LIVE - Reading FC v Burnley
James Walker-Roberts • Published 17 Feb 2012 19:15
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Reading FC 1-0 Burnley
But it matters not, Reading win 1-0 thanks to Jason Roberts' 11th-minute goal and go third in the Championship! The hosts were not at their best tonight and Burnley will probably feel they deserved something from the match but they didn't take their chances and that was the difference. Great win for Royals, their fourth in a row, and they are now just three points behind Southampton in second place.
94 mins - What a chance to win it! Hunt is in acres of space in the box but pulls his cross too far back and Kebe is almost behind it as he smashes over the bar.
90 mins - The fourth official confirms there will be five minutes added on as Rodriguez plants a curling effort well wide of the post.
87 mins - This time he will take action though for a very high challenge by Ings on Connolly, the Burnley man went jumping in with his foot after the ball was cleared by the defender.
86 mins - The crowd are calling for the referee to show Wallace a second yellow card for a sliding tackle from behind on Kebe but he doesn't oblige.
84 mins - Leigertwood's shot from the edge of the box is blocked. Just five minutes left for Reading to hold for a fourth straight win. Le Fondre is booked for kicking the ball away when he was already flagged for offside.
80 mins - And McAnuff's night is also over, he is replaced by Hal Robson-Kanu.
79 mins - Burnley's final change sees Marney come off and Marvin Bartley enter the action.
77 mins - And Le Fondre is nearly in straight away, but he can only poke a shot at Grant with a defender on his back.
75 mins - First change for Reading and it's the goal scorer Roberts off for Adam Le Fondre.
73 mins - Close from Burnley this time as Paterson's dipping half volley from the edge of the box just goes over the bar.
70 mins - Off the line! Connolly swings in a deep cross from the right to Kebe, who loops a header over Grant but Trippier is there to clear from under the bar. McAnuff then sees a shot blocked from just the inside the area after another right-wing cross from Connolly.
69 mins - Ings is in action straight away, blasting a tough half volley over the bar from the edge of the box.
67 mins - First changes of the night, McQuoid off for Danny Ings and Martin Paterson on for Austin.
65 mins - Gorkss is lucky he isn't sent off here. McQuaid rose to head a ball and the Reading defender swiped out a foot at his midrift. The referee blew for a foul but didn't book Gorkss again.
63 mins - And the corner is nearly bundled in the at the near post! A crowd of players jumped for it, swinging their legs to try and get it in but Grant claimed it on the floor. There's a bit of a scuffle afterwards too which results in yellow cards for Gorkss and Marney, not sure how the referee decided chose them as nearly everyone was involved.
62 mins - Harte swings in another free-kick, this time from 30 yards out, and it gets a nick off a Burnley defender and goes behind for a corner.
60 mins - The home side win a free-kick near the left touchline but Harte's delivery does not find a Reading head.
58 mins - Great strength by Roberts to win a long ball down the left channel and he cuts it back to McAnuff, who finds Karacan on the edge of the box, but his shot is blocked. Reading just managing to keep Burnley quiet at the moment.
53 mins - Roberts bursts forward down the right and gets a bit of luck to carry him into the box but his touch is too strong and into a defender. He hasn't looked his sharpest tonight, Roberts, nor have Reading, but they are still ahead.
51 mins - Reading have not been at their best tonight but they create their first chance of the second half when Connolly crosses from the right. It is just behind Roberts though and Burnley clear.
49 mins - OFF THE POST! Again Burnley hit the woodwork. This time a cross from the left is met well by Rodriguez and he powers a header against the upright. Burnley have been camped inside the Reading half for the past few minutes.
47 mins - A nasty challenge by Rodriguez on Leigertwood earns him a yellow card, bit of frustration from the striker there as he tussled with Gorkss to win the ball a bit before.
46 mins - What a chance for Burnley! Charlie Austin is played through by a lovely chest down from Rodriguez but with just Federici to beat from the penalty spot he shoots at the goalkeeper and the opportunity is gone!
Teams are back out, no changes for either side, and Reading kick off.
Just seen that block again from Mee to keep Hunt's shot out and it was fantastic. He was already on the ground but moved his head down just a metre in front of Hunt's swinging boot to block the effort. Outstanding from the defender.
HALF-TIME - And that's that for the first half. Not much in the way of goal-mouth action but Reading lead thanks to Roberts' third goal for the club. Join us again in 15 minutes to see if they can hold on for a fourth straight win.
45 mins - So nearly a second goal! Grant spills Harte's free-kick into the path of Roberts but his shot is blocked and then Hunt hits his follow-up from six yards into Mee, who is on the ground. The ball loops off the defender's head and behind for a corner, which Burnley clear.
44 mins - Kebe bursts forward from defence and is only eventually stopped 30 yards out from goal when Duff cynically blocks him off, which earns him a yellow card.
42 mins - A Burnley corner falls to McCann on the edge of the box but the skipper slices his volley well wide of goal.
38 mins - A bit of a coming together between Roberts and Wallace earns them both yellow cards. It all started when Wallace appeared to tackle Harte late. The referee blew for a free-kick and Roberts came over to square up to Wallace, who did not back down and stood face to face with him. There was nothing more than that but apparently the referee saw enough to warrant yellow cards.
36 mins - Just under 10 minutes to go until the break as Federici does well to punch away a cross from the right flank.
