LIVE - Reading v Leicester City

Published 26 Oct 2009 15:00 3 Comments

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Follow all the action as it happens right here.........

FULL TIME. Reading 0 Leicester City 1.

Audible boos at the finial whistle but the majority of Reading fans stay behind to clap their team off.

If they create as many chances as this in the future they will certainly win more games than they lose.

But, sadly, the ball just won't go in for Brendan Rodgers' side right now - and it's threatening to turn this into a disastrous season.

Jobi McAnuff hit the woodwork, Simon Church missed a string of chances and Marek Matejovsky and Grzegorz Rasiak also went close.

But in the end Martyn Waghorn's first-half header was enough to extend Leicester's unbeatn run to five matches.

The result will also pile more pressure on Rodgers with Reading still in the relegation zone after four straight defeats.

9.52pm. Steve Howard was an inch away from doubling Leicester's lead there.

9.51pm. Brian Howard is booked and he's also limping. It looks like another dark day at the Mad Stad for the Royals.

9.50pm. Three minutes of added time, and Leicester have a corner. They won't be in a rush.

9.47pm. Matt Oakley just missed a great chance to wrap it up there when he fired wide of Adam Federici's far post. Will that spur Reading on?

9.45pm. Only five minutes of normal time left now. Royals desperately need a goal or the knives will be out for Rodgers again.

Saying that, the performance alone has been impressive.

Leicester have just replaced Paul Gallagher with Bruno Berner.

9.41pm. How on earth did that stay out? Another brilliant Matejovsky pass to put Jimmy Kebe in. He crossed to the near post, Rasiak bravely dived in with Leicester keeper Chris Weale and the ball pops out and dribbles across the face of goal - but again there is no-one there to stick it in. Heartbreaking.

9.38pm. And yet another decent chance goes begging for the Royals.

Matejovsky collected a short corner then passed to Matt Mills who scooped the ball over the bar from 10 yards.

9.35pm. Jay Tabb puts his body in the way to divert DJ Campbell's effort arond the post. It came from a long Leicester throw-in.

9.32pm. Reading were close to scoring there when Brian Howard's 25-yard drive took a big deflection but bounced a yard wide of the post with Chris Weale beaten.

Matt Oakley just had a sly little dig at Marek Matejovsky by stamping on his hand. At least, that's how it looked.

9.26pm. The first murmurs of restlessness from the home supporters.

Matthew Mills has been booked for a crude tackle on Steve Howard.

Twenty minutes to go now.

9.25pm. The attendance is 16,192 - that's seven less than the 16,199 who watched London Irish beat Leicester here at the weekend.

Are Royals now the second biggest sporting club in Reading? Perish the thought.

9.24pm. Midway through the second-half and still we await an equaliser.

This is like pulling teeth. You can feel Royals are so close - but the ball just won't go in.

9.23pm. Royals make two subs now.

Jimmy Kebe is on for Gylfi Sigurdsson and Shane Long has replaced Simon Church.

Marek Matejovsky has also been booked for a foul on Andy King.

9.20pm. Ryan Bertrand fired a shot across goal, Jobi McAnuff retrieved the ball but there was no-one in the box to tap in the winger's return ball.

9.19pm. Leicester make a double substitution and replace two strikers, Matty Fryatt and the goalscorer Martyn Waghorn, with another two strikers in Brian Howard and DJ Campbell.

Not many chances so far in this half.

9.14pm. Now Leicester are trotting out the same old `you're getting sacked in the morning,' songs, directed at Brendan Rodgers.

Royals fans, however, continue to stay right behind their team.

9.11pm. Adam Federici comes to Reading's rescue again.

They were caught short at the back but the Aussie keeper made himself big to deny Matty Fryatt, who ignored his unmarked team-mate Waghorn. That was a let-off.

9.10pm. Reading - and Simon Church - are having one of those nights.

