THE TWO RONNIES Reading 1-1 Manchester United

When last these sides met, an FA Cup a little over ten years ago, Reading competed very nicely for a while but Manchester United ran out comfortable winners in the end. Their side - Cantona, Keane et al - went on to The Double that season, whilst Reading were a gnat's bollock away from relegation from Division One. Elm Park still had two more years of shabby life left and the gulf between the two clubs was wider than Michelle McManus's waistline.

Yesterday, 24,000+ packed inside the all mod-cons MadStad to watch Reading show that we have began to close the gap - nay, yawning chasm - between ourselves and the most commercially successful club in world football. We competed, hassled, harried. Led for twenty five minutes, silenced the feisty away following and proved our point. The world was watching Reading FC compete with one of the big boys as league equals for the first time and they can't have failed to have been impressed.

In the end, we were only denied a Red Letter Day by the Red Devils finest; by the end of 94 minutes our illustrious visitors had a forward line of Rooney, Saha and Solskjaer out on the park but it was only a sublime piece of individual brilliance from the greasy haired cheating spick Ronaldo which rescued a point. We saw the two differing faces of the Portuguese winger yesterday evening; we saw the fragile, wailing gamesmanship which has become all too familiar over the past few years and also those skillful, quick feet which brought about a deserved equaliser for a team assembled for many millions of pounds. Ronaldo in many ways is a very typical modern footballing superstar - undoubted ability to spare, but a nasty arrogant piece of spit to boot.

United were looking to go back atop the league which they have dominated since its inception in 1992; all football before then of course being declared null and void by the SKY TV generation. Hahnemann showed a few nerves in parrying Rooney's early shot but looked more measured in getting easily behind another effort from the pug-faced Oompa Loompa and equally competently dealt with a Ronaldo drive. At the other end, the hard working Lita fired speculatively wide and later drove a cross across goal which no-one could reach. We were looking composed, calm and measured in our approach as we allowed United plenty of harmless possession with the ever dynamic Michael Carrick slowing the pace of the game down to a tempo more befitting of a charity match.

The best chance in the half fell to Reading. Convey's cross deflected into Doyle's path in front of goal. The young Irishman seemed to want a nod and a thumbs up from the linesman, delayed and Van Der Sar smothered. A little more awareness and we would have led, but Doyle's big moment was to come. United rallied with several testing balls across our goal but Ivar and Ibrahima kept the visitors largely in check; the Icelandar cooly clearing to safety as Ronaldo led Seol a merry dance, crashed to the ground in all too typical style and lashed a free kick towards the near post which Hahnemann could only parry. Half time arrived with the scoresheet blank and a triumphant cheer of a moral victory for more than holding our own against Champions League standard opposition thus far.

The cheers were even louder shortly after the break. Seol and Murty worked the right hand side and a searching centre from the captain struck the arm of the gormless Gary Neville who could only gurn with despair as referee Walton pointed to the spot. The spotlight fell on Kevin Doyle, a boyhood Manchester United fan whose meek penalty kick in the midweek shout out with Darlington was saved. Taking the ball in his hand, placing it on the spot and with the usual protests and shenanigans delaying proceedings he had plenty of time for the significance of the moment to pray on his mind. Van Der Sar guessed correctly plunging to his right and got a claw to the penalty kick but the power which DOYLE had put on the shot took the ball beyond the Dutchman's grasp and pandemonium abounded.

Reading then enjoyed a good period of possession and territory which in truth failed to draw much in terms of threat and chances but there was plenty of good work as we kept ball tidily if not incisively. United had a guilt-edged chance when Rooney slotted across to the Craig Charles lookalike - and presumably playalike - Kieran Richardson who put a variation on his theme of smashing hopeless efforts over the crossbar by this time swiping and missing altogether and it must have been a relief to the perplexed travelling support when he was substituted before the hour. United were desperate to get back into this match and much of the final 25 minutes was played on the edge of the Reading box but - happily - there was a thou shalt not pass attitude about Ingimarsson and the biblical miracle that is Ibrahima Sonko, although Paul Scholes deflected effort followed a rare moment of uncertainty caused when we made a hash of a high and harmless looking cross served as a warning.

