Aston Villa 2 (Angel 34 pen, Barry 61)
Reading 1 (Doyle 4)

10-man Reading valiantly went down 2-1 to Aston Villa tonight, with the game completely changed by Ibrahima Sonko's dismissal.

The Royals took a fourth minute lead through Kevin Doyle, but Sonko was dismissed for a professional foul just after the half hour, and Juan Pablo Angel tucked home the resulting spot kick.

Up until then Reading had been playing exceptionally well, and when Villa added a second through Gareth Barry on the hour there was no way back.

Reading (4-4-2): Hahnemann; Murty (c), Shorey, Sonko, Ingimarsson; Harper, Sidwell, Seol, Convey (Hunt 65); Doyle (Long 81), Lita (Gunnarsson 36)
Subs: Stack, Gunnarsson, Oster
Booked: Ingimarsson
Sent off: Sonko

Aston Villa (4-3-3): Sorensen; Hughes, Samuel (Whittingham 59), Ridgewell, Mellberg; McCann, Davis, Barry (c); Agbonlahor, Moore, Angel
Subs: Taylor, Laursen, Djemba-Djemba, Hendrie
Booked: McCann, Samuel

Ref: L Mason (Lancashire)

Attendance: 37,329




Full report
The Royals looked very comfortable as soon as the game started, keeping possession well. Graeme Murty won the ball on the edge of the Villa box with a couple of minutes gone, but his one-two with Steve Sidwell didn't quite come off.

With Villa starting 4-3-3, Reading continued to keep the ball and took a very early lead. Seol Ki-Hyeon picked up the ball wide on the right hand side, and kept it on play literally right on the touchline. He skipped inside Jlloyd Samuel, then took him on again expertly and nutmegged him before whipping in a superb left-footed ball to the back post.

Kevin Doyle stole in unmarked, and headed home past Thomas Sorensen into the far corner to give Reading a fourth minute lead.

The Royals continued to dictate play, with Seol influential down the wing and Reading putting together some crisp passing moves.

The only negative from the early stages was that many Reading fans were coming in late, with roadworks and heavy traffic on the M6 meaning they missed our excellent start.

Gareth Barry had Villa's first shot with 13 minutes gone but it was easily gathered by Marcus Hahnemann.




Reading then put together another impressive move that culminated in a good chance for Steve Sidwell. It started when Leroy Lita's persistence won a corner down the right. Seol then fed Bobby Convey, and the American played it into Lita, with Sidwell shooting wide from his lay-off.

The Royals continued to enjoy some very good possession, but Villa did have the ball in the back of the net through Juan Pablo Angel, only to see it disallowed. Skipper Barry curled a great cross into the Colombian, and the decision was tight but correct as he headed home.

Villa were coming back into it, but Angel's mishit shot on 25 minutes rolled straight into Hahnemann's arms.

Reading were giving the ball away a little, and Gabriel Agbonlahor showed good skill to get a shot away from the edge of the area, but it crashed into the metal posts behind the back of the goal.

On the half hour Luke Moore had a decent sight of goal as Villa enjoyed a period of possession. Sidwell and Ibrahima Sonko went in for a challenge on the edge of the area, and it broke to Moore but he shot wildly off target.

Reading still looked tidy on the ball, but Villa were turning the screw somewhat. Another move ended up with the ball in the Reading net, but Angel was a mile off.




With 34 played Villa drew level, and the goal had been coming for some time. A long goal kick evaded Ivar Ingimarson, and Moore was in. Sonko found himself forced to track back, and clipped Moore's heels as he bore in.

Referee Lee Mason showed no hesitation in sending Sonko off, and Angel despatched the penalty to Hahnemann's left, with the American going the wrong way.

Brynjar Gunnarsson soon came on to play at centre back, with Lita the unfortunate one to be sacrificed.

The Royals were obviously looking to get into half time and regroup, and Ingimarsson was booked on the halfway line as he handled to prevent a Villa attack.

With only a minute of the half remaining, Angel had a free header from Gavin McCann's cross, but he was some 12 yards from goal and couldn't get the necessary power or direction.

Inside the three minutes of added time Seol whipped in another great cross, but with Lita off the pitch Reading lacked numbers in the area.




The second half started slowly, with neither team getting a sight of goal inside the first few minutes.

Despite being a man down, Reading were happy to get forward when the situation allowed, and Seol combined well with Doyle to create some space, and the Irishman's cross was only just cleared as Reading broke well.

As the game opened up, McCann burst into the area but Angel's deflected effort was straight at Hahnemann.

Despite having a man less, Reading were more than holding their own, and Doyle was very influential ploughing a lone furrow up front.

On the hour Convey showed impressive poise to trap a difficult ball in his own half, and he released Seol. With Sidwell making a disguise run outside him, the Korean advanced all the way to the edge of the box but shot at Thomas Sorensen.




Just a minutes later Villa had a goal that was perhaps a little against the run of play. Sub Peter Whittingham outfoxed Gunnarsson down Villa's left, and delivered an excellent cross, with Barry shaking off his marker to nod home from seven yards.

Villa had a head of steam, and Moore shot at goal from range but Hahnemann gathered easily.

With a little more than 20 minutes to go, Villa looked relatively comfortable. Ingimarsson saw the ball nicked off him by Moore, and he looked in on goal down the right, but Reading caught him offside as he went for a one-two.

Villa were very much in the ascendancy, and Reading were finding it hard to construct many moves. The home side were sporadically looking for a third goal, but both keepers had little to deal with.

With 10 minutes left Steve Coppell threw Shane Long on for the tireless Doyle in an attempt to get back in the game. The Irishman helped win a corner in the 83rd minute but it was woefully overhit by Seol.

As rain tipped down, Seol gave the ball away in the centre circle when trying a back heel. It allowed Villa to break, and Moore decided to shoot in the area with Angel screaming for the pass that would have allowed him a clear site of goal.

Inside injury time Reading found the energy to create another attack, with dangerous crosses from sub Stephen Hunt and Shorey scrambled away.




See the red card for yourself
You can see the full sending off, as well as nine minutes of highlights from Villa Park, on our online TV station Reading World now - click here to take a look.