MATCHWATCH : Wycombe Wanderers (h)

[stealthpapes]

HT's decent, Blackpool losing at Rotherham.

Hudds, Bolton & Orient drawing winnable home games.

Brum being held at home although Barnsley down to 10 men.

Bolton score late-ish on, Huddersfield also winning

Brum winning - maximum points 113, on track for about 106, sincerely hope that squad flip flops come on.

[TiagoIlori]

We were very lucky to not concede in the opening quarter, but all credit to them as we got back into it.

Glad Wifi and Garcia were hooked off as early as they were. Poor games and seemed a bit lazy, contrast to Rushesha and Wareham who gave us the energy we needed (really liked the look of Rushesha).

I did wish at times we didn’t sit so deep though. Invites too much pressure and our players don’t seem to be confident in themselves to pass the ball around, instead just hoofing it to our wingers as you would expect at this level.

[Gunny Fishcake]

That’s how to take a penalty !

[windermereROYAL]

Harvey had taken 3 pens before today and put each one to the keepers right, I said t my friend if the keeper had done is homework he`s dive right, I`m sure Knibbsy thought that too by leaving him on his arse by putting it to the keepers left. problem being the keeper dived right.

[Rax]

Harvey had taken 3 pens before today and put each one to the keepers right, I said t my friend if the keeper had done is homework he`s dive right, I`m sure Knibbsy thought that too by leaving him on his arse by putting it to the keepers left. problem being the keeper dived right.

Clever penalty by Knibbs to be fair - I was convinced he'd put it in the same place - so was their keeper!!

[Greatwesternline]

It was slow and halfway between the middle of the goal and the post.

If the keeper goes the other way he saves it and everyone says it's a poor penalty.

[Hound]

Slow? He hammered it

It was about as comprehensive a penalty conversion as you could wish to see

[Gunny Fishcake]

It was slow and halfway between the middle of the goal and the post.

If the keeper goes the other way he saves it and everyone says it's a poor penalty.

Were you a the game ? He smashed the ball home so hard we we heard the thump of the ball in Y24 , magnificent penalty

[PieEater]

First half I thought we were poor and Wycombe the better side and we were lucky not to concede.

It's hard to complain about the ref when he gave us a pen but he lost the plot and fell for a lot of Wycombe falling over. If you're going to give fouls for such soft contact then you have to give it to both sides. It seemed that was their game plan, I'm not sure how many goals their centre halves score from set pieces but they were massive.

The pen looked stonewall but we've seen them not given (Peterboro last week lol) so I count that as decisions evening up for us over the season and I'll take it, even though we were second best.

[Snowflake Royal]

It was slow and halfway between the middle of the goal and the post.

If the keeper goes the other way he saves it and everyone says it's a poor penalty.

Were you a the game ? He smashed the ball home so hard we we heard the thump of the ball in Y24 , magnificent penalty

That's a bizarre take from GWL. It wasn't any of those things

[Snowflake Royal]

Wycombe huffed ad puffed tidily, forced a couple of good saves from Pereira, completely controlled the first half, partly due to our very poor showing, but never really looked like they knew how to win.

We mostly defended well and played much better second half, which made it a more even game decided by the best chance, our penalty. Otherwise it looked pretty destined for 0-0.

Wycombe looked a bit like the sort of tired side we used to be that would happily sit there playing their game in the knowledge the table showed they were the better side expecting a good chance to magically appear eventually through osmosis, without ever really doing anything to create that good chance. And got sucker punched, just the same as we always used to, as a result.

[tidus_mi2]

First half I thought we were poor and Wycombe the better side and we were lucky not to concede.

It's hard to complain about the ref when he gave us a pen but he lost the plot and fell for a lot of Wycombe falling over. If you're going to give fouls for such soft contact then you have to give it to both sides. It seemed that was their game plan, I'm not sure how many goals their centre halves score from set pieces but they were massive.

The pen looked stonewall but we've seen them not given (Peterboro last week lol) so I count that as decisions evening up for us over the season and I'll take it, even though we were second best.

It's one of those that people will complain about but anywhere else on the pitch that is a clear foul that the ref won't hesitate to give.

