5 LITA FUEL INJECTION Reading 2-1 Preston

During the summer Reading traded in their much-loved but fairly clapped out old Nicky Forster to bring in a new model, the Leroy Lita turbo. The old banger had lost a bit in traction control and so the new chav-mobile was snapped up and despite spending a chunk of the season locked away in the garage, it showed its true worth yesterday afternoon following a re-spray for recent paint-work damage.

Reading laboured yesterday against the Preston North End's own juggernaut who were unbeaten in 22 in the league, a record only eclipsed by our own long run without defeat which had ended the previous weekend at Luton. We could have perhaps done with an easier game in which to get back in the swing of things at the steering wheel of the Championship, but we had just about enough in the glovebox to take the chequered flag. That said, the wheels almost came off within seconds of kick off. Straight from kick-off the ball was delivered up to Nugent, Preston's England Under 21 striker, who attempted to round Hahnemann but was the giant Yank put the brake on things.

Not exactly an ideal start for those with bad nerves, but the mood was soon lifted around the windswept MadStad. After 5 minutes, Convey took a corner with precision and Preston were unable to clear before Ivar Ingimarsson skidded an angled effort towards goal. The ball appeared in the opinion of Floyd on Football to have been gathered by Carlo Nash, but SIDWELL went crashing in to poke the ball home from close range. The goal was given by referee Stroud and the decision infuriated the visiting players who set the tone for the afternoon by complaining bitterly to anyone who would listen. They didn't have long to wait before having their chance to make a dent in the RFC promotion chassis though. Sonko gave away a needless freekick on the edge of the box a matter of minutes after we took the lead and that dislikeable scot Callum DAVIDSON hit a low snorkeling effort under Hahnemann for 1-1.

Reading were struggling to keep the ball efficiently and were looking laboured and indecisive at the back. This looked like the Reading of 12 months ago and to be frank last season's team would have most likely folded under the pressure. We did go close through Ingimarsson and Oster's near post drive following intelligent work by Kitson was saved rather flukily by the greay haired Preston 'keeper Nash. And if the floppy haired ponce was fortunate with that stop, he was even luckier to escape sanction after charging from his goal ten minutes before half time to pole-axe the onrushing Kitson. Referee Stroud, receiving words in his shell-like from the stroppy North End players throughout, gave nothing. No freekick. No yellow card. And the only person punished for Nash's recklessness was Kitson, who had to be withdrawn with concussion to make way for Lita. Floyd on Football is of the opinion that had a defender challenged Kitson in the same way there would have been more serious reprecussions for Preston, but as usual in football the goalkeeper is given endangered species treatment and is protected like a Friends of the Earth sponsored Blue Whale. Nash actually has previous against Reading - a little under ten years ago he escaped a card when pulling down Mick Gooding in the penalty area when playing for Palace.

The most fitting, just punishment was delivered by Kitson's replacement. With regulation time in the first half having elasped, LITA sped onto Doyle's intelligent approach work and shot accurately across pantomime dame Nash to give Reading a half time lead with a goal not disimilar to his second against the same opposition at Deepdale back in August. The goal gave Reading the lead at a very crucial time but we never made serious inroads towards making the game safe second half in what became an increasingly scrappy and desperate match. Murty had to make a critical goal-line clearance as Davidson plunged to plant a free header firmly past Hahnemann, not the first time on the afternoon that the Royals captain had to clear his lines to bail out his team mates. Doyle appeared to be felled in the box but Stroud had long since decided that the continual Preston complaints made it easier to ensure that Reading would not get another key decision their way, but that was a rare Reading raid as Billy Davies introduced his big guns Dichio and Agyemang in order to try and force the issue. Reading allowed Tyron Mears far too much time and space on more than one ocassion in the closing stages in which to deliver some wicked crosses. From one such ball Sonko shepherded back to Hahnemann under severe pressure from Agyemang and with a matter of minutes left Dichio nodded woefully wide to waste Mears good work.

