LIVE - Reading v Derby County
Sportsdesk • Published 18 Oct 2011 16:00
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FULL-TIME: Reading 2 - 2 Derby County
FULL-TIME: Reading 2 - 2 Derby County.
90+2 mins. The clock's running down and it looks as though Reading may have to settle for a point.
That's not a bad result having come from behind twice.
90 mins. Five minutes of time added on. That's raised the crowd's spirits. They say you always get one more chance in injury-time - can Reading take it?
88 mins. Poor free-kick from Noel Hunt there. Miles wide from a good position.
86 mins. Reading are pushing Derby back into their own half. Good pressure this.
82 mins. Ball has come on for Derby in another substitution. Can Reading muster a winner? Or will Derby snatch the lead for a third time tonight? It's certainly wide open now.
80 mins. Second Reading sub sees Noel Hunt replace Simon Church.
Joseph Mills has been booked for the hosts.
78 mins. Reading equalise almost immediately - and it's LE FONDRE again with his second of the night.
Robson-Kanu burst down the left before aiming a pin-point cross at Le Fondre who stole in at the near post to head home from six yards. Cool finish from the in-form striker - and a sensational reposte from Royals who must be fancied to go on and win this now. What a game!
78 mins. GGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
75 mins. Reading 1 - 2 Derby County.
Disaster strikes as Derby take the lead and again Reading's defending leaves a lot to be desired.
Like their first goal, a cross came in from the left and TOMASZ CYWKA got the better of Joseph Mills at the back host to stab home from eight yards. The Royals left-back claims he his shirt was pulled, but he has to be stonger than that. Long way back now.
75 mins. GGGGGGGOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
72 mins. Reading sub as Mathieu Manset replaces Jimmy Kebe, who was excellent on his return.
Cries of 'Beeeeeeeeeeeast' ring out at the Mad Stad.
70 mins. Derby make a change as Connor Doyle replaces Ward.
Today's attendance is 15,704 including 717 Derby fans.
65 mins. Reading 1 - 1 Derby County.
A brilliant response from Reading who take six minutes to equalise through ADAM LE FONDRE.
Church sent over a cross form the left, Jem Karacan nodded it back in field and Le Fondre hooked a shot past Fielding's dispairing dive and into the corner from 15 yards out and a difficult angle.
That's three goals in six starts for Le Fondre now.
65 mins. GGGGGGGOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
62 mins. Robinson tries an overhead kick, but the ball loops over. The goal has woken up Derby - and their fans. Can Reading get back into this game?
59 mins. Reading 0 - 1 Derby County.
Derby County take the lead against the run of play.
Reading conceded a soft free-kick on the left. It was whipped into the middle of the box, flicked on and THEO ROBINSON was one of three unmarked Derby players waiting six yards out. The striker sidefooted the ball under Adam Federici's body. Big blow that.
59 mins. GGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
58 mins. Reading win a free-kick in a good position, but then give away a foul in the Derby box. It's been one of those nights so far.
56 mins. Derby's Anderson is booked. First of the game.
54 mins. Another chance goes begging for the Royals. Kebe intercepted Anderson's pass, drove forward but his final pass to Church was too short and the striker was tackled. Reading win a corner, but Derby clear.
52 mins. Ridiculous time-wasting by Fielding who took an age to take a free-kick. The ref has to stamp that out.
50 mins. Penalty shout for Reading there as a cross looks to hit Russell Anderson on the arm. But he didn't know much about it and the referee was a long distance away. Nothing given.
48 mins. Speculative shot from Derby's Tomasz Cywka but miles wide. First we've really seen from him tonight.
47 mins. Reading start where they left off with a couple of corners, but Fielding does well with both, catching the second to relieve the danger.
9.03pm. The second-half gets underway. Can Reading break this deadlock? We'll soon find out.
We've just witnessed one of the more bizarre moments in football - Robbie Savage ballroom dancing on the Mad Stad pitch - to loud cheers from the Reading and Derby fans.
'Sav' only just arrivewd after missing his train from Manchester - following eight hours of Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals.
But fair play - that's a great effort from ex-Rams players Savage and his partner Orla Jordan who, it has to be said, looked stunning.
'Sav' even went in goal for a few moments as Royals sub Noel Hunt took penalties.
Now that's entertainment.
HALF-TIME: Reading 0 - 0 Derby County.
Nothing to separate the sides yet. Reading have had the better chances, with Adam Fe Fondre forcing a superb save from Frank Fielding.
But Derby have defended well and it's honours even at present.
45 mins. Two minutes of time added on.
43 mins. A stop-start few minutes disrupts the flow of the game, which has been pretty good to be fair.
39 mins. Reading are still probing around the edge of the Derby box but that final pass is missing at the moment. Still, it's been pretty decent from Brian McDermott's men against a good Rams side.
36 mins. Still no goals yet. Reading have had plemnty of half-chances and that Le Fondre header which Fielding brilliantly saved.
Derby have offered little up front so far.
