside. Smith cut the ball back from the byline, behind the Royals defenders and ex-England international Seth Johnson arrived late to convert past Hahnemann for 1-0. 

105 seconds later though the scores were level. Brynjar Gunnarson fed Little in behind the County back line, and he dinked a pinpoint cross to Doyle in the middle, who smartly headed past Camp at the near post for the leveller.

Soon after the restart, Convey broke and surged toward goal from the left in acres of space. With Doyle and Little waiting for a cross, Convey completely miscontrolled and the ball ran behind for a goal kick with the opportunity spurned.

At the other end, Ingimarsson timed an important tackle perfectly to deny Graham a clean shot at goal, after the loan striker had burst into the box from the left and had looked sure to get a shot away.

With only a minute of the first period remaining, Murty's throw from the right fed Little, who jinked across the edge of the area. Working the space to strike at goal, the winger tried to loft an effort across his body but Camp got down well to save comfortably. 


Second Half
Three minutes after the break, Convey almost threaded a perfect pass through to Doyle, but the US midfielder's ball was just too heavy and the ball raced out for a goalkick.

Four minutes later, Idiakez was allowed space and time to drill a low shot at goal. Hahnemann got down early but couldn't keep hold of the Spaniard's 25-yard strike and Graham pulled the ball back for Smith. Hitting on the run, Smith drove harmlessly over the bar to the Royals' relief.

The Royals responded well as Sidwell drilled a shot from just inside the Rams' box that looked to be creeping just inside the right upright, but Camp got down well to save. A minute later his midfield partner Gunnarsson tried his luck from distance, but the Icelander's 25-yard effort sailed speedily over Camp's crossbar. 

Just before the hour, the home side squandered a great opportunity to retake the lead. A mazy run by Graham from the left saw the striker lay off to Holmes, who read Johnson's dummy but scooped over from 10 yards out and the chance went begging.

Minutes later though Derby were in front again. Graham rose highest to win two headers inside the area and with the second he nodded down to Johnson. The midfielder raced onto the knockdown to drill his second of the game, perfectly placing inside Hahnemann's left upright for 2-0.

Steve Coppell introduced Long for Bobby Convey with 20 minutes remaining and the young Irishman drew a cynical foul with his first touch, knocking past the sliding Davies near the half way line. There was little contact but the sheer weight of Davies' tackle forced Long to ground and he was awarded his second yellow card of the game and given his marching orders.

Nicky Shorey then found Little at the far post, but he couldn't direct his contested header goalwards. Five minutes later, Shorey did find Little with a high cross and Camp half-punched clear to the edge of the box. Gunnarsson's athletic volley was charged down and the danger was cleared.

Reading were piling the pressure on the home side with a man's advantage, but with County defending deep Coppell's men were struggling to find a way through. Shorey had a double strike blocked from the edge of the box and Sidwell resorted to firing high and wide from distance.

Little and sub John Oster continued to probe and look for a telling cross from the flanks but the equaliser came with only three minutes remaining through Long. Shorey's right-sided corner evaded everyone in the box and Sidwell floated a hopeful header at the far post back across the face of goal, where the young Irishman rose highest to finish with a header from only a yard out and level the scores at 2-2.

It was the visitors looking for the win in the dying stages, and two late corners from either side were headed just over the bar, the second by the impressive Long, but Steve Coppell's men had to settle for a point and ended 2005 a staggering 26 League games unbeaten and seven points clear at the top of the Championship.