Three minutes injury time were seen out with great relief following another goalmouth scramble where the Reading defence almost seemed to sit on the ball in their desperation not to concede. Not pretty, more BMW than Rolls Royce, but a crucial three points which extends the lead at the top to 12 points once more with Sheffield United suffering a surprise home defeat. We're now revving up for promotion.


Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Oster (Hunt, 85), Sidwell (Gunnarsson, 62), Harper, Convey, Doyle, Kitson (Lita, 39). Subs not used: Stack, Makin.

Floyd's Favourite: Murty. Captain Marvel made a crucial goal-line clearance.

SINK THE TITANIC Luton Town 3-2 Reading

Hold the back page, gag the fat lady and sink the Titanic - Reading Football Club lost a league game for the first time in more than 6 months last night.

Floyd on Football is realistic enough to realise that even the best team in the division will come unstuck ocassionally and it is some consolation to say that even on a night when we were below par we have only lost by the odd goal to a half-decent Luton side who let us remember also managed to put three goals past Liverpool on the same ground. Injuries to the influential Little and Sidwell did not help, not did the wretched performance of referee Wright but this was a result that was perhaps coming given that in each of the previous four away games in the league we have fallen behind and yet managed to get out of jail.

Kenilworth Road is an odd looking venue, the Pete Burns of football stadia. With one side comprising solely of conservatories passing as exec boxes and leg room in the away end which even an Oompa Loompa would complain about, it's a memorable sort of place. And it was an equally memorable start; 18 whole seconds had elapsed by the time the ball had fallen kindly to DOYLE to slot past Beresford following a slip in the Hatters defence. Reading almost added to that within the first five minutes when Harper's delightful curler went the wrong side of the helpless Beresford's post and we were looking very good at this stage.

It wasn't to last. Vine was proving a menace and the lanky Howard had sliced a decent chance wide as the home side, who had scored three past Liverpool on the same ground not so long ago, caused the Reading defence no end of problems. Ex-Royal Dean Morgan was playing like he had a point to prove and was having an impact, his good work set up that man Howard again and the muscular front man also put a header wide. So it was absolutely no surprise when they levelled after twenty minutes. The goal, as with the second barely five minutes later, came from down Reading's left hand side as Howard and VINE linked up well to leave the latter free to finish beautifully at an angle. Luton, playing catch up in the stop-start race that is the play-off jostle, had their hats at a jaunty angle now and were playing with confidence and it was even less of a surprise when they went ahead as Harper failed to cut out a pass down our left flank and the resultant cross was diverted home by VINE.

And it could have been worse as Luton should have been out of sight by half time, as only the linesman's flag and their own profligate finishing prevented them taking the lead. Nicholls freekick seemed to heading out of play by Howard managed to angle a header across the box for Heikkinen to slot a slitter against the cross bar. Leon Barnett was more accurate with his headed effort but the flag of the otherwise out of touch linesman denied him. The officials frankly looked to be below the required standard of ability all evening and with time running out in the half Doyle appeared to be grounded when through on goal. Nothing was awarded and given that Floyd on Football was behind the goal atheother end annd impartial text messages said that Doyle might have been clipped but perhaps made the most of it, it is probably fair to give the officials the benefit of the doubt on this one.

No excuses for the incident after half time though. Kitson was on to a Convey through ball in a flash and appeared to be muscled off the ball illegally. Referee Wright was having none of it though and quite incredibly the next freekick he gave was against Kitson for a pathetically innocuous looking challenged which earned our top scorer a yellow card; total nonsense from a referee who shirked the big decisions all night. By that stage Reading were already 3-1 down and staring at their first league defeat in 28 weeks. Dean MORGAN finished low past Hahnemann from the edge of the box after a finding himself space with a neat run. Luton had looked a lively side all evening and Coppell was forced into changes; Convey was withdrawn in favour of Stephen Hunt who then unforgivably wasted his three crossing opportunities with woefully inadequate efforts. No excuses whatsoever for the Irishman, nor his colleague on the right wing the equally ineffectual John Oster who showed in his performance just why Glen Little can expect to start each and every week when he is fit.

