COLIN II: THE GRUDGE Reading 2-0 Sheffield United

Stephen Hunt had said in the Evening Post that he expected "fireworks" at this Carling Cup third round tie between the Championship's top two after the controversial meeting at the start of the month, but if anything this game passed by incident free and lacking in the passion and intensity of that previous meeting.

It was evident from the outset that this would be the case. Reading made 7 changes from the starting line-up which stuffed Stoke, but to be fair to Coppell he still picked a hungry, balanced side capable of giving Sheffield United a game. The opposition, however, were entirely disinterested. Warnock fielded a mixture of youth and reserve players who played as if they'd only just been introduced on the coach prior to the game. Both Reading and Sheffield United are in the middle of another ridiculous run of ficture planning, facing 7 games in 3 weeks, but they still have a duty to play to win and entertain their spectators. Therefore, Warnock's pre-match advice to his own supporters to stay away from this particular game was a fair warning but a typically cynical piece of gamesmanship from an incereasingly unpopular individual. Floyd on Football thinks that, although an increasingly maligned competition, the Carling Cup is a route into european football and deserves to be treated with more respect.

Reading made a bright opening, with Obinna testing Morris into a good save with his legs from an angled drive in a hectic opening ten minutes but it was hard to keep up this pace with such a changed side. The breakthrough didn't come until the second half, but with United so toothless and showing such a distinct lack of interest, that opening goal was effectively game over. KITSON, who had a mixed game, netting with a first time effort from six yards after Hunt's centre. Kitson should have sewn it up when diverting a right-wing cross wide with his feet when a headed chance seemed more opportune, and the slippery Obinna headed narrowly wide as Reading dominated with ease. The game was sewn up with barely 15 minutes to play when that front two partnership of Obinna and kitson combined after Hunt's deep centre, KITSON being left with a simple tap-in. Cue a rash of substitutions for both sides including another opportunity for young Simon Cox for Reading.

This easy victory was another psychological blow, albeit a softer one this time, in the battle of the top two and our sixth vicory in seven outing against Sheffield United and their unpleasant manager.

Reading: Stack, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Oster (Little, 83), Baradji, Sidwell, Hunt, Obinna, Kitson (Cox, 78). Subs not used: Hahnemann, Gunnarsson, Doyle.

Floyd's Favourite: Obinna. Looked like Rooney playing football with a bar of soap.