MATCH REPORT: 2002/2003 Season

28 September 2002: LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
READING 1 STOKE CITY 1
goals
Reading: Rougier (11 mins).
Stoke City:
Vandeurzen (39 mins).
Half Time: 1-1
Attendance: 13,646

DIVISION ONE  21 Sep 2002
Pos Team P Pts GD
10 Wolves 10 14 +7
11 READING 11 14 -1
12 Gillingham 10 14 -3
teams
Reading: Hahnemann, Mackie, Upson, Williams, Murty, Hughes, Watson (Tyson 85), Newman, Salako, Rougier (Forster 81), Cureton. Subs not used: Shorey, Igoe, Ashdown.
Stoke City:
Cutler, Thomas, Clarke, Handyside, Shtaniuk, Gudjonsson, O'Connor, Henry, Vandeurzen (Neal 59), Cooke (Iwelumo 78), Hoekstra (Goodfellow 65). Subs not used: Viander, Marteinsson.
bookings
Reading: Salako, Watson. Stoke City: Hoekstra , Neal.
Referee: R Styles (Waterlooville)
report

I do not generally attribute the outcome of any game to luck, but today Stoke came away with point today as a direct result of an enormous slice of good fortune. It could be argued that Reading should have finished the game off when they on top during the first half, or that Stoke were threatening to score when they put the Royals under pressure during the final ten minutes, but Reading were in my opinion a better team throughout the game and deserved all three points.

Reading started brightly and as early as the 3rd minute Cutler fumbled a Hughes low cross, and with Cureton lurking, had to desperately scramble the ball away. Shortly after that Stoke produced their best chance of the game when a deep cross floated over Murty but Hahnemann saved the resulting close range header. In the 11th minute Rougier scored his long awaited goal. A slick move ended when Cureton let the ball run to Rougier who swept the ball low and hard into the bottom left hand corner of the net. It was such a well taken goal it makes you wonder why he doesn't do it more often.

The Reading formation which proved so effective last week at Wolves completely subdued Stoke and their fans for almost the entire first half. Newman's passing was a bit erratic but in partnership with Watson he provided a very solid barrier in midfield allowing Hughes to get forward to support Rougier and Cureton. Upson looked impressive at the back especially in the air. Rougier is back to the form he was in throughout January when he performed so effectively with Forster. Igoe and Shorey are good players who pass and move well, but the side looks much stronger since they have been replaced.

The City equaliser came ironically at a time when the Royals defence was looking as solid as I have seen it in recent years. Vandeurzen was given the credit for the goal although from where I was sitting it didn't even look like a scoring attempt. Either way the ball was heading for the corner flag until it struck Adie Williams and was deflected into the net with Hahnemannn left stranded going in the opposite direction. It was a complete fluke and not at all deserved by the visitors.

Reading set about their task with purpose in the second half and Hughes using his energy to break forward more frequently from midfield proved the main threat. I the 52nd minute he ran clear through the City midfield and defence and slipped the ball past the keeper only to see his effort cleared off the line. In the 71st minute he hit a superb volley just wide from just outside the box. He best chance came in the 67th minute but he blazed his shot over the bar. He should have hit the target or maybe even played the ball across goal. Alan Pardew said he couldn't understand how Hughes didn't score in this game. In that instance he simply needed to keep his head.

Gradually Stoke got back into the game. Hahmemann was forced to make a good diving save in the 72nd minute and the game became more open. Both sides went looking for the winner and neither team looked comfortable defensively. Stoke's intentions were made clear when they brought on a battering ram in the form of Iwelumo. Upson crucially won a superb defensive header against the huge striker almost as soon as he came on. Reading's substitutions didn't help their cause. Tyson looked a bit out of his depth and I did not feel it was the right situation to bring him on. Stoke pinned Reading back in their own half in the closing stages and in the end I was relieved that Reading did not concede a late goal.

