AND BACK Reading 3-1 Hull City

The twenty-two legged juggernaut of Reading Football Club, some sort of crazed Calcio caterpillar if you will, took another giant stride forward this afternoon with a thrashing of Hull City which flattered our toothless Tiger visitors.

It was the usual high-tempo start as Reading gushed forward in the early stages, stretching Hull from hither to thither. Convey had already seen a blistering first time shot balmed over the crossbar by the busily inspired Boaz Myhill before giving us the lead inside the first seven minutes. The leprechaun Doyle won the ball halfway and played in CONVEY who had the City defence looking over their shoulder as he timed his run perfectly to avoid the offside trap. Advancing in on Myhill and with Lita waiting for a tap-in, the Yank smashed home the opening goal. Absolute perfection in it's intricacy.

The good football continued in the opening half hour; Reading, an Astin Martin to Hull's Volkswagon Golf, almost drove in a second when Little's effort straight down Myhill's gullet following the usual high-standard of approach play by Doyle. Lita was next to be denied by the agile Hull 'keeper, his first time thumper from an angle being finger-tipped away for a corner following Convey's cross and Doyle's knock down. At the other end, Hull threatened fleetingly - Burgess denied by Hahnemann after being allowed to twist and turn in the Reading box. Back on the offensive, Lita attempted the outrageous and Murty had n effort deflected wide. From the resultant flag kick, Superman Sonko ghosted in to fire narrowly over. The chances had come and gone with only a one goal lead established, Hull gave a taste of things to come when Hahnemann denied Cort in the closing stages of the half and then watch helplessly as Barmby's header clipped the post.

For a period of the second half, it looked as if Reading would pay for their profligacy and Myhill's magnificent form. Hull's Lynch cross was aimed at Big Ben Burgess who nodded on for BARMBY to score, softly. This felt like a big blow after we had largely dominated, but for the second game in succession Reading recovered from the concession of an early second half equaliser and Floyd on Football would venture that this is the sign of a side likely to achieve something. That said, the response wasn't immediate and for a depressing fifteen minute spell, Reading failed to get their fast-moving game going and the bonnet was up on the Aston Martin for a while as moves failed to get going and a moment of inspiration was needed. That came after 69 minutes; Lita failed to get a good headed connection on a left wing cross, but the ball landed kindly for Glen Little who chipped the ball in to the chest of DOYLE. The former Cork City man brought the ball down and scissor-kicked the ball towards goal. Once again, Myhill attempted to pull off the breathtaking, but could only shove the ball onto the crossbar and the ball bounced over the line.

Tails up, the game was won within sixty seconds. Convey's run in-field, through ball to LITTLE who dribbled tightly through the breathless Hull defence and rolled the ball home. The MadStad crowd, which for a good hour or so had been church mouse quiet, erupted in a mixture of disbelief and relief at a memorable minute of sheer quality football which summed up the difference between Reading and Hull City. The final twenty minutes was the Leroy Lita show, I'm a Centre-Forward.....Get Me a Goal. Going through a barren spell, the little striker could have had a hatrick in the final minutes; firing over from six yards when he seemed to want to break the net and being denied twice by the meddling Myhill. Doyle fired a fraction wide and substitute Obinna seemed to divert a goal bound header from Sidwell over the crossbar. It would be no exaggeration to say that it could easily have been six or seven, but the important thing was that the Tigers, for all their petulantly bitchy pushing of Reading players and pulling of shirts, got the mauling they deserved having been let off the hook time and time again by weak referee Mr Penton.


Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Little (Oster, 76), Sidwell, Harper, Convey (Hunt, 76), Doyle (Obinna, 84), Lita. Subs not used: Stack, Makin.

Floyd's Favourite: Convey. Turbo-charged.