Into the final twenty minutes and the red tide fianlly swept Graeme Murty away; he had battled gamely with some success against RONALDO but was beaten all ends up on this ocassion as the Portuguese pikey cut in and arrowed a thumper past Hahnemann. There was a fear that this may be cue for a collapse after so much brawn had complemented the brains we had showed all evening thus far, but Coppell made some adjustments, Rooney's frustrated and vain appeal for a penalty was rightly laughed out of town and Ronaldo had a final say with a shot wide of goal. United won in terms of possession and shots on goal, but Reading had the edge in terms of heart and desire and in the end our famous visitors - who have won almost every major honour going in their proud history - can boast that they were the first team ever to take a Premiership point away from the Madejski.

Another triumphant cheer - more a roar in reality - greeted the full time whistle. The Reading faithful delighted at a well earned draw against a fancied side, the charmless visiting support less than enamoured by the result as proven by some quite pathetic behaviour both inside the ground at the end of the game and some acts of sheer violent thuggishness outside of the ground. You can only imagine the frustration of those brought up on a diet of success at claiming a measly draw against us trophy-starving peasants of Berkshire. It was goodnight from us, and good fight from them.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty (Bikey, 89), Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Seol (Hunt, 65), Sidwell, Harper, Convey, Doyle, Lita (Gunnarsson, 76). Subs not used: Stack, Long.

Floyd's Favourite: Sonko. So effective you forgot that Rooney was there.

CARRY ON CARLING Reading 3-3 Darlington (Reading won 4-2 on penalties AET)

Reading have probably already gone some way towards proving that our 1st XI is comfortably good enough to compete in the top flight so the baton was handed over to the fringe players on Carling Cup night to show that they have the class to step up to the plate in the event of injury crisis/suspension/biscuit shortage.

Opponents Darlington from League Two should have been easy meat for aspiring Premiership footballers. Rather than chewing them up and spitting them out, however, the Reading stiffs got the opposition caught irritatingly between their teeth and were only rescued from humiliation after two hours of abject farce by the toothpick of a penalty shoot-out.

Showing 10 changes from the line-up which duffed over Manchester City and Sheffield United, the attitude from the reserves stank the place out last night. There was more than a hint of arrogance about a performance which allowed Darlington to lead 3 times on the night thanks to a slapdash defensive show throughout. The record books will show that debutants Peter Mate and Andre Bikey saved the day with a late equaliser and winning spot-kick respectively but no-one was fooled. This was Laurel & Hardy defending; Mate was shakier than a recovering alcoholic whilst Bikey clearly fancied himself as Glenn Hoddle with his numerous attempts at sweeping cross field passes yet in reality he looked more Glenys Kinnock.

It came as absolutely no surprise when Darlington took the lead midway through a dreamy first half. Referee Probert, who mystified everyone with his decisions all night like the refereeing equivalent of David Blaine, awarded a penalty for an alleged shirt tug and Simon JOHNSON's spot kick was poor, straight at Stack. The Reading 'keeper, who managed to pull of just one unconvincing save all night, meekly allowed the ball to slip through his palms. A pathetically awful backheader from Darlington's Holloway left LITA with an embarassingly simple equaliser but Reading weren't to be outdone in the Keystone Cops defending stakes - another debutant De La Cruz was also keen to show up his inadequacies, allowing the might of Julian JOACHIM to sprint clear from halfway to slip past the snoozing and stranded Stack after Steve Hunt had given the ball away.

Reading were only saved from the embarassment of a halftime defecit against the 9th best team in League Two as LITA slammed home after good work by Oster but astonishingly we were behind again shortly after half time; a corner was played short to the lonely JOACHIM who had time and space to larrup and instinctive first time effort past Stack. Ngoma put a free header wise as Bikey and Mate tried to locate their Hungarian/Cameroonian dictionary but thereafter it was more or less constant, if desperate Reading pressure. Doyle was introduced into the fray and scampering clear of the flat-footed Darlo defence with twenty minutes left he was floored by David Duke and Probert surprised everybody by getting a decison right with an instant red card? Twenty minutes to save themselevs could Reading edge out ten men Darlington? We barely scraped a 3-3 draw with a Peter MATE handball goal from a corner with a matter of minutes left.