[AthleticoSpizz]

It was slow and halfway between the middle of the goal and the post.

If the keeper goes the other way he saves it and everyone says it's a poor penalty.

Were you a the game ? He smashed the ball home so hard we we heard the thump of the ball in Y24 , magnificent penalty

That's a bizarre take from GWL. It wasn't any of those things

he had the sound turned off?

[Greatwesternline]

It was slow and halfway between the middle of the goal and the post.

If the keeper goes the other way he saves it and everyone says it's a poor penalty.

Were you a the game ? He smashed the ball home so hard we we heard the thump of the ball in Y24 , magnificent penalty

That's a bizarre take from GWL. It wasn't any of those things

i've seen a reply and i'm happy to retract!

[Snowflake Royal]

Were you a the game ? He smashed the ball home so hard we we heard the thump of the ball in Y24 , magnificent penalty

That's a bizarre take from GWL. It wasn't any of those things

i've seen a reply and i'm happy to retract!

Respect

[Mr Angry]

As a first home game attended in many Years, quite a lot of nostalgia; from seeing Tim Dellor (and saying good morning to) outside the stadium, to having a chat with the same steward in the Upper West who was always there when I was an STH, to a very decent bacon bap in the Hotel for £5, I thought it was great to be back.

As for the game itself, really scrappy; Reading put themselves about a bit and rattled Wycombe, but we lacked any real cutting edge up front. Frankly, we were fortunate to be level at half time - their striker put through by a poor header back to Perreira had time to take it down and compose himself rather than go for the lob......whilst Wycombe were lucky not to be down to 10 men following the clear retaliation from their #7 (to an admittedly poor challenge by Knibbs). The ref lost control in the latter part of the first half, and needed half time as much as anyone.

The midfield was a real battlefield that neither side won, and as the game went on it was clear that a mistake would divide the teams, which duly came after a trip that was a clear a penalty you will get. Not too sure about all the shenanighans around the taking of the penalty to be honest; all the faffing about wasted 2 minutes which got lumped on at the end of the game, but well taken penalty nevertheless.

Not many Reading players had 8/10 matches, though the class of Bindon is self evident; on the debit side, Garcia looks desperately in need of a rest.

In the end 3 big points and Wycombe nothing to write home about; well organised with a big lump of a central defender, but also lacking a really good forward line. Will need to invest heavily to survive in the Championship.

[Greatwesternline]

The penalty switch routine won't work a 3rd time in terms of keepers prepping for the wrong penalty taker, they will all now know that Knibbs is taking irrespective of who is lining up to take it.

I guess it does mean Knibbs has a solid 2-3 minutes collecting his thought undisturbed from other players play mind games with him. I wonder though, will refs get wise to it and not allow a penalty taker to change....does there ever come a cut off where the ref says sorry, you are the one who has to take it now? perhaps not.

i feel like it is something that could come back to hurt us somehow.

[Sutekh]

The penalty switch routine won't work a 3rd time in terms of keepers prepping for the wrong penalty taker, they will all now know that Knibbs is taking irrespective of who is lining up to take it.

I guess it does mean Knibbs has a solid 2-3 minutes collecting his thought undisturbed from other players play mind games with him. I wonder though, will refs get wise to it and not allow a penalty taker to change....does there ever come a cut off where the ref says sorry, you are the one who has to take it now? perhaps not.

i feel like it is something that could come back to hurt us somehow.

If they get wise to that then they’d have to also get wise to the mind games of others in the first place and start booking players for ungentlemanly conduct/unsporting behaviour or whatever the latest term is for it..

[katweslowski]

As a first home game attended in many Years,

Putting aside feasibility or reality, did it make you feel like coming back again and again - in terms of matchday atmosphere and experience? Guessing yes and I ask that because it did feel like a game from the older days - mainly in the second half

[katweslowski]

I don't think it was that big an issue in this game but I'm getting sick and also concerned about the continual tactic of players going to ground - not for a foul, but to stop the play and get the physio on.

Same for head injuries

I'm starting to think the ref or FIFA need to direct play continue - like in rugby - as it's getting really frustrating

Seeing players claim they've got cramp or got a kick in the leg