Reading 1 (Doyle 63)
Derby 0
The Royals took three deserved points against Derby today, with Kevin Doyle's second half header proving the difference between the sides.
Reading were the more incisive team, as well as being denied two excellent penalty shouts for handball.
Stephen Hunt put a very good chance over after just two minutes, then both he and Doyle headed good opportunities over.
Jay McEveley and Dean Leacock both saw the ball strike their arm before half time, but incredibly referee Lee Mason was having none of it.
Derby enjoyed their best spell at the start of the second half, but Reading saw them off and Doyle planted home an excellent header on 63.
It was a cagey affair late on, and sub John Oster could have sealed it, but in the end the single goal was enough for three vital points.
Reading: Hahnemann; Murty (c), Shorey, Duberry, Ingimarsson; Gunnarsson, Harper, Rosenior (Oster 59), Hunt; Doyle, Kitson
Subs: Federici, Bikey, Fae, Lita
Booked: Ingimarsson (foul 30)
Derby: Bywater, Griffin (Earnshaw 74), McEveley, Davis, Leacock; Feilhaber (Lewis 65), Mears, Pearson; Howard (Barnes 65), Miller
Subs: Price, Todd
Booked: Davis (foul 38)
Ref: L Mason
Attendance: 23,091
First half
Reading should have been in front with only two minutes on the clock. Dave Kitson and Kevin Doyle combined well, and it came to Stephen Hunt in the box. He had a clear shot only 10 yards out, but could only put it over.
After that initital burst the game became devoid of chances for 20 minutes or so. Doyle did very well to dig out a cross on the right, and Hunt attacked it expertly, seeing his header go just a couple of feet wide.
Reading were the more incisive side, and created another good chance on the half hour. Liam Rosenior did well to ride a challenge on the right, and his cross found Doyle. The Irishman seemed not to be expecting it to come to him, and took his eye off it as it evaded Claude Davis. It came off the side of his head, and went a yard over.
Immediately Derby came very close to a goal. Andy Griffin cut inside from the right, and his 25-yarder was only a foot wide.
Reading were trying to turn the screw before half time, and twice the ball hit a Derby player's hand in the area.
First Jay McEveley stopped Graeme Murty's goalbound shot with his left arm, then a minute later Dean Leacock inadvertently got his arm on the ball when battling with Kitson. While neither incident was a 100% case of hand to ball, penalties have certainly been given for a hell of a lot less.
Reading had been the better team, without taking any of the chances presented to them.
Second half
Reading were a little slow out of the traps in the second half, and Matthew Oakley volleyed one only a yard wide on 50 minutes. Five minutes later Stephen Pearson had a good chance, but volleyed wide.
John Oster came on for Liam Rosenior just before the hour mark, and almost immediately Reading made a breakthrough.
James Harper played a nice ball into Graeme Murty's path, and the skipper floated in a lovely cross. Steve Howard got the flick-on under pressure from Ivar Ingimarsson, and Doyle planted home a lovely header; the keeper given no chance.
Oster had a very good chance with 17 minutes to go, and twice he could have unleashed a shot from eight yards, but cut inside one too many times and the chance went begging.
Kenny Miller turned his man on 73, and found Sub Robert Earnshaw, who curled one a yard wide.
Down the other end Oster broke well, and McEveley clearly handled once again, but the referee was having none of it, much to the home crowd's displeasure.
The Royals had some defending to do late on, and Hunt did well to get a block in on Pearson as he shot.
We saw out the three minutes of extra time fairly comfortably, and deserved the victory.
Reading had done enough, and kept Derby at arm's length for the vast majority of the game.
The Rams barely had a shot on target, and while the Royals were not at their best, nobody r
Reading: Hahnemann; Murty (c), Shorey, Duberry, Ingimarsson; Gunnarsson, Harper, Rosenior (Oster 59), Hunt; Doyle, Kitson
Subs: Federici, Bikey, Fae, Lita
Booked: Ingimarsson (foul 30)
Derby: Bywater, Griffin (Earnshaw 74), McEveley, Davis, Leacock, Feilhaber (Lewis 65), Mears, Pearson; Howard (Barnes 65), Miller
Subs: Price, Todd
Booked: Davis (foul 38)
Ref: L Mason
Attendance: 23,091
First half
Reading should have been in front with only two minutes on the clock. Dave Kitson and Kevin Doyle combined well, and it came to Stephen Hunt in the box. He had a clear shot only 10 yards out, but could only put it over; the chance gone.
After that initital burst the game became devoid of chances for 20 minutes or so. Doyle did very well to dig out a cross on the right, and Hunt attacked it expertly, seeing his header go just a couple of feet wide.
Reading were the more incisive side, and created another good chance on the half hour. Liam Rosenior did well to ride a challenge on the right, and his cross found Doyle. The Irishman seemed not to be expecting it to come to him, and took his eye off it as it evaded Claude Davis. It came off the side of his head, and went a yard over.
Immediately Derby came very close to a goal. Andy Griffin cut sinde from the right, and his 25-yarder was only a foot wide.
Reading were trying to turn the screw before half time, and twice the ball hit a Derby player's hand in the area.
First Jay McEveley stopped Graeme Murty's goalbound shot with his left arm, then a minute later Dean Leacock inadvertently got his arm on the ball when battling with Kitson. While neither incident was a 100% case of hand to ball, penalties have certainly been given for a hell of a lot less.
Reading had been the better team, but didn't take any of the chances presented to them.
Second half
Reading were a little slow out of the traps in the second half, and Matthew Oakley volleyed one only a yard wide on 50 minutes. Five minutes later Stephen Pearson had a good chance, but volleyed wide.
John Oster came on for Liam Rosenior just before the hour mark, and almost immediately Reading made a breakthrough.
James Harper played a nice ball into Graeme Murty's path, and the skipper floated in a lovely cross. Steve Howard got the flick-on under pressure from Ivar Ingimarsson, and Doyle planted home a lovely header; the keeper given no chance.
Oster had a very good chance with 17 minutes to go, and twice he could have unleashed a shot from eight yards, but cut inside one too many times and the chance went begging.
Kenny Miller turned his man on 73, and found Sub Robert Earnshaw, who curled one a yard wide.
Down the other end Oster broke well, and and McEveley clearly handled once again, but the referee was having none of it, much to the home crowd's displeasure.
The Royals had some defending to do late on, and Hunt did well to get a block in on Stephen Pearson.
We saw out the three minutes of added time fairly comfotably, and deserved to win.
It wasn't pretty, but nobody really cleared.