Reading huffed and puffed to get back into the game but we had left ourselves with too much to do. A combination of our own lack of quality on the night and the home side's doggedness denied us any clear cut opportunities as Luton played like an Iraqi national team under threat of death from a murderous dictatorship. Floyd on Football has a lot of time for their manager, the outspoken Mike Newell who was the first man brave enough to talk openly about those leeches of the game, the football agent. Newell has his team well drilled and willing to die for the cause and coupled with a decent attacking threat they are as good a team as we have seen in opposition this season. In the opinion of Floyd on Football, Coppell left it too late to introduce Leroy Lita who has recovered from stitches in his face following an attack in a nightclub by a typically friendly Bristolian, however we did get one back when DOYLE headed in a centre of rare accuracy from the otherwise abysmal Hunt.

This goal came just as the board for four minutes of additional time was raised and despite a couple of generous looking freekick decision in our favour from the ever-eccentric Mr Wright, we could not find our way past a wall of Luton white. The home side had held out for a deserved win, our unbeaten run had ended and we now have a dozen games to refocus, readjust the team as necessary and sew up promotion. There is a tiny leak in the hull of the SS Reading FC, but there is barely a puddle in the boiler room yet.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Oster (Lita, 79), Gunnarsson, Harper, Convey (Hunt, 63), Doyle, Kitson. Subs not used: Stack, Makin, Halls.

Floyd's Favourite: Doyle. One of few Reading players to do themself justice.

COLIN III: THE RECKONING Sheffield United 1-1 Reading

Foul-mouthed Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock to all intents and purposes accused Bobby Convey of cheating to win an injury time penalty for Reading yesterday evening as the Blades boss saw his side dominate for long periods yet still fail to make any inroads on our twelve point lead over them at the head of the Championship table.

Floyd on Football did not have a great view of the incident at the end of the game when Convey was apparently flattened by lardy Blades keeper chasing the loose ball after Kenny had blocked the American's initital effort after latching on to a hopeful long ball. However, having spoken to one or two people with a better sight of happenings, the common consensus was stonewall penalty which would make Warnock's thinly veiled post-match comments all the more spiteful. Warnock accused Convey of the heinous crime of smiling at him after the incident - Floyd on Football would venture the opinion that opponents are keen to rile Warnockbecause of his shananigans and the way in which he conducts himself, so he only has himself to blame.

Frantic, fast moving, white knuckle stuff at times. And that was just the journey up to Brammall Lane. Despite having left in plenty of time, Floyd on Football was stranded in the Sheffield traffic ten minutes before the scheduled kick-off time and it was a mad dash to the Gordon Lamb stand lower tier which was packed with Reading supporters. Despite having missed the opening exchanges, Floyd on Football was seated and on hand to see the Blades open the scoring inside ten minutes. United were pushing Reading back and getting the ball wide with great ease and it was from the right flank that Bromby fed the pugnacious Akinbiyi who turned and was challenged only for the ball to squirm through to DYER to score via the inside of Hahnemann's post. A disastrous start, but Floyd on Football was not unduly worried by the concession of an early goal given the bouncebackability of this Reading side - in recent weeks after all we have seen the team hit back swiftly after conceding the first goal at Derby, West Bromwich and Crystal Palace.

Bounceback we did. Within three minutes the dangerous Convey, following good work by Murty, fed the ball into the six yard box. Beyond Doyle, the ball fell to KITSON who simply doesn't miss that kind of chance. The Blades, aware that the chasing pack are on their tails like a pack of baying blood hounds, were bitten and spurred into life. Akinbiyi shot wide and there was an almighty escape as a Sonko clearance which hinted at handball fell for Craig Short who was denied on the line by Murty's timeliness. Tonge was denied at full stretch by Hahnemann and the rebound fell kindly for Akinbiyi, whose physical approach to the game continually went unpunished all evening by referee Halsey, and were it not for the awareness of the Reading keeper recovering to throw himself at the ball it would surely have been 2-1. The Blades big money forward, one of Warnock's ever growing arsenal of strikers, thumped over the bar and Reading escaped again.