This game was further evidence of how well the team is developing. This week Stoke have beaten Ipswich and drawn with Forest proving that they are good enough to compete with the best in this division. Reading dominated them for most of the game. I think the tactics and formation are right and Pardew is getting the best out of his squad. He was also absolutely right in pointing out that Salako produced some very good crosses. Perhaps in January Mr. Madejski will decide it is worth producing the money for a striker to convert crosses into goals.
Report by John Wells


FANS' POST MATCH OPINION
ken c
We played well today in most parts of the pitch. We were solid at the back, keeping the Stoke attack to a couple of chances. The goal that we conceeded was a complete fluke as it flew past Marcus off Williams leg. There was nothing that anyone could do about it. The three centre halves all had good games. Solako played like he can, Hughes made good runs, even Roug scored, but we did not hurt them enough. Their keeper had a quiet game and that was due to our inablity to play the right ball at the death or for the midfield to get up and into the box. Too many balls flashed across the six yard box when there was noone there to put it in. After he had scored, and wasn't everyone pleased for him, Roug disappeared for a bit, and I suppose that was understandable but what of the others? Cureton worked hard but failed to hit the target too often. Hughes ran well and had he chosen Cureton instead of trying a shot from a ridiculous angle then the game would have been ours. He also needs to work on his heading. He was the one man that would attack the crosses, but he is not quite Jimmy Quinn in the air. Solako was the main creative player. He put over a succession of high quality crosses and we could not capitalise on them. Newman and Watson need to be more creative around the box. It shouldn't be a little chip back in but a ball out wide to start again or quick one two with one of the strikers. Till the last ten minutes when Stoke finally started to threaten, we looked comfortable. I did not feel that we were in any danger of loosing but it is frustrating to see us dominate games away from home and then fail to impose our game on the opposition when we are at home. It is also frustrating for the fans and perhaps that was reflected in a disappointing attendance yesterday or is it that the ticket prices are just a bit too high - a bit like our shooting!
nick newbury
Was this two home points dropped or another good point won? Probably a bit of both if truth is known. So called Fortress Madjeski is turning out to be as secure as a kiddies sand castle with most teams coming to our place with no fear or trepidation what so ever. With an average away support like Stoke had yesterday, on most occasions the always fans make far more noise than us. I reckon the club should make every home game kids, students, unemployed, military servicemen and tramps for a quid! Lets fill the stadium and get some atmosphere going.
After the excitement of Wolves last week, Reading predictably produced a very average performance against a very average Stoke team. Both teams seemed quite happy with a draw in the end that give them both one more point towards to the sole objective of this season, avoiding relegation. Still can't work out while Shorey has been dropped, nor why Forster is not starting. Both have pace and the ability to go past players, yet AP seems so defensive in his tactics that neither players appear to fit into his plans at the moment. When we stared the season the one great thing I thought we had going for us was our forwards, Cureton, Butler, Forster, Henderson and Rougier. On paper five forwards that most teams would love to have in their team, but what has happened? When we get into the oppositions final third, we seem to run out of ideas and the ability to create any form of reasonable chances. Needs sorting quickly. All said and done, another point, another drinking session and another good day out with the lads. Anybody see the tank going along the road outside the stadium after the game? That was very exciting!
paul
thatcham royal
This game showed how far both sides have progressed. It wasn't as thrilling as last seasons home game, with both sides looking better defensively. That said, I feel Reading is the team that has made the most progress. I don't remember Stoke having so many big players. Their number 11 was huge and the player they brought on in the second half for a corner was massive. To trouble them in the air we had Jamie Cureton.... I felt that Butler would have done better up front with Rougier. Cureton was quiet. A number of times he was either too far ahead of the ball, or too far behind it. Salako on the other hand had a great game. He flung in a number of superb crosses that had the Stoke keeper flapping. The defenders didn't seem to know what to do either.
As for the goal.
Rougier (ex Port Vale) scoring against Stoke, in front of their fans... We can only imagine how he felt. And then the let down of such a freak goal, which has to go down as an OG for Williams, even though he didn't know a lot about it. I don't know if it was a cross or shot, neither option would have caused any danger until the ricochet. Then 2nd half Hughes started to cause mayhem, he had 3 beautiful chances, a header, a shot and a cross which we should have got at least one more goal from. It just wasn't going to go in. Stoke only seemed to look dangerous when they had a corner. Thankfully even then they were as poor in front of goal as us.
I have to finish with a tiny whinge. Stoke made all 3 subs midway in the 2nd half, why did we wait until 8 minutes from time? That's just too late for any player to have a major impact, couldn't we have at least had Forster on sooner? I'm not too upset about the result and the performance was good. If this is how the table looks at the end of the season, I'll be more than happy.
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