Ipswich Town
Report: Town 2-0 Reading
By Aston
September 13 2008
Town claimed their first win at Portman Road this season with a 2-0 victory against Steve Coppell’s Reading earlier today. Town used a conservative 4-4-2 formation with new signing Jon Stead starting up front alongside Pablo Counago in midfield it was Walters, Garvan, Miller and Quinn at the back David Wright returned to defence with Richard Naylor, Gareth McAuley and Moritz Volz.
It was a good attacking start for both teams with chances created at both ends, Counago fired over for Town while Kebe was denied by the legs of Richard Wright, which sent the strikers effort wide.
Town were temporarily reduced to ten men when Jon Walters had to leave the field and return to the dressing room to have his head stitched up after cutting his head.
Town missed out on taking the lead by mere inches when Pablo Counago headed the ball out of the reach of Hahnemann and on to the underside of the bar, only to see the ball bounce back out and into the Reading's ‘keepers arms.
Reading's Harper fired over the bar from Kebe's cross just before Pim Balkestein replaced Gareth McAuley who was suffering with a dead leg.
Town thought they had taken the lead soon after when Walters fired into the back of the net from a David Wright cross but the offside flag had before Walters had touched the ball.
Marcus Hahnemann was keeping Reading in the games at times with a number of fine saves, one of which came from a Walters effort that needed forcing round the post.
Stead came close in the 33rd minute, sending a shoot across the face of goal from an Owen Garvan cross.
Stead and Counago worked well together at times, one of those occasions was in the final 5 minutes of the first half which lead to Town getting a free kick after a foul on stead, the free-kick was passed to Garvan who had his shoot charged down.
Richard Naylor was forced to head the ball wide of his own goal as Reading continued to push. Counago hit the bar again for Town before Reading's Pearce fired over from a Reading corner.
The second half started with Town on the attack, Stead had an effort blocked by Counago, Quinn fired wide. Stead was denied by Hahnemann who would later deny Quinn a spectacular goal when the former Sheffield United midfielder fired from 25-yards only for the American ‘keeper to dive to his left and parry the ball with an out reached fist.
Town did eventually find a way past the ‘keeper who had been on top form all afternoon when Jon Stead was released down the right hand side before curling the ball in off the far post.
Moritz Volz denied the visitors an equalising goal when he cleared Hunt's effort off the line, Wright was under pressure from the Reading attack but managed to keep his nerve and collect a number of balls in the box.
Quinn hit the post with some venom in the 79th minute after Counago had caused confusion in the visiting defence. Town made the game safe in the 86th minute when Walter's was on hand to head home Lisbie's cross from the left hand side.
Town: R. Wright, Volz, McAuley (Balkestein 26), Naylor, D Wright; Walters, Garvan, Miller, Quinn; Stead (Lisbie 74), Counago (Campo 87) Subs: Supple, Haynes.
Reading: Hahnemann, Rosenior, Pearce, Ingimarsson, Armstrong (Convey 74); Harper, Karacan (Bikey 79), Kebe, S Hunt; Long (N Hunt 60), Doyle Subs: Federici, Kelly.
Referee: K D Hill (Hertfordshire)
Attendance: 21,366
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