United were on top, playing with all the desperate determination of a convict on the run. However it was Reading who almost stole a haf time lead - first Little and then Convey cut in, only to be denied by the unwitting Kitson and the agile Kenny respectively. Reading had hit back strongly in the closing stages of the first half with some pretty and effective football with both wingers playing their usual full part. United may have dominated on chances and possession but Reading's game play fully illustrated in the mind of Floyd on Football quite why we are top and the Blades a distant second. We started the second period on top as well; Sidwell plunged to head Convey's corner kick dramatically towards goal only to be denied by the girth of Kenny on the goal line. Reading were looking quite comfortable at this stage.

Football, however, as we all know can change like the mood of a paranoid scizophrenic in an instant. For the final half hour of this tense, important game Reading became scrappy in their play, careless in possession and gifted Sheffield United the set pieces which their game thrives upon. In this exultant season thus far there have been frankly precious few nervous moments for the supporters of the best team in the Championship to endure. However, in the final third of this game Floyd on Football, with a bloodstained right hand injured in the post-equaliser celebrations, bit anxiously upon nails along with the other 1,600+ loyal Reading supporters as Montgomery firstly volleyed a corner over the bar and then headed home a freekick when offside, Jagielka was denied by Murty and the woodwork following a melee and Kabba fired straight at Hahnemann when an offside flag didn't arrive following another cutting Blades free kick delivery.

Each of these near misses was greeted by a huge cheer from the travelling contingent at the other end of the ground and there was an explosion of joyous noise as Convey was pole-axed for the penalty right in front of us. Up stepped Kitson for the moment which would have put Reading 15 clear at the top, with Floyd on Football's camera phone poised to record a famous moment for posterity. Dramatically, Kenny was plunging to his left as Kitson struck the ball and the fat shot-stopper had guessed the right way to make a terrific save. The United supporters roared with delight but as the final whistle sounded moments later their joy was shortlived, especially as Leeds United closed the gap between themselves and the Blades to 9 points with a victory over Watford. Even without Kitson scoring that penalty, Reading are cruising to the title. Warnock may have real cause to grumble if his side keep failing to win games.


Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Little, Sidwell, Harper, Convey, Doyle, Kitson. Subs not used: Stack, Makin, Oster, Long, Hunt.

Floyd's Favourite: Ingimarsson. Timely return to his best form.

REGIONAL DIFFERENCES Reading 2-0 Southampton

Reading's latest easy victory on the ceaseless march to promotion was a particularly satisfying one given that it was at the expense of the Saints, a club who have for far too long been top dog in the south of England.

The bias towards the south coast in the regional media is best illustrated by tuning in to a South Today bulletin. Their studios are based in Southampton which Floyd on Football would suggest is hardly centralised for a region which spreads north into South Oxfordshire and east into Sussex. The powers that be at Broadcasting House fritter away goodness knows how much licence-payers money every year covering in minute detail events such as Cowes Week, as if the thrill-a-minute world of yachting is likely to be of any interest to their Thames Valley based viewers. Reading has always seemed to play second fiddle to the south coast clubs in terms of football coverage on the regional version of the BBC and it is with glee that Floyd on Football envisages Roger Johnson's sports section will be delivered through gritted teeth next season as Reading take on the mantle of the south's Premiership team with the wretched Portsmouth seemingly doomed to a long-overdue relegation.

That Southampton are in such a sorry state must be due to their megalomaniac chairman, jolly hockey sticks Rupert Lowe, who seemingly changes managers as often as most other people change their underwear. The Saints fan foolish enough to pay good money to watch their team in the flesh when they could have drowned their sorrows watching the SKY televised game in the pub once again audibly voiced their dislike of their chairman who oversaw relegation last season to be followed up by their embarassing efforts this year to reclaim their place in the top flight. Following this entirely comprehensive defeat, the Saints are now 17 points adrift of the play-off pack and a mere 7 points ahead of the relegation zone. How amusing it would be to see Southampton fall to a second successive relegation in a supremely satisfying league season which sees old friends and regional rivals such as Portsmouth, Brighton and Swindon already on the cusp of the drop from their respective leagues themselves.

