MATCH REPORT: 2005/2006 Season

22 October 2005: LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
STOKE CITY 0 READING 1
goals
Reading: Kitson (77 mins, penalty).
Stoke City: -
Half Time: 0-0
Attendance: 13,484

CHAMPIONSHIP 22 Oct 2005
Pos Team P Pts GD
1 Sheff Utd 15 37 +18
2 READING 15 34 +17
3 Luton 15 28 +8
teams
Reading: Hahnemann, Makin (Sidwell 53), Ingimarsson, Sonko, Shorey, Little (Oster 73), Harper, Gunnarsson, Convey (Hunt 90), Kitson, Doyle. Subs Not Used: Stack, Obinna.
Stoke City: Simonsen, Buxton, Hoefkens, Taggart (Wilkinson 87), Broomes, Chadwick (Sidibe 45), Brammer, Russell, Kolar (Sweeney 45), Gallagher, Bangoura. Subs Not Used: de Goey, Henry.
bookings
Reading: Makin, Little.
Stoke City: Hoefkens, Buxton, Bangoura.
report

Reading closed the gap back to three points at the top of the Championship with an away win at Stoke City that increased the run to sixteen games unbeaten. Dave Kitson returned to the starting eleven and made a vital contribution - the only goal of the game - in a fixture that neither team looked like winning. Kitson slotted home the all important penalty with just thirteen minutes left on the clock, after going down in the area himself when receiving a Bobby Convey cross. There were few chances in an even first half, but the second half saw the home side look more likely and they could have moved ahead with a deflected shot that beat Hahnemann but was just wide of the post. After Stoke failed to go ahead, Reading created a few chances which resulted in winning the penalty, and the Royals finished the stronger side.

FANS' POST MATCH OPINION

Just listened to Stoke game on radio and I find myself staring at the new league table and pinching myself. Yet another tremendous away win and three precious points in a week that had three games in six days including two away and another seven points from them, brilliant. That is now a third of the season gone, we sit six points clear of third and a staggering twelve points clear of seventh. The really weird thing is mind, though we are clearly playing well and winning we are not yet in top gear, there is so much more to come particularly up front and that really is exciting. Sounded like we could have easily wrapped the game up in the last ten but poor finishing let us down, similar to what those of us who were there witnessed at Hull on Tuesday night. Now with two home games coming up another great chance to push on yet with another mind boggling 31 games left plus our infamous history leaves no Reading fans feeling remotely confident of an adventure in the so called promised land next year. If I was Coppell I'd play the reserves against Sheff Utd in the cup midweek and rest every single player in the first team but who am I to advise him. Let's just enjoy the moment and also look at the Premiership table and see how amazingly well Wigan are doing, that gives us all hope.
Nick Newbury

I am sure that this is not the case but it seems that some referees want to keep up their quota of cautions (to 'impress' a watching assessor?). In the case of Kitson's goal celebrations, surely a quiet word of warning would have been enough but I suspect that this particular referee wanted to commit a 'high profile' act in a game that was never going to boil over.
Martin Horne

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