Extra-time failed to sort the wheat from the chaff (although John Halls was withdrawn in favour of Harper after the latest installment in his own personal quest to become the worst player ever to wear Reading colours) and indeed it was the Quakers who almost shook us with a winner as Wainwright scampered clean through to advance on the ever-hesitant Stack. He smacked his shot woefully wide and such lack of composure in the resultant shoot-out saw also saw Wainwright spank his penalty well over to follow Holloway's earlier example from the visitors first kick. Hunt (at the second attempt), Little and Long spared Doyle's blushes with successful conversions before Bikey sent Stockdale the wrong way to send Reading sheepishly through to Round 3.

Reading: Stack, Halls (Harper, 102), De La Cruz, Bikey, Mate, Gunnarsson, Oster, Hunt, Lita (Doyle, 69), Long. Subs not used: Hahnemann, Osano, Hayes.

Floyd's Favourite: The Darlo fan who invaded the pitch defiantly at the end of the shoot-out to acclaim the 100-strong travelling support. Making his way unchallenged back to his seat he slipped on the perimeter track and went crashing through the advertising hoardings. This Norman Wisdom-esque moment summed up the whole evening.

COLIN IV: SEOL DESTROYING Sheffield United 1-2 Reading

The only man in Britain who thought that Championship runners up Sheffield United were a better side last season than the Reading team which finished a mere sixteen points ahead of the Blades last season is United's manager, the 'charismatic' Neil 'Colin' Warnock. Presumably, he must have thought that his side had their best chance yet of winning a Premiership match yesterday afternoon, but his hopes were dashed with sixteen seconds in a match in which Reading led from start to finish with the eventual scoreling flattering the home side.

Colin had commented pre-match in the media that Sheffield United with their large fanbase and crowds of 30,000 would be better equipped for the Premiership than Reading. You'd have thought by now that the Blades boss would have learned that this kind of nonsense basically writes the opposition team talk for them, gives your opponent a bit more of an edge and a will to beat you. You only had to look at Convey's performance yesterday; one of our less impressive performers in our opening Premiership encounters, Bobby will have no doubt remembered Colin's stinging rebuke of our young American after last season's Brammall Lane penalty incident. It was Convey's long ball over the top of the woefully inadequate Blades skipper Morgan which allowed DOYLE to run clear and slot home past debutant 'keeper Bennett in front of the dancing Royals fans with barely a quarter of a minute played. What is more, it was Sheffield United who had kicked off!

Warnock had spoken of the importance of the home crowd at Brammall Lane (barely 25,000 by the way, Colin, nothing near the 30k you'd hoped for an expected) and Reading had silenced them immediately, indeed for the first hour of the game all the noise was made by a gleeful travelling contingent who took great delight in taunting the Blades manager - he just makes it so easy for you to do so. Reading took the game to the home side in the first half and it should have perhaps been three or four before half time. Seol's stinging effort warmed Bennett's palms for his second touch in United colours (his first had been to pick the ball out of the net), Harper danced through at the end of a classy move to angle a shot onto the upright and Lita's first time effort from Sidwell's cut back was deflected behind.

United were all over the shop, Colin remained for once impassive on the touchline and the veteran porker David Unsworth was booked for flattening a scampering Doyle. This was at times embarassing stuff in the first half as a young, fit and hungry Reading made Sheffield United look like a struggling Sunday league outfit let alone a top flight side. Premiership, you're having a laugh indeed. In fact it was the Reading support who were laughing twenty five minutes in; Shorey's measured ball into Lita, lay off to SEOL one touch and bang from the edge of the box for 2-0. Happy days, we were watching an inevitable piece of history in the making - RFC's first ever away points in the top division.

The second half was just as one sided in terms of chances as Ingimarsson's by line pull back was met by Lita who should have scored and his foiled by Bennett with a smart header from a freekick with Ivar inches away from gobbling up his second goal of the week from the loose ball. So it was disappointing and surprising in equal measure when United pulled one back; Sonko allowed HULSE to spin onto the wretched Ade Panicbiyi's flick to rifle past Hahnemann, who looked as stunned as anyone that the home side had finally managed to put together a move of some fluency. This momentarily lifted the home crowd with half an hour left but Reading made a series of changes, withdrawing Lita who got through plenty of hard work and introducing Little for a welcome return to first team action along with the likes of Gunnarsson and Hunt. The rest of the game descended into a bit of a scrap truth be told and Reading rolled their sleeves up to hold out for the points with Hahnemann spilling a long range Gillespie effort around the post late on. This was as close as United, for all their toil, came to taking what would have been an underserved point.