The Reading supporters, ever willing to antagonise, sang their own chairman's name and it was Mr Madejski's most expensive footballing purchase who served up the opening goal after a quarter of an hour. The goal owed much to Southampton's slopiness and complacency, a fitting metaphor for their recent footballing fortunes, as Dyer was caught in possession and was robbed easily by Little who fed LITA for an almost embarassingly simple tap-in. Reading escaped a couple of close shaves before the game-breaking second; debutant Rasiak firing hopelessly wide when scoring seemed easier and Ostlund nodding against Hahnemann's post. Those were to be the last remotely nervous moments of a truly satisfying evening however, as Hahnnemann's long kick was controlled by DOYLE and thundered home at Bialkowski's near post with precision for a goal remniscent to the effort that the Irishman scored at home to Palace back in September.

And that was that, done and dusted long before half time. What little spirit Southampton had was broken by that second goal and Reading won at a familiar canter. The second half passed with very little by way of clear-cut opportunity not that that would dampen in any way the enthusiasm of the biggest crowd of the season at the Madejski. Reading beating Southampton is hardly headline news these days, but even so you can imagine the disappointment around Broadcasting House, SO14 as their local favourites fell to another sorry defeat. Berkshire 2-0 Hampshire.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Little, Sidwell, Harper, Convey (Hunt, 81), Doyle, Lita (Kitson, 75). Subs not used: Stack, Gunnarsson, Oster.

Floyd's Favourite: Little. Worth the admission fee to watch a genius at work.

UP THE BRUM Birmingham City 2-1 Reading

Distracted Reading bowed out of the FA Cup live on SKY television in frankly who gives a toss style last night, ensuring that there will be no fixture backlog for Coppell's championship chasers. Once again, the B team was given a chance to shine as 8 changes were made to the side which won at Gresty Road on Saturday. Floyd on Football begs the question - was Shane Long in Peter Pan? He certainly looked like one of the Lost Boys last night in an otherwise relatively competent Reading performance.

Reading should have taken the lead early on when Dave Kitson wasted a clear-cut chance when put through by Gunnarsson, he put the ball the wrong side of Taylor's far post. Reading dominated territory and possession but wingers Oster and Hunt were disappointing in providing a lack of quality ball into the box. Birmingham led just before the half hour against the run of play when FORSSELL weaved past Sonko into the box and shot at Stack, who was unfortunate to see the subsequent ricochet fall to the Finn to provide the finish. Reading could and should ahve levelled a moment later; Sidwell's snap shot was parried onto the post by Taylor and Kitson was denied by the Blues 'keeper from the rebound.

Reading got the equaliser they deserved against injury-hit and unimpressive Premiership opposition early in the second period when HUNT cut accross Alex Bruce to smash home via the underside of the cross bar. The good work was undone midway through the half though by lazy marking from the rusty-looking John Halls to allow Jarosik to pick out the head of Julian GRAY with simplicity. Reading looked frankly disinterested and unconvincing in their attempts to get back into the game after this setback and Floyd on Football was pleased to have saved time and money travelling to St Andrews as our intent was shown by selecting a young and inexperienced substitutes bench. Birmingham clung on to clinch a barely deserved and unglamorous looking 5th round date at Stoke City to leave Reading to concentrate on replacing the Blues in the Premiership next season.

Reading: Stack, Halls, Makin, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Oster, Sidwell, Gunnarsson, Hunt, Kitson, Long (Cox, 68). Subs not used: Federici, Golbourne, Osano, Sinnott.

Floyd's Favourite: Sidwell. Finding some good form.

CLOCKWORK Crewe 3-4 Reading

There was me, that is Floyd, and my three Droogs, that is Laurie F, Colin F and Malc and we sat in the car trying to make up our rassoodocks what to do with the 3 hour car journey. The tedium of the M40, M42 and M6 was broken up, in the absence of a bit of the old Ludwig van, with a sing-along to Hits of the 90's CD whereupon your correspondant wowed his brothers with stunning renditions of The Shoop Shoop Song and Any Dream Will Do. There were also outlandish predictions for the shape of the afternoon's entertainment - 5-1 Reading was the most confident prediction in the car and one of the national newspapers had marked down a 4-0 away win. They were to be half right.

