Published: Saturday, 8th November, 2008 12:00
Doyle double sinks Derby
By Anthony Smith
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Reading 3 Derby County 0
KEVIN Doyle celebrated his new contract with a superb double to sink Derby County and pass his half-century of Reading goals.
The Republic of Ireland striker scored twice in eight minutes of the second-half after Noel Hunt had fired Steve Coppell's side ahead early on.
Doyle's first was also his 50th goal in 137 appearances in a blue and white jersey and it capped a memorable week for the 25-year-old who quashed speculation about his future by signing a new contract on Thursday until summer 2011.
And Coppell gave Doyle, who now has 13 goals for the season, a glowing post-match tribute. saying: "People who know Kevin Doyle will know he will not have got carried away this week - but he has made a very significant gesture of commitment.
"The contract will eliminate idle speculation, though he's such a good player the talk will come. But it's based on performance and nothing other than that."
Royals' boss added : "The speculation didn' help him early in the season an once he settled down and scored, that spoke more than any of the papers.
"He can only enhance his reputation now and, the more he scores, he cuts his own path in the game."
This was a crucial victory for Reading and it keeps their promotion campaign firmly on track ahead of what is likely to be a difficult trip to Sheffield United next weekend.
Coppell's side remain sensational at home. They boasted a near-perfect record before the game and QPR were the only side to have taken points off them at the Madejski Stadium this season following a goalless draw last time out.
But Derby arrived in a rich vein of form with just one defeat in their previous 12 league games. That is some turnaround in fortunes considering it had taken Jewell 28 matches to secure a victory before that.
Still, Royals were strong favourites to beat opponents who have featured heavily in their recent history.
The Reading faithful will never forget the day that smashed the Rams 5-0 at the Madejski Stadium to clinch the Championship title three seasons ago.
But equally, they will remain haunted by the nightmare of their visit to Pride Park on the final day of last season when their relegation from the Premeir League was confirmed despite a 4-0 victory.
Not surprisingly, both clubs are tipped to challenge for promotion back to the top flight and Royals could not afford to take the visitors lightly, given a Rams win would have left them a mere three points behind Coppell's side.
Nevertheless, Derby knew that any sort of positive result would be bonus and they they started on the front foot with a clear desire to attack.
Yet it wasn't long before the hosts began to find their groove and play the same stylish brand of football that secured an emphatic 4-1 victory at Bristol City last week.
Coppell's men had the ball in the net in the 13th minute when Stephen Hunt's free-kick flicked off Emanuel Villa's head and flew past his own keeper Stephen Bywater for an unfortunate own goal.
But referee Scott Mathieson spotted a dubious push from Doyle in the box and the goal was scrubbed out. That, though, only fired up the hosts while Jewell's men failed to heed the warning.
And just seven minutes later they did go in front through another excellent piece of understanding between the deadly Hunt brothers.
Stephen whipped in the perfect near-post corner and Noel got in front of Jordan Stewart to glance a terrific header inside Bywater's near post for his eighth of the season.
It was Stphen's 11th assist of the campaign while Noel's acrobatic goal celebration took a new twist with an imitation gunfight with his team-mates, most being big Playstation fans.
As much s Derby searched for an equaliser it rarely looked like coming and Coppell's men continued to push the visitors back and create the better opportunities.
Jimmy Kebe went close with a clever first-time volley then James Harper's effort struck Bywater's body from Noel Hunt's cross.
In the same period of domination Reading had another goal ruled out when Stephen Hunt's corner was adjudged to have gone out of play before Doyle turned it back in for Noel Hunt to score.
Even so, Reading were in cruise control and they rarely looked stretched until the beginning of the second half when they were lucky not to concede a 49th minute equaliser.
Derby cleverly switched play and Kris Commons was left in acres of space on the left. The winger killed the ball in an instant, threw Liam Rosenior a dummy but, with the goal at his mercy, he sliced his shot horribly wide from 10 yards.
Coppell's men eventually capitalise on that let-off when Doyle doubled their lead in the 69th minute.
Derby sub Nacer Barazite had only been on the pitch a matter of seconds when he jumped in to tackle Chris Armstrong. Royals' full-back, though, was too quick and he skipped out of the challenge before whipping in an exquisite cross and Doyle timed his run perfectly to power a header past Bywater from six yards.
The 25-year-old immediately ran to the East Stand where he flashed up 50 fingers to signify the landmark. And the goal knocked the stuffing out of Derby who looked shaky and vulnerable.
There were even appeals for a penalty against the visitors moments later when Claude Davis collided with Ivar Ingimarsson in the box but somehow Mathieson awarded a foul the other way.
But despite that the third goal arrived on 75 minutes and it was the best strike of the match. When Kebe fed Doyle the Irishman still had plenty to do but he skipped outside his marker before drilling an angled left-footed shot that went in off the far post from 20 yards for his 13th of the season, and 51st of his Royals career.
Stephen Hunt then fired wide from Shane Long's centre and Marcus Hahemann was called upon for possibly the first time of the afternoon when he denied Barazite with an impressive save in the 86th minute.
It was a thoroughly professional display from Coppell's side in what could have been an extremely tricky fixture. But confidence continues to build with every performance and victory and in this run of form they will take some stopping.
Reading (4-4-2): Hahnemann - Rosenior, Bikey, Ingimarsson, Armstrong - Kebe, Cisse (Matejovsky 79), Harper (Gunnarsson 79), S.Hunt - Doyle, N.Hunt (Long 69). Subs not used: Andersen, Henry.
Derby (4-4-2): Bywater - Connolly, Albrechtsen (Davis 54), Nyatanga, Stewart - Teale (Barazite 67), Addison, Green, Commons - Hulse, Villa. Subs not used: Carroll, Kazmierczak. Booked: Addison 45.
Referee: Scott Mathieson (Cheshire).
Attendance:18,724.
JULIAN Kelly and SIMON Church have agreed contract extensions with the Royals.
Full-back Kelly will remain at the club until summer 2011 while striker Church has penned a deal until summer 2010.
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