32 mins. Bit of banter between Reading fans and stewards i n the east stand. They want to stand up, stewards want them to sit down.
'We pay your wages, we do what we want' comes the chant.
30 mins. Reading go agonisingly close as Le Fondre's header looks to be going in from a Mills free-kick. But Fielding makes a brilliant save low down to his left to somehow claw it away.
29 mins. Hal Robson-Kanu coming into the game more now. Derby, to their credit, have defended well.
27 mins. Reading chance as a corner falls at Kebe's feet but his shot is blocked inside the six-yard box.
24 mins. Just over a quarter of this game gone now and still goalless. Reading, though, have been on top.
21 mins. Readingf really causing Derby problems now. They're a yard quicker all over the pitch and Kebe is determined to make up for a month out with injury. He's been excellent.
19 mins. Another chance for Reading. Again, an eye-catching build-up sees Church tee up Leigertwood who fired inches over from the edge of the box.
15 mins. Reading playing some lovely stuff at the moment with Kebe and Shaun Cummings at the centre of most of it. The pair look threatening down that right flank. Adam Le Fondre also getting more involved.
13 mins. Reading go close as Church makes the most of a poor Joseph Mills free-kick, hooking the ball across the six yard box where Kebe is waiting. Feilding, though, punches the ball away.
10 mins. Derby reply with a header from Theo Robinson which loops over the bar.
9 mins. Great feet from Church to wriggle into the box. Derby happy to oclear their lines. Decent start from Reading this.
6 mins. Another attack from Reading ends with a shot from Simon Church which lacks power but keeps Frank Fielding on his toes. The Wales striker took a knock to his head in the process, but he's back on his feet after some treatment.
5 mins. Another fluffed shot from Reading, this time Kebe. But it's got the crowd going!
4 mins. Brilliant 50 yard run from Mikele Leigertwood to turn defence into attack. Sadly, his shot was, well, woeful. A complete miss-kick when it had opened up nicely for him.
1 mins. Dangerous cross flashes across Reading's box there. Thankfully, no-one on the end of it.
8pm. We're off as Derby County get us underway.
7.55pm. Brian McDermott shares a joke with Derby County boss Nigel Clough on the touchline as the teams try and keep warm.
Not long to go now.
7.50pm. And what a night this is for seven-year-old George Major who has just led the teams out to rapturous applause.
Sine being diagnosed with leukaemia, the brave youngster has raised more than £20,000 for the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.
As a result, he was named 'Young Fundraiser of the Year' at the 2011 Pride of Britain Awards.
An incredible effort from George who must be chuffed to bits this evening.
To make a donation go to: http://www.justgiving.com/Georges-Marvellous-Medicine
7.40pm. Both teams are going through their pre-match drills now and the stands are slowly filling up. Around 17,000 expected tonight.
7.35pm. It's a cold one tonight. Plenty of hats and scarves on show. The pitch looks immaculate.
7.25pm. No sign of Robbie 'Lily' Savage yet - because he's missed his train from Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals in Manchester! Hopefully he'll be here before half-time to perform his little jig on the pitch.
7.15pm. A win for Reading tonight would extend their unbeaten run to six matches and leave them on the verges of the play-offs.
That is some recovery after a dreadful start to the campaign that brought five defeats in a row in all competitions - McDermott's worst run as a manager by far.
But Derby are going well in fourth place and Nigel Clough will be determined to leave Berkshire with a positive result tonight.
7.10pm. The teams:
Reading: Federici - Cummings, Pearce, Gorkss, Mills - Kebe, Leigertwood, Karacan, Robson-Kanu - Church, Le Fondre. Subs: McCarthy, Gunnarsson, Hunt, Harte, Manset.
Derby: Fielding - Anderson, O'Brien, Shackell, Roberts, B.Davies, Bryson, Hendrick, Ward, Robinson, Cywka. Subs: Legzdins, Kilbane, Doyle, Maguire, Ball.
The referee is Roger East.
7pm. Evening all. Some early news and it is confirmation that Jimmy Kebe makes his first start since the 2-0 home win over Doncaster Rovers on September 17.
The fit-again flying winger comes in for skipper Jobi McAnuff who is injured.
As expected, the one other change will see Jem Karacan replace Jem Karacan in midfield.
More to follow.........
Welcome to the Madejski Stadium for live coverage of tonight's Championship clash between Reading and Derby County (8pm ko).
Fit-again Jimmy Kebe is expected to make his comeback after a month out in place of injured skipper Jobi McAnuff.
Jem Karacan's winner at Burnley on Saturday also guarantees the Turskish youngster a start in place of the injured Jay Tabb.
Reading are hoping to extend their unbeaten league run to six matches tonight but will find it tough against the high-flying Rams.
** RETIRED ex-Derby County and Wales midfielder Robbie Savage - whose last ever match came at Madejski Stadium last season - will be dancing live on the pitch at half-time with Strictly Come Dancing partner Ola Jordan **
This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 18 Oct 11
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