The football was expected to run like clockwork. The home side were propping up the table and were without a win since fireworks night. The last time Reading lost in the league, England were 1-0 down in the Ashes. The result was to be a cinch, a shoe-in, a formality. Indeed, the dramatic scenes when Laurie split the crotch of his jeans in the MG6 toll road services were expected to be the extent of our worries on this particular afternoon. Arriving in Crewe just after two, we headed towards a retail park sports shop for our driver to purchase a replacement pair of trousers and the unplanned detour was nothing more than a minor pain in the gulliver. That was until parking up opposite the homely Gresty Road ground - your correspondant ruefully slapped his pockets and checked every nook and cranny of the car. Alas, and amidst much anger and profanities, it was frustratingly obvious that the match ticket had gone AWOL somewhere.

Fuming at having to pay twice over to watch this no-contest of a football match, Floyd on Football was even more irritated to discover that his pay-on-the-day ticket, bringing the total outlay to watch this particular game to a stonkingly foolish 36 quid, was for the stand behind the goal. Therefore as the Droogs watched on in the stand alongside the pitch, Floyd on Football was alone behind the goal with only fellow Reading supporters for company. Ok, so it wasn't quite 14 years in HMP Prison Parkmoor, but there was a great sense of isolation which was heightened by the home side's unexpectedly good start. Crewe may go down but they will go down passing and having struck the Reading post twice in the opening ten minutes, they moved into a surprise lead when a Rodgers shot was parried by the busy Hahnemann and BELL tapped the rebound gleefully into an unguarded net.

The start of this game was frantic and as unexpectedly lively as Crewe were, Reading were equally threatening down the far end. Doyle and Lita had already troubled the upright before Harper smashed a howitzer towards goal which Turnbull saved instinctively with an outstretched arm. Reading were troubled, the weight of expectation seemed to bog us down but we were level and subsequently moved ahead in the space of two minutes midway through the half. Convey was tugged back on the edge of the area, and SHOREY without a goal all season until Tuesday evening, doubled his season's tally from the dead ball, sending a low effort inside Turnbull's near post despite the Crewe custodian's ebest efforts to keep it out. SIDWELL then put Reading ahead with an authoratitive header from a Little cross and when LITA took Shorey's pass in his stride and thumped home for 3-1 right on half time it seemed as if the day was going to take a familiar turn.

The Railwaymen got back on track soon after the break though when TAYLOR prodded home the loose ball after a fine Hahnemann save and this was typical of the home side's resilience in the face of adversity all afternoon. The bottom side gave us as much to think about as any side we have played this season, but they are not seemingly doomed to League One football without good reason. A matter of minutes after getting themselves a foothold in this eccentric encounter, they undid their good work by allowing LITA to sidefoot home Convey's cross for 4-2. The cold and loneliness was momentarily forgotten by this point as Floyd on Football almost had a fifth goal to celebrate with no-one in particular - the disappointing Doyle clean through put his shot narrowly wide in unfamiliar style for the young Irishman. And we were to pay for such profligacy as LUNT reduced the arrears with well over twenty minutes to go from the spot after Shorey had blocked a cross illegally using his arm.

This was real horrorshow. Crewe were now bright eyed and bushy tailed with great hopes of causing an upset and boosting their own forlorn hopes of avoiding the drop. Reading played with leaden-footed nerves and struggled to keep possession, at the back Sonko had to save his defensive partner the shaky looking Icelandar Ingimarsson on more than one ocassion with familiar full-blooded clearances and bone-shuddering tackles. It was a truly nervy last twenty, alleviated slightly when Lunt was dismissed for felling goal-bound substitute Hunt but even so Crewe almost delivered a cutting blow into injury time as a corner took seemingly eons to clear. When the ball was hacked clear in desperation, Reading had another win to celebrate but this success was a barely metited one. Floyd on Football quite honestly felt far too sheepish in the circumstances to join in with the post match chants of that's why we're top the league. It was time for a deep sigh of relief and a well needed return journey stop off for liquid refreshment at the Korova Milk Bar.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Little (Gunnarsson, 90), Sidwell, Harper, Convey (Hunt, 79), Doyle, Lita (Kitson, 81). Subs not used: Stack, Oster.

