Royals victory leaves Derby stumped

Anthony Smith • Published 11 Mar 2010 10:00 0 Comments

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HOWZAT for another top quality Reading performance and result?

Royals warmed up for Derby County with a traditional game of cricket.

And it did the trick as they thwacked the Rams 4-1 to edge closer to mid-table safety in the Championship.

Derby were left on a sticky wicket when substitute goalkeeper Saul Deeney was red carded late in the first half forcing Robbie Savage to pull on the gloves for the remainder of the match.

But even before that Nigel Clough's visitors looked second best all over the park.

In the end goals from Shane Long, Jimmy Kebe, Ryan Bertrand and Simon Church delivered three deserved points for Brian McDermott's in-form side.

The victory also quashed fears of a hangover from the heartbreaking FA Cup quarter final defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday.

"We had a little game of cricket," explained McDermott. "We had a meeting on Monday and we said we can mourn for half-an-hour and then we get over it.

"We had a great cup run, we all enjoyed it, we got our videos and then we moved on to Derby.

"It's nice to come in to work and have a bit of fun, to look forward to coming in. You try to get that enjoyment in the club - but it's not all about cricket."

Royals were at sixes and sevens all night at the Mad Stad.

This was their sixth victory in seven Championship matches.

Red-hot Long also struck his seventh goal in six appearances while Kebe made it six in seven games.

Long should, in fact, have scored at least once more. With only Savage to beat from the penalty spot, the Irishman went for power and lifted the ball miles over the crossbar with his side leading 2-1.

They nearly rued that miss wen the 10-man Rams enjoyed a decent spell in the second-half and threatened to equalise.

But McDermott's side soon got it together again and killed them off through Bertrand's first goal for the club and substitute Church, who has four in six.

Rampant Royals have now hit nine goals in their last two league games following the 5-0 thumping of Sheffield Wednesday and the form team in the Championship.

"We are edging towards safety now," added McDermott, who is still unbeaten in the league at home. "We've taken 18 points from 21 and we are not far away from mid-table.

"We are dragging teams toward us and we have players now who are looking the part.

"Full credit to our players, that was another great three points for us at Madejski Stadium.

"We were outstanding in the first half. Off the back of a tough game with Villa on Sunday we still played with a great tempo and could have gone in a few more ahead.

"I also thought we finished the game strongly. Sometimes it's difficult to play against 10 men, there's not much space and everyone gets edgy.

"If we'd scored the penalty we'd have been but I can be proud of our players again."

It took Long just eight minutes to put Reading ahead with a clinical finish across Rams keeper Stephen Bywater following a lovely flowing move that went through Brian Howard, Grzegorz Rasiak and Jimmy Kebe.

Moments later Bywater hobbled off when his back seized up giving Deeney his debut.

Nigel Clough's Rams then equalised against the run of play on 21 minutes when Gilles Sunu finished well form the edge of the box.

Kebe restored Royals' lead by slotting through Deeney's legs in the 35th minute from Jay Tabb's defence-splitting pass.

Then the outstanding Tabb seized on a poor pass and was hauled down as he rounded Deeney three minutes before the break.

Referee Kevin Wright showed the unfortunate sub keeper a straight red so Savage went in goal.

And the former Wales star stood and watched Long sky his spot-kick into the south stand.

It seemed to knock Royals' confidence and Rob Hulse should have equalised soon after the restart when the ball ran between his legs with the goal at his mercy.

Then Savage was at full-stretch to tip away Gylfi Sigurdsson's 25-yard free-kick that was destined for the top corner.

But it was the unlikely figure of Bertrand who delivered the killer blow with a superb finish with his weaker right-foot to notch his first Reading goal on his 38th appearance this season - and first ever in the football league.

Substitute Church then tapped home the fourth in the 82nd minute to complete a memorable night's work by McDermott's troops who host Bristol City this Saturday (3pm ko).

Royals boss stated: "I was really pleased for Ryan, Jay Tabb hasn't stopped running and since he came into the team, Shane scored a fantastic goal and is looking like a proper player while Jimmy Kebe was unplayable at times.

"He made two and scored one, he's got six in the last seven games and I'm really pleased for him."

And he added: "We're looking up, we can see above us now but we can't lose focus because Bristol City are next, It will be difficult, they will be a test but we'll look forward to it."

And Rams boss Cough conceded: "Reading are far too good to go down."

Reading (4-4-2): Federici - Griffin (Zhizanishvili 84), Ingimarsson, Mills, Bertrand - Kebe, Tabb, Howard (Gunnarsson 75), Sigurdsson - Rasiak (Church 75), Long. Subs not used: Matejovsky, Henry, Robson-Kanu, Hamer. Yellow card: Ingimarsson 71

Derby (4-4-1-1): Bywater (Deeney 13) - Hunt, Barker, Burton, McEverley - Sunu (Martin 78), Savage, Green, Pearson - Tonge - Hulse (Davies 83). Subs not used: Leacock, Pringle, Moxey, Anderson. Red card: Deeney 41.

Referee: Kevin Wright (Cambridgeshire).

Attendance: 14,096 (Derby 680).

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