Championship Fixture - 17th September 2005 Madejski Stadium, 3:00pm kick-off

TEAM LINE-UP'S

Reading - Hahnemann, Murty, Makin , Sonko, Ingimarsson, Convey (Hunt), Little (Oster), Harper, Sidwell, Doyle, Lita (Obinna)

Crewe - Turnbull, Moss, Tonkin, Foster, McCready, B Jones, Roberts, Lunt, Vaughan (Rivers), Higdon (Suhaj), S Jones (Ugarte)

MATCH REVIEW

Steve Coppell's side remained unchanged after the dramatic late win over Crystal Palace in midweek.

Reading started quick out of the traps piling plenty of pressure on the visitors. Kevin Doyle had a good opportunity early on after good work from Glen Little but the Irishman failed to make good contact with the ball and the chance went to waste.

Bobby Convey looked dangerous down the left wing and produced a number of quality crosses into the Crewe penalty box but on a number of occasions their lacked numbers of blue and white hooped shirts in the box.

As the first half aged the visitors so more of the ball and did see a goal ruled out for offside through Steve Jones, although Jones was less then impressed with the decision which was very close indeed.

Crewe began the started the second half in similar fashion as the end of the first creating more openings then The Royals. And Crewe did come so near to upsetting the odds when from a set piece the dangerous Steve Jones headed onto the bar before Graeme Murty nearly scored an own goal as the Reading captain attempted to clear the ball. James Harper saved Murty's blushes by heading the ball off the line.

The close scare seemed to ignite the Reading team and in particular Bobby Convey who looked to take the game by the scruff of the neck with some tricky runs which so nearly opened the scoring.

However when the goal finally did come from the home side large thanks had to go to substitute John Oster who had only entered the fray a minute earlier in a double swap that saw the former Sunderland winger and Eric Obinna replace Glen Little and Leroy Lita.

Oster's cross from a short corner found the head of Ivar Ingimarsson's whose header somehow found its way over the line via a deflection and scramble on the Crewe goal line to give Reading a 1:0 lead.

Dario Gradi made changes immediately as he looked for a quick response from his Crewe side, with strikers Pavol Suhaj and Juan Ugarte entering the fold.

However it was all in vain as Reading held on to win back to back games and remain four points behind leaders Sheffield United who scored a late winner in their 3:2 away success at Watford.

Man Of The Match - Bobby Convey
Attendance - 17,668

NEXT LEAGUE OPPONENTS

Norwich City (A) - Saturday 24th September 2005, 3:00pm Kick Off

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