Published: Saturday, 4th October, 2008 12:00
Royals march on at fortress Madstad
By Anthony Smith
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Reading 3 Burnley 1
Hot stuff: Royals striker Noel Hunt in action.
READING sent out yet another warning to their promotion rivals by securing a deserved 3-1 victory over Burnley at the Madeski Stadium.
It maintained their stunning 100% home record in the league this season and capped a superb week's work following Tuesday's victory at high-flying Wolves.
The 3-0 win at Molineux was their first away from home this season. But on their own ground Steve Coppell's side have been unstoppable.
The Royals have now won all five matches at the start of the Championship season, scoring 19 goals in the process and conceded just three
They began the day and in third place but, with Burnley just one position behind, Coppell knew the dangers of complacency.
The Clarets had already won the first battle of the weekend when boss Owen Coyle pipped Coppell to the Championship Manager of the Month award for September.
But once again it proved nothing more than a curse as Royals finished the day with a far bigger prize of three more precious points as the league enters a two week break for international fixtures.
Coppell picked the same side for the third game in a row which was hardly surprising given the form they are in.
And just four minutes had gone when the hosts stormed into the lead through an excellent piece of play.
Jem Karacan started it off in Reading's own half by releasing Stephen Hunt.
The in-form winger's cross was too strong but Jimmy Kebe helped it back into the box and Noel Hunt planted a clinical header past Brian Jensen from eight yards out for his sixth of the season and fourth in the league.
Hunt was clattered by Burnley skipper Steven Caldwell in the process and his prospects of continuing looked grim as he lay prone on the turf.
The brave Irishman eventually got to his feet and, though a little groggy, he re-joined play five minutes later.
But it soon became clear that Hunt's injury was worse than first feared and he was eventually taken off as a precaution and replaced by Shane Long.
Still, Burnley are no mugs. Coyle's side had not lost in the league since August and clearly were not ready to give up that impressive record.
Joey Gudjonsson hit a free-kick that Marcus Hahnemann held then mid-way through the first-half the American stopper was forced to stretch full length to keep out Graham Alexander's curling drive from long-range.
But, despite some impressive build-up play from the visitors, they lacked an end product and Royals were comfortably ahead at the interval.
The theme continued after the interval and on 50 minutes Stephen Hunt's went close with back-post header from Liam Rosenior's cross.
Burnley, though, failed to learn from it and just two minutes later the Republic of Ireland winger made them pay following an almost identical move..
Rosenior fed Kebe down the right and Hunt met his cross with a diving header at the back stick which flew in for his fifth of the campaign.
It gave Royals the breathing space they needed, though Burnley refused to lie down and Paterson forced an excellent save out of Hahnemann from 25-yards just short of the hour mark.
However, any hopes fo a Clarets fightback were dashed on 64 minutes when Kevin Doyle raced to the bye-line and crossed for Long to tap in his first goal of the season from close range.
For all Burnley's effort, they had nothing to show for it. Their strikers were on different wavelengths with Paterson and substitute Robbie Blake even colliding with each other at one point.
And they could have no complaints about the referee as, if anything, Kevin Friend allowed the Clarets to get away with a series of crunching tackles that otherwise should have been punished.
To their credit, Coyle's men kept going and one minute from time Chris McCann pulled one back with a glancing header. But it was nothing more than a token gesture.
No doubt Coyle will also be fuming following a 90th minute red card for Stephen Jordan who needlessly pulled Long's shirt to earn a second yellow.
Coppell, however, will have no such frustrations as Royals enter a fortnight's break then return with a trip to Preston.
Readng (4-4-2): Hahnemann - Rosenior, Bikey, Gunnarsson, Armstrong (Kelly 66) - Kebe, Karacan (Cisse 75), Gunnarsson, S.Hunt - Doyle, N.Hunt (Long 25). Subs not used: Andersen, Henry. Booked: Armstrong 38.
Burnley (4-4-2): Jensen - Duff (Eagles 56), Carlisle, Caldwell, Jordan - Elliott, Gudjonsson, Alexander, McCann - Paterson (Rodriguez 76), Thompson (Blake 61). Subs not used: Penny, Mahon. Booked: Paterson 56, Caldwell 60, Jordan 80.
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).
Attendance: 18,621.
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