34 mins - And now McAnuff is on the left, beating Trippier but seeing his cross cleared behind for a corner by McCann. Burnley clear Ian Harte's inswinging effort.
32 mins - McAnuff is at the heart of a lot of Reading moves tonight, this time he shows nice control to elude a defender and drifts out to the right, but he cuts inside and smashes a shot again over the bar.
28 mins - Bit of danger for Reading to defend as a free-kick is whipped into the box and bounces around amongst heads before it goes behind for a corner...That Federici does well to pluck from the air.
26 mins - The game has quietened down a bit down after a lively start but Rodriguez goes close with a snap shot that whistles past the post. Think Federici had it covered anyway.
25 mins - And again McAnuff gets around Trippier, but again the cross does not find anyone, sailing out for a goal-kick.
22 mins - McAnuff looks very lively down the left, looking to take on Trippier every time he gets the ball. He gets round the full-back again but smashes a shot way over the bar.
19 mins - As with all their attacks so far, however, Burnley's corner comes to nothing and Reading break with Kebe down the right. The Malian first slips it between McCann's legs and then darts around Mee, but cannot find Roberts with his cross and the defence clear.
17 mins - Even though his side are behind, Eddie Howe won't be too disappointed with the way his side have started. They have shown a lot of attacking intent down the wings, had more possession and have just won a second corner.
12 mins - That was Roberts' third Reading goal and has given the hosts the perfect start.
10 mins - GOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLL!!! Reading have the lead! McAnuff does well to beat Trippier down the left and pulls a ball back to the penalty spot where Jason Roberts, who is off balance, hits a looping effort over Grant. Not sure that was entirely where Roberts meant it go, it was more like a lob than anything else, but he won't care, nor do the home fans!
9 mins - But Reading reply with their best move of the match as Kebe bursts free of a challenge and crosses into the box. Unfortunately it's above Hunt and Burnley can clear their lines.
8 mins - No doubt that Burnley have started the better here, they have looked dangerous with a couple of moves down the flanks.
6 mins - Good break from Burnley this time but McQuoid's cross is too strong for everyone. But Burnley come again down the left with Mee and this time Austin HITS THE BAR! The cross was lofted up into the box and Austin rose well to meet it, only to see his header hit the bar and smash down into the ground and away much to the relief of the home side.
4 mins - Swift break from Royals as Hunt finds McAnuff out wide but the skipper cannot cut inside two defenders and Burnley clear.
2 mins - First corner of the game to Burnley, but Reading clear their lines eventually.
1 min - Reading in their blue and white hoops and white shorts and Burnley in yellow shirts and black shorts. The hosts have started well and Ian Harte swings in a cross that evades everyone and just goes wide of the far post.
So, can Reading put on a show for their new owner Anton Zingarevich in his first live game, we're about to find out, Burnley kick off..
And here are the teams, out to a standing out ovation from around the ground.
Still quite a few empty blue seats with just five minutes to go until kick-off, not a great amount of travelling supporters either. Nevertheless, the teams are in the tunnel and about to come out for what should be a cracking encounter.
There's little doubt that Reading hold the edge coming into this game in terms of form. Along with their current three-match winning streak, they have won eight of their last 11 meetings with Burnley, including a 1-0 win at Turf Moor earlier in the campaign. On that occasion the game lasted 100 minutes after Jay Tabb was knocked unconscious, with his replacement, Jem Karacan, scoring the winner just 30 seconds from time.
Only 15 minutes to go until the two teams lock horns for the second time this season and they are now in the dressing rooms getting instructions from their respective managers.
Teams have just come out on to what looks a beautifully manicured Madejski pitch. Not too chilly an evening in Reading but could get colder as the night goes on.
One man who should be used to the cold is Royals' new Russian owner Anton Zingarevich, who will be watching his first live Reading game tonight as a guest of Sir John Madejski. He will be hoping that his new side can keep their hot streak going and extend their winning run to four matches with victory over Eddie Howe's Burnley.
The Clarets have been in mixed form as of late, winning three of their last six matches while losing one and drawing twice. In strikers Charlie Austin and Jay Rodriguez they have a potent front line, however, and Royals will have their work cut out to keep a fourth successive clean sheet.
Kick off just 30 minutes away.
Good evening and welcome to the Madejski Stadium for live coverage of Reading's Championship with Burnley.
Just got the team sheet in and the big news for Reading is that captain Jobi McAnuff is recalled to the starting line-up after recovering from a hernia operation.
The skipper, who has missed the last two games with a groin injury, will start on the left flank, with Jimmy Kebe on the right and Noel Hunt and Jason Roberts up front.
Matthew Connolly maintains his spot at right-back and Tomasz Cywka is on the bench after he was forced to sit out the win over Derby County.
For the visitors, aside from Martin Paterson returning to the bench, they are unchanged from their last outing - a 2-0 win over Barnsley.
Reading: Federici; Connolly, Gorkss, Pearce, Harte; Kebe, Leigertwood, Karacan, McAnuff; Roberts, Hunt. Subs: Tabb, Le Fondre, Robson-Kanu, Andersen, Cywka.
Burnley: Grant; Trippier, Duff, Edgar, Mee; Wallace, Marney, McCann, McQuoid; Austin, Rodriguez. Subs: Jensen, Paterson, Bartley, Ings, Easton.
This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 17 Feb 12
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