SURRENDER Portsmouth 3-1 Reading

Portsmouth, a town with a proud military history, will have rarely enjoyed an easier battle victory than this. For the second Premiership fixture running Reading came, saw and didn't fancy the fight and were duly overrun. For the third time in six days we found ourselves 3-0 down and out of the game early in the second half and frankly this increasingly miserable run of form needs to be nipped in the bud very quickly or else the alarm bells will be ringing as long and as loudly as the infuriating bell belonging to the Fratton End trumpeteer.

Reading were never in this game. Portsmouth dominated from the off, the clever Kanu was winning everything in the air and Hahnemann had already got behind a free headed chance six yards out before he conceded the avoidable tenth minute corner which was delivered to the near post. GUNNARSSON got in ahead of Kanu for once but could only succeed in parrying the ball past Hahnemann, 1-0. Reading offered token resistance in response - a Sidwell header dealt with by James and a Doyle flick over - but the best chane in the remainder of the half came when Kanu was allowed to escaped to the byline to pull back for Benjani to fluff his lines in front of the mocking Reading supporters who would have little else to cheer about for the rest of the afternoon.

In the week, the local Portsmouth paper described Reading as "a kitten. Cute and adorable, brimming with enthusiasm.....they're everybody's friend." A very apt summary aside from the enthusiasm bit, which was worryingly lacking throughout. We rolled over and allowed Portsmouth to tickle our tummy despite a brightish opening few minutes to the second half. This miniest of revivals was speyed less than ten minutes into the half however as Reading failed to clear there lines and an accurate cross from that reliable source of assists Sol Campbell was met by the flimsiest of unmarked headers from KANU and the ball glanced past Hahnemann. The pikey home support moronically bayed EA-SAY EA-SAY. Quite.

Reading's decision making throughout was bereft of inspiration, we looked leaderless and bereft of heart. This is not what we have become used to watching over the last 12 months or so and is especially worrying after a fighting start to the season. Coppell has said after the match that this latest setback won't effect his team's confidence but there was something of an air of resignation as Pedro MENDES finished us off with a driven effort from the edge of the area as Reading failed to clear a corner after the hour. Floyd on Football soon used this as cue to depart this wretched venue where we have only ever won twice in 18 league visits, missing a blatant handball on the line from Mendes which preceeded the utter irrelevance of a scrambled DOYLE consolation. They are made of stern stuff in this part of the world, perhaps our team could do with a week of toughening up on the docks.

Reading: Hahnemann, Gunnarsson, Shorey, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Seol (Oster, 72), Sidwell, Harper, Convey (Lita, 72), Doyle, Long (Little, 53). Subs not used: Federic, Bikey.

Floyd's Favourite: The 16:54 from Fratton which took Floyd on Football out of this toilet of a town.