Match Report: 2010/2011 Season

11 August 2010: LEAGUE CUP ROUND 1
TORQUAY UNITED 0 READING 1 (After Extra Time)
goals
Reading: Rasiak (120 mins).
Torquay:
Half Time: 0-0
Full Time: 0-0
Attendance: 2,832

CHAMPIONSHIP 7 Aug 2010
Pos Team P Pts GD
16 Leeds 1 0 -1
17 READING 1 0 -1
18 Nottm F 1 0 -1
teams
Reading: Hamer, Griffin, Williams, Pearce, Tabb, Howard, Kebe, Gunnarsson, Antonio (Obita, 113) Rasiak, Bignall (Karacan, 91) Subs not used: Davies, Cummings, McCarthy, Bell-Baggie, D'Ath.
Torquay: Bevan, Robertson, Branston, Nicholson, Mansell, Wroe, Stevens (Lathrope, 112) Ellis, Zebroski, Benyon, Kee (O'Kane, 97) Subs not used: Charnock, Potter, Rowe-Turner, Macklin.
bookings
Reading: Gunnarsson
Torquay: Benyon Zebroski.
report
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FANS' POST MATCH OPINION

Well it wasn't fun was it? 120 minutes of tedium interspersed with Guy Branston hoofs and then an ultimately undeserved winner. Cue pandemonium at the front sparked off by said winner, Alex Pearce going nuts, and then the perimeter wall collapsing breaking a Torbay Windows advertisement. According to Alan Partridge in the home stand it sounded like a shotgun going off.
Positives: clean sheet (just), good amount of fight in the face of a pretty damn good Torquay side and a willingness to go for 120 minutes, and the level of territory we had second half onwards was pretty good. 761 fans turning up for a day out at the seaside, a funfair, football on the beach, and one of the best haddock, chips and gravy I've ever had. That really was it.
Negatives: a complete lack of mobility and movement up front resulting in an extraordinary amount of long balls pumped to Rasiak who won absolutely nothing in the air all game against Branston. A distinct lack of pace and mobility at the back from Pearce and Gunnarsson, both of whom looked very shaky against Benyon and Kee. Marcus Williams was owned by Chris Zebroski so much that Zebroski could have placed a hotel on him if he wanted to.
Torquay's performance came as no surprise to me having seen them a few times last season, they really are a pretty damn good side who's league placing for the majority of last season belied their true ability. Handbags Harris

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QUOTES FROM THE PRESS

Grzegorz Rasiak literally brought the walls down at Plainmoor with his last-gasp winner that sent Reading into the next round of the Carling Cup. Rasiak broke Torquay United's giant-killing ambitions by becoming the first player to score against them in a staggering 900 minutes with his first strike of the season. Hundreds of loyal Royals behind Scott Bevan's goal went crazy as the ball was bundled across the line with the last throw of the dice from Reading. So much so, that a section of the terrace wall collapsed and fans spilled onto the pitch as the stadium failed to match the strong foundations of its team, who hadn't conceded in nine consecutive games...
Chances were squandered at either end in what was a thrilling cup-tie played a high tempo and intensity. Reading manager Brian McDermott made six changes to the side that lost 2-1 to Scunthorpe United on the opening day of the season, largely due to injuries and international call-ups.
Winger Michail Antonio saw a header cleared off the line in the 50th-minute by left-back Kevin Nicholson and Gulls striker Elliot Benyon rattled Ben Hamer's post in the 75th-minute as they looked to ruffle some feathers. Hamer was forced to pull off a series of stunning saves to once again deny Benyon, Billy Kee and Eunan O'Kane as the game looked to be heading to penalties.
Centre-back Alex Pearce headed into the box from a Howard free-kick and Rasiak provided an acrobatic scissor kick to fire past Scott Bevan at the death.

Reading Post