MARCHING OUT Southampton 0-0 Reading

Take three top players out of their team and Floyd on Football is of the opinion that any Championship side would struggle away from home at a side recently relegated from the Premiership with an unbeaten home record and just one league defeat anywhere all season. That is exactly what Reading did last night – struggle. It was perhaps fortunate that Southampton’s profligate finishing let us off the hook time and time again so as we could claim a point from a scoreless draw, but then we have hardly had much fortunate on the injury front his season given that we are missing Kitson, Sidwell and Shorey and when you consider that we played half the game last night without our captain Murty who limped off shortly before half time. In such circumstances, the barely deserved point to extend the unbeaten run to a remarkable twelve games is an achievement in itself.

Hand on heart, this was a fortunate point gained for Reading on a rain-drenched night by the Solent. Southampton settled better as the wind swirled around the St Mary’s Stadium and had a guilt edged chance inside 30 seconds. Quashie found himself in acres of space inside the Reading area and, remembering that he is a Scottish international player, he duly thumped the chance well wide. It was the first of a series of narrow escapes as the Reading goal led a charmed life. From a well-worked Dennis Wise corner, Kamil Kosowski had a thunderous effort shoved over the crossbar from the outstanding Hahnemann, who also denied Quashie with another long-ranger and a point-blank header from the otherwise hopeless Kenwyn Jones. Reading in reply offered little other than a couple of towering Ingimarsson headers from corner-kicks which did not unduly bother Antti Niemi.

Referee Graham Poll, stepping down from Premiership duties for 90 minutes, clearly wanted to be the star of the show and he put in a wretched performance. He booked Little and Doyle, undeservedly, in the first half as well as Saints Quashie who was a real sinner. Little, in particular, was booked for an inocuous looking challenge and the irony is, as any Reading supporter will tell you, it's unusual to see our right-winger making any kind of challenge anyway! One of the few decisions Poll go right all game was not awarding a peanlty for Reading as that man Little, tricky all night, danced down the right flank into the box and went down under a challenge by Wise. Little protested angrily in front of the 3,000+ away support who had been irritated by Poll all evening - Floyd on Football was of the opinion that the referee was spot-on in not pointing to the spot.

Chances continued to come thick and fast in the second half, most of them falling to the home side. Sonko and Ingimarsson were in towering form at the back as the conditions made it hard for defenders, and ont he ocassions in which they were beaten, Southampton missed the target woefully with Jones and Fuller the chief culprits. It was like the alamo at times, the ball was scrambled away from the Reading goal-mouth on countless ocassions and Hahnemann was outstanding in denying the hapless Jones and, in spectacular diving fashion, Quashie. Southampton will be disappointed with their finishing which is ultimately the reason they remain 8 points behind Reading.

Rather disappointingly, Reading displayed very little of the dangerous counter-attacking style we've seen this season as convey struggled in the wind and rain and Harper had to play very deep as Southampton hit us with wave after wave of attack. We had our chances though; Convey's effort from distance withother players well placed, Doyle nodding narrowly over after more good work from Little and the lively looking Obinna's header from a last minute corner. Had we nicked it, it would have been tantamount to daylight robbery but a point we'll take as was evident from the grateful roar from the Reading fans at full time. A win Saturday against leaders Sheffield United will cut their lead over us to a mere 3 points and we'll have a better goal difference. We'll need to play rather better to beat them though.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty (Hunt, 38), Makin, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Little, Gunarsson, Harper, Convey, Lita (Obinna, 82), Doyle. Subs not used: Federici, Oster, Baradji.

Floyd’s Favourite: Hahnemann. When Southampton breached the Reading defence they couldn’t beat Hahnemann.

CUTTING THE MUSTARD Norwich City 0-1 Reading

The unbeaten run was stretched to 11 games with a win at Norwich City, many people's pre-season tip for the title. James HARPER scored the goal and Dean Ashton missed a peanlty for Norwich right at the death. Reading will be looking to make it three wins out of three against the sides relegated from the Premiership last season when we visit Southampton on Wednesday night. Floyd on Football will be there covering the game and a full report will be available on Thursday afternoon.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Makin, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Little, Gunarsson, Harper, Convey, Lita (Obinna, 79), Doyle. Subs not used: Federici, Hunt, Oster, Cox.

CHANGES Reading 1-0 Luton Town

A Reading side showing four changes from Saturday's win over Crewe extended the unbeaten run to ten games following a turgid 90 minutes of cup football against a Luton side who offered little indication as to exactly why they are fellow high fliers in the Championship.