Jobi McAnuff ghosted past McGivern and pulled it back to Church who struck his shot well but an inch wide of the near post.

9.06pm. The second-half is underway. Just noticed that only two players starting tonight started for Reading the last time they won at home - 1-0 against Wolves on January 27.

They're Adam Federici and Alex Pearce.

HALF TIME. Reading 0 Leicester 1.

ROYALS somehow find themselves behind despite totally dominating the first-half.

They've had more chances this opening 45 minutes than in their six home games so far.

But finding the net is proving impossible for Brendan Rodgers' side.

Jobi McAnuff hit a post and went close again, Simon Church has threatened to beat Foxes keeper Chris Weale countless times - without managing to do it.

And, as you sense in games like this, the more chances Reading spurned, the more liklihood there was of Leicester nicking a goal.

It came right on the stroke of half-time when Martyn Waghorn outmuscled Gylfi Sigurdsson to glance Matt Oakley's corner past Adam Federici.

It was the Foxes' first shot on targtet of the game, which just about says it all.

At least Royals fans clapped their team off after an excellent display.

If the team keeps playing as it is, they must get something out of this game.

8.46pm. Royals nearly concede again. Matt Fryatt went clean through on goal by Federici made a brave block.

8.45pm. GOAL. What a hammer blow that is as Leicester take the lead completely against the run of play.

Royals defend the first corner but from the next MARTYN WAGHORN outmuscled Gylfi Sigurdsson to glance a looping header past Adam Federici.

It looked as though Jay Tabb left his position on the back post - which is exactly where the ball dropped into the net.

Incredible. When it's going against you, it's going against you.

Interesting to hear the reaction from Reading fans at half time.

8.40pm. Church drags another effort wide. Surely it's only a matter of time before Leicester concede.

8.38pm. Reading carve Leicester to shreds with a brilliantly worked short corner set piece.

It ended with Simon Church's rasping drive that forced an excellent save from Chris Weale. But Royals continue to knock on the door - and Leicester continue to waste time at every opportunity.

8.35pm. Another decision goes against Reading as Foxes keeper Chris Weale gets his fingertips to Simon Church's angled shot.

Again, Keith Hill gives a goal-kick.

8.30pm. Paul Gallagher fires one just over from 25-yards. But it's still Reading who look the more menacing.

8.25pm. Reading go agonisingly close to taking the lead. Simon Church and Jobi McAnuff combined brilliantly down the left. McAnuff then smashed a shot past Chris Weale but the ball crashed against the far post.

McAnuff quickly scooped up the rebound and this time his shot was going in until it hit Ryan MGivern and deflected wide.

To add to Royals' frustrations, referee Keith Hill gave a goal-kick - which again Leicester take an age over.

But Royals supporters are loud and noisy now. This is more like it.

8.21pm. What a terrific reverse pass that was from Marek Matejovsky. It split the Leicester defence in half but Rasiak was a smidgin offside, and his shot was saved anyway. But class from the Czech ace.

8.18pm. Leicester take an age at a throw in. They've been time wasting from the start. The ref may have to do something about this.

8.15pm. Oooo, that was close. Matejovsky found Rasiak who turned his marker and shot instinctively across the keeper. But the ball drifted just wide of the far post.

It's got the Reading fans going, though.

8.10pm. The ball gets stuck under Rasiak's feet in the Leicester area. Unlucky that.

8.09. First real showing from Matty Fryatt there with two shots in a a minute. One went wide and the other from 25-yards was held by Adam Federici.

Royals need to watch him tonight

8.07pm. That's a fine run into the Foxes half by Simon Church. His shot took a slight deflection off a defender and went out for corner with the visitors defended.

Still, more of that we want if Royals are to win tonight.

8.05pm. Decent start by Royals. It's traditional 4-4-2 tonight with Sigurdsson on the left and McAnuff on the right with Howard and Matejovsky in the middle.