The final whistle signalled the start of a boozy party for the travelling contingent as much alcohol was acquired back at Sheffield station and on the buffet car on the homeward bound train. Back in London on the final leg home, King's Cross/St Pancras station rang out to the familiar strains of Always on my mind, Small town in Berkshire and Bill Oddie as the travelling army celebrated our place in the UEFA Cup positions. Europe may be a pipe dream perhaps, but for Sheffield United it seems even thoughts of mere survival would be far fetched. Poor old Colin; four defeats and one draw for him in the last five Brammall Lane encounters with us. They are still the better side though, honest.

Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Seol (Gunnarsson, 65), Sidwell, Harper, Convey (Hunt, 71), Doyle, Lita (Little, 65). Subs not used: Stack, Long.

Floyd's Favourite: Seol. Best yet in his short Reading Korea.

LOOK BACK IN ANGER Reading 1-0 Manchester City

Manchester City are MASSIVE. Not necessarily a MASSIVE club as their supporters would have you believe - their last trophy was the highly prestigious League cup some thirty years ago - but certainly a huge, muscular team in stature. And on a bad tempered night marred by four City bookings and one sending off , Reading refused to be bossed by a brusque City outfit packed with experience.

Only SKY tv presenters would talk of six pointers in September with the season in its infancy, but there is no doubt that this was an important result for us. On Saturday we visit winless Sheffield United before a tough run of home fixtures kicks in. We need points to cling onto during what could be a rough ride over the next few weeks and this second home win in succession, built on the foundations of our Wonderwall of a defence, doubled our points tally for the season and catapulted us into the top half on the league where we look down upon Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.

It was a less than certain start though as we were pulled over the park in the early stages by a City side who moved the ball around with Champagne Supernova football, the scouse crook Joey Barton at the hub of things. Hahnemann won the battle of the Americans by smothering Reyna's early effort whilst Reading were caught out down the left hand side by Richards, later caught out by the referee for some quite disgraceful play acting, with Marcus again rescuing us by getting behind the dislikable Dickov's resultant shot. Much like the Boro game on the opening day, Reading looked slugglish and almost too respectful of their visitors as the opening timid blows were exchanged but Sidwell and Harper, who covered every inch of the pitch, began to exert some much needed control of the midfield and City's indisciplined defence began to get tied in knots by Doyle and Lita's relentless running. A foul by Distin on Lita earned the first yellow card and a freekick expertly dispatched by the quiet but willing Convey. INGIMARSSON piled in and earned a goal and a bump on the head for his troubles.

Reading tails were up now and they began to make a previously proficient looking City side look like a Cigarettes & Alcohol pub side. Immense Ivar Ingimarsson was foiled by a stupendous save by Nicky Weaver after lashing a loose ball at the top corner whilst Seol Ki Hyeon's header from a corner quite simply should have given us two goal breathing space. It didn't, and half chances for Coraddi and Sinclair before an interval which everyone needed served menacing notice. Equally menacing was a two-footed tackle from the tempustuous Sinclair on Convey at whom he also threw an elbow at later on during a second half which City dominated possession and territory wise but which Reading won handsomely on chances created. Substitute Samaras forced Hahnemann to Roll With It into a couple of safe saves otherwise it was all over the cross bar the shouting. Talking of shouting, an excellent atmosphere had built up throughout the night with the Reading teamed urged on continuously by a passionate home support.

The Reading back four stood firm as Superman Sonko and Immaculate Ingimarsson effectively carried out The Masterplan of defensive coach Wally Downes and at the other end Sidwell belted a freekick some way wide, Convey sliced an attempt wide which failed to trouble Weaver whilst thunderbolt efforts from Gunnarsson and Doyle following a clever backheel from Long earned the City 'keeper his wages. Doyle was denied by a desperate goal line clearance from Trabelsi in the closing stages after a strident City outfit - the original Dirty Northern Bastards - were reduced in numbers with ten minutes remaining as Dabo introduced Sidwell to his forearm in the style of his club colleague Ben Thatcher who recently knocked a Portsmouth player unconscious during a match. The fact that Reading comfortably saw out the remaining minutes against ten men should Cast No Shadow over a fine win.


Reading: Hahnemann, Murty, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Seol (Gunnarsson, 76), Sidwell, Harper, Convey, Doyle, Lita (Long, 75). Subs not used: Stack, Little, Hunt.

Floyd's Favourite: Ingimarsson. Ten out of ten.