This Carling Cup tie was a flat beer ocassion lacking any fizz. Coppell had said pre-match that this was an extra game that he didn't really want, in the middle as we are of a run of 7 games in 3 weeks. Eric Obinna and Sekou Baradji were drafted in for full debuts and our wing-wonders Convey and Little were also rested in favour of Hunt and Oster. Whilst Oster's late goal moved us into round 3 of this competition, Hunt's showing was totally woeful. On last night's evidence, he couldn't cross a pools coupon and looked very much a League One player. He wasn't alone in looking out of place though; Sekou Baradji totally and utterly failed to come to terms with the pace of the game in the first half, only natural perhaps, and in Eric Obinna Reading appear to have unearted another clumsy and cumbersome forward in the Tony Rougier and Mass Sarr mould; I counted 7 ocassions on which Obinna was flagged offside first half and time after time his first touch was diabolical.

The visitors didn't look much more impressive themselves, as ex-Royal Dean Morgan proved that Reading's loss isn't necessarily Luton's gain. Morgan took a number of shocking corner kicks for Luton as they attacked the North Stand in the first half which were so deep they almost ended up in Basingstoke. Luron had plenty of attacking options in Morgan, the hefty and uncivilised Steve Howard and that perennial Bournemouth cheat Warren Feeney. Howard had the ball in the net shortly before half time, burying a low effort under Hahnemann following a through ball from Nicholls but the flag for offside had long since been raised. When he did manage to stay onside late in the second half, Howard showed crass incompetence when sidefooting an open goal wide of the target. There were precious few attempts on target throughout a game blighted by poor control and constant offsides and Reading's best effort prior to the goal was provided by a rare moment of class from Obinna who used his pace to skin the Luton defender before getting to the byline and pulling back for Lita to have an effort blocked.

It was with ten minutes left that Reading made the breakthrough which put Luton out of their misery. Obinna was fouled wide on the left touchline and OSTER clipped a freekick into the box. The ball evaded Sonko and Lita as well as the unaptly named Luton goalkeeper Brill before finding nestling in the far corner. It was a joke of a goal to settle a Stan Boardman comedy routine of a football match but it was enough to put us in the hat for round 3 and hopefully a more inspiring draw than this one. A worthwhile night if only to see how the fringe players would fare - put it this way, they shouldn't hold their breath if they expect to get into the side for a league game in the near future.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Makin, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Oster, Baradji, Harper, Hunt, Doyle (Lita, 57), Obinna (Cox, 85). Subs not used: Federici, Gunarsson, Little.

Floyd's Favourite: Oster. Spared us further tedium.

CUTTING Reading 1-0 Crewe

After being pegged back by a late Coventry equaliser 8 days ago, Floyd on Football remarked that a point at the Ricoh Arena would be decent business provided we followed it up with a minimum of four points from the two home games that followed. Six points from two very contrasting games is an excellent return which consolidates Reading's position in the top two and gives us a little breathing space.

After the thrill-a-minute encounter against Palace, this was a different ball game. There was a fair amount of pre-match expectation that Crewe would just die in our arms. Not so, the Railwaymen are a neat and tidy outfit who are tough to break down and after the bright Reading opening they chugged along seemingly content with a point until they ran out of steam and a late winner denied them. It was a bright opening from the home side and only miskicks in front of goal by the previously prolific Doyle and Lita denied Reading an early opener. Some of the football in the opening stages really pulled Crewe apart, but instead of going off the rails they stood firm against the onslaught and tightened their grasp on a goaless point. Indeed, Crewe might even have led at half time - only denied by the flag as the pacy nuisance Jones buried the ball low under Hahnemann following a swidt counter-break. A waspish side, Crewe are a side with very few star names but a good footballing side nonetheless, pinging the ball around the park albeit with little purpose at times.

Reading dominated much of the second half but only really threatened fleetingly against a well trained defence. Crewe once again came closest to scoring when a corner was nodded against the crossbar, Graeme Murty's clearance was illogically headed back towards his only goal where only the cranium of Harper prevented a daft own goal. At the other end Convey was busily effective and passed to Doyle when he has a decent opening on goal himself, then a few minutes later he kept the ball when he should perhaps have squared it to Lita. On both ocassions the chance went begging and a goaless draw was beginning to look inevitable. The forwards, so threatening against Palace, were having an off day and when a goal finally did come it came from an unlikely source. Substitute Oster floated over a cross with less than ten minutes play remaining and in the melee Ivar Ingimarsson stooped to head us in front. The ball squirmed towards goal, barely crossing the line before being hacked clear with Reading players in attendance to help squeeze the ball over the line. The linesman's flag confirmed the goal.