Gallagher is playing on the left for Leicester with Fryatt and Martyn Waghorn up top.

8pm. We're underway and Royals go close straight from the off.

Jobi McAnuff, who is playing on the left, burst into the box but shot straight at Chris Weale in the Leicester goal.

7.59pm. And the PA has just asked the crowd to get behind the Royals and secure ANOTHER three points.

Now that's optimism for you.

Brendan Rodgers' men have lost three on the trot. Can they stop the bleeding tonight?

7.55pm. Reading will be wearing a new strip specially designed for television purposes.

Names and number will be printed on a larger white patch on the reverse.

Royals are in their hoops, Leicester in a snazy black strip.

7.45pm. Ex-Reading defender and Arsenal legend Martin Keown is doing the rounds in the press box. He looks fit as a fiddle. Wonder if he could still do a job?

Anyway, back to the game and the pitch looks superb, the conditions are perfect and the stage is set for what should be a cracking night's football.

7.30pm. The team sheets are in.

Guess what? More changes for Reading - this time it's six.

That's one more than the five Brendan Rodgers made for the 4-1 defeat at QPR last week.

Hopefully, his plan will work this time.

So coming in are Marek Matejovsky, Grzegorz Rasiak, Ryan Bertrand, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Brian Howard.

And there is also a welcome return for Alex Pearce, who wears the captain's armband in the absence of the suspended Ivar Ingimarsson.

The Foxes, meanwhile, hand a start to ex-Blackburn player Paul Gallagher while seven-goal Matty Fryatt plays up front.

Reading: Federici - Tabb, Mills, Ingimarsson (c), Bertrand - Sigurdsson, Matejovsky, Howard, McAnuff - Rasiak, Church. Subs: Cisse, Gunnarsson, Long, Kebe, Karacan, Hamer, Cummings.

Leicester: Weale, Neilson, Hobbs, McGivern, Brown, Oakley (c), King, Waghorn, Wellens, Fryatt, Gallagher. Subs: Morrison, Logan, Berner, N'Guessan, Kermorgant, Howard, Campbell.

The referee tonight is Keith Hill from Hertfordshire.

Good evening and welcome. Traffic nightmare at junction 11 which must explain why it's relatively quiet.

It's hard to guess what tonight's attendance will be given it is a Monday night and live on Sky Sports.

London Irish drew in nearly 16,200 against Leicester on the weekend. The fear is it could be less than that - a victory for the egg chasers.

Royals tried to boost numbers by giving away free tickets to the upcoming Ipswich game to those who bought one for tonight.

That should put a few more bums on seats but there's nothing like results to draw the crowds in - and Reading have been struggling on that front.

Peterborough's victory against Scunthorpe on Saturday means Brendan Rodgers' side go into the game in the relegation zone.

On top of that, Reading fans have not seen their side win a league game at home since January.

Out of six this season, they have lost three and drawn three, scored just two goals and conceded seven.

Pretty depressing stuff but a win against a Foxes side unbeaten in four would go a long way to keeping the supporters off Rodgers' back.

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

Hornet Cornet
Unregistered User
Oct 26, 23:13
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Bad luck Reading fans, you're lot should've won tonight. Still got no idea as to why Judas paid money for McNotEnuff but there you go, we aint complaining.

Hope Brenda gets the sack and you lot get your season on-track.

Hornet Cornet

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mobi jacanuff
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Oct 26, 23:24
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As I said I have been in this position before at watford and the suppoerters stuck by me

As I said I am the best man for Reading , I know the special one JosernAs I said Jobi Macanuff is a very special person and player

As I said Sir John has sold all the best players but I am sure I can sign some Chelsea reserve players to improve this poor team....!!!!!!!!!

Best wishes

Brendan

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Hornet Cornet
Unregistered User
Oct 27, 10:40
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Judas ain't very good

Judas ain't very good

Judas ain't very good

Judas ain't very good....

Derry Pigweed, r u out there??

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