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Birmingham City, Villa’s neighbours, got a good view of Doyle’s talents at St Andrew’s on Saturday. He glanced in Reading’s second goal with a clever flick of his head, and set up the third for Kalifa Cissé with a far-post cross from an awkward position near the corner flag. It enabled Reading to secure their fifth successive victory – and eighth in 10 matches – and leapfrog Birmingham into second place. Birmingham had been given some cause for optimism when Kevin Phillips equalised with a 20-yard drive, but they barely merited any reward for a disjointed display. Reading, often slick and composed, had gone ahead when Noel Hunt, despite the lingering effects of a clash of heads with Franck Queudrue, curled in a free kick. Hunt soon left the pitch. “I couldn’t focus properly,” he said. “At one point, I couldn’t see the ball.”
The Times

Occasionally Reading dared to dance. Kevin Doyle led the line with intelligent energy and found late rewards. Birmingham were always the John Sergeant, loosely come thumping. If this is the next best thing to the Premier League, there is a case for no promotion. It was fitting that the opening goal, a free-kick, was scored by a man, Noel Hunt, who did not know whether it was Christmas or Easter. "He got a hell of a whack on the head [from an aerial challenge that left Franck Queudrue turbaned]," said Coppell. "When you get one like that you see stars and lights." Minutes later Hunt was substituted. In October he was knocked out scoring against Burnley. He remembers his other nine goals this season.
The Guardian