The goal was hard on Crewe who had very little left in the tank. Substitute Obinna almost added a second with an instinctive snap shot, but the one goal was enough to stretch the winning run at home to five on the spin in all competitions and nine unbeaten overall as Reading show no sign of hitting the buffers.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Makin, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Little (Oster, 79), Gunarsson, Harper, Convey (Hunt, 83), Lita (Obinna, 78), Doyle. Subs not used: Stack, Baradji.

Floyd's Favourite: Convey. Constant menace.

EAGLES SORE Reading 3-2 Crystal Palace

Palace manager Iain Dowie claimed after this sensational match that his side had been the better team in the first half and the first ten minutes of the second. It obviously wasn't a good night for Mr Dowie; not only was he totally wrong in his post-match analysis he was also sent to the stands by the referee after a little hissy fit over the retaking of Reading's twice missed penalty. Dowie obviously still believes the hype surrounding him and cannot comprehend being beaten by little old Reading after his side were rubbign shoulders with the Premiership elite last season. Floyd on Football begs the question that if Dowie is that good a manager, his side wouldn't even be playing us this season never mind losing to us.

This game was the footballing equivalent of using a yo-yo whilst sat on a see-saw and, given the striking talent on show, certainly delivered the promise of being a memorable night. For Reading, Leroy Lita has already made a big impact after his big money move. Palace have Morrison, whose recent transfer was for even bigger money, and of course England hopeful Andy Johnson. These three big names duly hit the target once apiece last night but were largely overshadowed by Lita's strike partner, the young Irishman Kevin Doyle. The Eire U21 striker showed at least as much quality throughout as his full international countryman Morrison and Doyle it was who threatened first. His firmly struck drive when put through by Hahnemann's opportunistic punt was spectacularly kept out by the leg of another internationalist, Palace goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly. The pyjama-clad shot-stopper clearly wasn't half asleep as he also denied Lita and Doyle once again before the young Irishman finaly made the break through midway through the first half. Following a challenge from the industrious Gunarsson, DOYLE made it three goals in as many games with an accurate low effort from twenty-yards after cutting in from the flank past a couple of Palace challenges.

Palace, who were agonisingly minutes away from retaining their Premiership status last season, are a handful and they were on terms very shortly after the opener. Give Andy JOHNSON a little too much room in the area and he'll score. Fortunately we didn't have to contend with him for too much longer as he limped off injured before half time, but at 1-1 in a game in which Reading had richly deserved to lead he had clearly played his part. Indeed, when MORRISON pounced decisively following a long throw and flick-on to move Palace ahead moments in to the second half, it seemed for a while that the Eagles much vaunted strike-pairing were going to win the day for a side hoping, nay expecting, to bounce back to the top flight at the first attempt. for a little wile Reading lost their way; Hahnemann crucially stopped Michael Hughes minutes later and it seemed we wre up against it.

The equaliser came at a crucial time just as Reading had been getting back on top midway through the second period. An astonishing goal it was too; Little's cross wasn't cleared and it finally fell invitingly for LITA with his back to goal who despatched the ball overhead past a goalkeeper of immense quality in Kiraly. Moments earlier, the Palace fans had been taunting the glum Reading supporters but now the boot was on the other foot and for the final quarter the large visiting support was mute as the home fans roared the team home. It seemed as if there would only be one winner from this point on and the script was written with 15 minutes left for Lita, who generally had a quiet game, to make up for failing to score from the spot at Coventry as Reading were awarded a penalty after Doyle was grounded by Boyce. Lita saw his kick saved and he stabbed the rebound wide, but to the joy of the jubilant Reading supporters Glen Little was given a chance to make ammends as referee Curson ordered a retake. Little's kick was brilliantly held by Kiraly the second time, but the winger made up for this indiscretion with just three minutes to go. A freekick near the corner flag in the north-west corner was delivered with pace an accuracy straight onto the bonce of unlikely hero Ibrahima SONKO. The ball arrowed past Kiraly to send the crowd potty and claim three topsy-turvy points for Reading.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Makin, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Little, Gunarsson, Harper, Convey (Hunt, 88), Lita, Doyle. Subs not used: Stack, Oster, Obinna, Baradji.

Floyd's Favourite: Gunarsson. Like Parky, with passing.

TIE Coventry 1-1 Reading

Being sent to Coventry used to be not such a bad thing. The trip to Highfield Road was always an enjoyable one; a proper dedicated bar for away supporters inside the ground where you could get a good pint and a filling cheese roll and then a decent view from the away end in a ground which always seemed to have a good atmosphere. The Ricoh Arena, however, falls into the bracket of identikit stadia - it is utterly devoid of charm, atmosphere is mediocre and the car parking situation is wretched - Coventry fans, welcome to our world (although at least parking around the Madejski is a little easier).