Floyd's Favourite: Sidwell. A clockwork orange.

GOING CHEEP Reading 4-0 Norwich City

The signs were that yesterday was to be a big evening for RFC. Taking another step towards promotion was the aim, and the signs were held proudly aloft in the stands BRING IT ON/BE LOUD BE PROUD. Floyd on Football was glad to volunteer to be part of an army of STAR members responsible for handing out banners bearing the legends in bold italics above with the hoped for effect of providing a noisy and colourful stadium bowl for our record-breaking players to run out to. The Football Club had kept this secret from the players and it formed part of the management's ploy to lift the players that little bit more going into the final third of a successful season.

This being Reading Football Club, the banners met with mixed reception of course and some of the banners ended up as paper aeroplanes in the second half as there was little by way of tension to focus on by this point as Reading had long since wrapped up another convincing and perfectly formed victory. Floyd on Football was still handing out the last of the freebies and purchasing a programme by the time the first goal was scored. Having missed the ocassion of Nicky SHOREY's first goal of the season, eye-witness reports will form the basis of the goal description; Doyle fouled by Doherty advancing in on goal, Reading's left-back quickly curling home the resultant free-kick past a flat-footed England 'keeper Robert Green after barely 6 minutes of the game.

Prior to that, Lita apparently should have buried a headed chance and after that first goal he appeared to have been chopped down by a panic-ridden Norwich defence after a good run. The loose ball fell to Doyle who saw his shot saved by Green. Referee Mason waved away a further Lita appeal before Etuhu clipped wide in a rare moment of panic in the Reading rearguard. To alleviate any real fears, a second goal was soon forthcoming. Twinkle-toes Little, The Entertainer of the Championship, skipped gaily down the right hand side to lay on a simple cross for SIDWELL to crash home a header. Not even 20 minutes played and the result was safe. It could have been even more than two before half time; Convey cracking a curving effort fractionally wide following smart work from Murty and Harper, Lita causing Green to fumble and gather at the second attempt with a fizzing effort and Doyle's dangerous cut-back being gathered by the over-worked Canaries 'keeper. Two down and Norwich chairwoman the saintly Delia Smith, sat amongst the visiting miserable band of travelling supporters, won't have enjoyed her half time pie.

For the sake of symmetry, Reading scored another couple of goals in the second half of this emphatic win. Reading's defending was sloppy at times and Jarret, Etuhu and Johansson were wasteful in front of our goal and to sum up Norwich's inadequacy their best player was former Royal Andy Hughes, who sent in an inch perfect cross for Peter Thorne to head astonishingly off target from practically under the crossbar. Any Norwich goal would have been rendered an irrelevance by Reading's third ten minutes into the second half; Doyle embarassed the Norwich defence by beating them twice over before laying on a tap in for the ubiquitous LITA. Little was withdrawn after an hours worth of tricks more magical than Paul Daniels and David Copperfield put together yet Reading still threatened constantly and CONVEY took the fourth with twenty minutes remaining, latching on to Shorey's delicious lofted pass and meandering through Norwich City centre before dispatching low past Green following a classy run which brought the house down.

This, by now, was showbiz and as the placards rained down on the pitch from the amused Royals fans the visiting team also threw in their cards. Lita could have added another and Gunnarsson was only saved by a mixture of Green's brilliant reflexes and the post. We settled for just the four then and whilst this particularly night out was a recipe for disaster for Delia the card-sharp Royals made it an astonishing 30 games in the league unbeaten which is effectively two-thirds of the season. Trudging triumphantly from the ground, Floyd on Football noted just how many happy young Reading fans were clutching their BRING IT ON banners with proud affection. Our fan-base of the future might just be beginning to think that every day following RFC is as emphatic and triumphant as this, another joyous ocassion in an exultant season.


Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Little (Oster, 60), Sidwell (Gunnarsson, 71), Harper, Convey, Doyle (Long, 74), Lita. Subs not used: Stack, Hunt.

Floyd's Favourite: Little. Another masterclass.