With the plastic sheeting only taken off the shiny 32,000 capacity Ricoh three weeks ago, Reading were eager to become the first visiting team to win there, despite losing the services of Kitson, Sidwell and Shorey through injury. Ricoh. What a bloody daft name for a football stadium that is. "Are you going down the Ricoh on Saturday?". This current trend for naming football grounds after faceless corporations is, in the opinion of Floyd on Football, the most shameless example of penny-pinching in modern football yet. Sure, we have our own fairly new, fairly souless ground at Reading; but at least it is forever named after John Madejski, one of if not the most important figure in the history of our club.

Ibrahima Sonko almost became the first man to score an own goal at the new home of Coventry City. The Reading defender who is part Basile Boli part Stan Laurel had his usual up and down game and he came very close top opening the scoring after initial first half pressure from the home side by clumsily slicing a cross narrowly over his own crossbar. Which does indeed beg the question about a deflected own goal at this brand new ground - presumably it would be a Ricoh-chet, as I am sure the sponsors would want to take full opportunity of their naming rights. There was another escape for Sonko later on as the ox-like Dele Adebola spun easily away from the Senegalese who got himself into another fine mess and was relieved as the resultant shot on goal Ricoh-cheted off the upright with Hahnemann well beaten. Coventry were dominant, Reading struggled to get cohesive moves together but they did threaten through the whippet Kevin Doyle who forced a spilled save out of Bywater after a run trickier than a quadratic equation, and Gunarsson who headed Little's cross way over the crossbar when well placed.

The 2,000 or so travelling army would have been well pleased with 0-0 at half time considering Coventry were the better side in the first 45, so when we were awarded a penalty shortly before the interval we couldn't believe our luck. Duffy clearly tugged Doyle in the box, but Lita's tame penalty was easily beaten away by Bywater and as usual Reading looked the proverbial gift horse in the mouth. Any fear that would knock Reading's confidence was unfounded as we started the second half like a house on fire. With James Harper keeping a tight leash on the middle of the park and spraying the ball around sensibly, Doyle had seriously threatened once or twice already before scoring very much with the run of second half play at the second attempt after Bywater had saved his initial effort following Little's quick and clever throw-in. The atmosphere, so flat in the first half, had been cooking up for twenty minutes or so before hand following Reading's improved second half showing attacking the goal immediately in front of the away supporters, who had been trading insults with their Coventry counterparts in the nearest corner.

There were several further half chances to make the game safe as Reading continued to press. Convey was threatening to slice open the City defence but as time wore on his compatriot Hahnemann pulled off two oustanding saves within a matter of seconds at the other end to spectacularly deny firstly Morell's chip and then a bullet header from the resultant corner. The Americans were in excellent form given their midweek exertions for their country, but Hahnemann had no chance from the corner awarded after that second brilliant save as Page, who was earlier booked for a vicious tackle on Doyle, stooped to crash home a header after rising above his marker. Disappointing to concede a late goal from a corner, already the second time we have tossed away points late on this season as a result of a set piece. It could have been worse in added time as Scowcroft's shot skidded towards goal but that man Hahnemann denied Coventry, with their tails up by now, once again. A draw was the result in Coventry, the land where a kipper tie is more likely to mean a hot beverage than a natty piece of neckwear. Floyd on Football had plenty of time during a 45 minute wait without moving in a side street car park to take in the other results and calculate that we remain second place in the Championship.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Makin, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Little (Oster, 88), Gunarsson, Harper, Convey, Lita (Obinna, 89), Doyle. Subs not used: Stack, Hunt, Baradji.

Floyd's Favourite: Harper. Beginning to look like the class act he can be at long, long last.

Hat's entertainment

Reading return to league action on Saturday following an extended break for international fixtures and it's a chance for the travelling army to visit a new ground as we head up to Warwickshire for our first visit to Coventry's Ricoh Arena. It promises to be a colourful ocassion as STAR (Supporters Trust at Reading) have promoted this fixture as fans day, Hob Nob Anyone contributors have deemed it should be hat day (http://forum.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24925&start=0) and there is traditionally a good Reading following for the comparatively short hop to Coventry. It's a team we haven't fared very well against in recent seasons so Floyd on Football reasons we must be due a win against them after they did the double over us last term.

The team news isn't overly encouraging though. Shorey, Sidwell and Kitson have been ruled out for around a month each after injuries suffered last time out against Burnley. To strengthen the squad, Coppell made a last ditch signing on transfer deadline day last Wednesday by bringing in frenchman Sekou Baradji from West Ham. Baradji played in today's 2-0 reserve win over Brighton, but our other recent signing Eric Obinna Chukwynyely is yet to make his reserve debut as he does not have the international clearance from the German FA who hold his registration following the striker's recent spell with Kaiserslautern.